The use of micellar systems in the extraction and pre-concentration of organic pollutants in environmental samples

Establishing simple, fast, low-cost, sensitive and selective analytical methods for extraction and determination of pollutants in the environment is one of the main lines of research in environmental chemistry. Recent studies have demonstrated that micellar systems (surfactant solutions) constitute a real alternative to organic solvents for use as extractants of organic pollutants from liquid and solid environmental samples. This article is an overview of the use of micellar systems in the extraction/ pre-concentration of different organic pollutants. Specifically, it discusses the application of the cloud-point extraction (CPE) and microwave-assisted micellar extraction (MAME) methodologies to the extraction and pre-concentration of organic pollutants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and phenolic derivatives, from environmental matrices. These studies show the advantages of these optimised methodologies over the traditional extraction techniques. (C) 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.