ABSTRACT
The identification and quantification of organic pollutants in environmental matrices have improved significantly over the past two decades. Fundamentally, the determination of organic contaminants requires selective solvent extraction of the determinant(s) from the matrix followed by quantifiable analysis using specialized instrumentation. Often the researcher needs to identify a target compound and/or its metabolites, thus focusing the choice of technique to suit the particular matrix and determinant(s). Significant advances in instrument automation and reliability, precision of flow control, detector development, and competitive instrument pricing have greatly increased the number and range of laboratories capable of fulfilling reliable and routine organic pollutant analysis.
