Soil and sediment analysis

Abstract Micropollutants found in sediments and soils encompass various groups of compounds such as pharmaceuticals, household agents, personal care products, alkylphenols, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) phthalates. They can be adsorbed or complexed by organic matter or bound to clay minerals present in soil and sediment. Microplastics are also emerging contaminants of special concern because of their toxicity to the environment and humans. Micropollutants may be adsorbed and concentrated on the surface of microplastics. Recently, advances in analytical methods allow for determination of micropollutants and microplastics at very low concentrations prevalent in the environment. The analytical procedure should be tailored to the goal of analysis and should encompass steps such as sample collection and handling, storage prior to analysis, isolation of the analyte from the sample matrix, sample preparation, and determination of the analyte. Each step in the analytical procedure is very important for reliability of the obtained results. The method should be validated, and the quality of the analytical data should be verified by the use of blank samples, sample replicate, and sample spike as well as certified reference materials.