Extraction and Trace Analysis of Trihalomethanes in Water Samples Using Zein@Fe3O4 Nanocomposite.

This study presents a simple dispersive solid phase extraction (DSPE) technique combined with headspace thermal desorption (HSTD) for extraction and determination of the most significant trihalomethanes (THMs), bromodichloromethane, bromoform, chloroform and dibromochloromethane, in water samples by using Zein@Fe3O4 nanocomposite coupled with gas chromatography/micro electron capture detection (GC-MECD). Various parameters affecting the DSPE-HSTD performance were investigated and optimized. The obtained results revealed that under optimum conditions, LOD and LOQ values were in the range of 0.1-0.36, 0.3-1.08 µg L-1, respectively. The intra-day and inter-day precisions of the method at a concentration of 10 µg L-1 for each analyte (n = 5) were obtained in the range of 5.69-6.70% and 6.12-7.34%, respectively. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied for extraction and determination of four THMs in drinking water samples.