Green analytical procedure index assessment for total petroleum hydrocarbons determination methods in soil and sediments. A review

Abstract

Accurate determination of total petroleum hydrocarbons in soil and sediment is crucial for assessing pollution levels and guiding remediation efforts. This review looks at various analytical techniques for total petroleum hydrocarbons determination, such as gas chromatography with different detection methods, infrared based and fluorescence spectroscopic methods, in addition to gravimetric analysis. Green Analytical Procedure Index was used to investigate the environmental impact of the techniques along with different coupled extraction methods. Green Analytical Procedure Index individually evaluates the sample preparation, the type of instrumental technique, the reagents and solvents employed, the health and safety hazard, occupational hazard, and waste of each proposed analytical tool. This literature review showed that Soxhlet extraction, although ranked lower in greenness, is still one of the most widely used techniques for total petroleum hydrocarbons determination due to its completeness. Techniques like gas chromatography - mass spectrometer coupled with solid-phase microextraction, and infrared based tools with direct application are greener because the use of solvent is negligible, and the preparation of the sample is minimal. At the same time infrared based techniques showed lower prediction accuracy compared to gas chromatography - mass spectrometer coupled with solid-phase microextraction. This review highlights the critical need to balance analytical performance with environmental sustainability, offering insights into future developments in forensic and environmental monitoring. It shows pathways toward increasing the greenness of widely used techniques and future use in forensic investigations and environmental monitoring. Overall, this review is among the first to systematically assess total petroleum hydrocarbons analytical methods using Green Analytical Procedure Index, bridging the gap between analytical efficiency and green chemistry principles.