Application of Normal and Derivative Ultraviolet Absorption Spectroscopy for the Determination of Six Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons in Tigris River

Abstract

The aim of this study is to find a suitable analytical method for determination ofsome polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in different locations in Tigris river. Six ofPAHs are studied according to Environment Protection Agency, which are Naphthalene,Anthracene, Acenaphthene, Acenaphthylene, Phenanthrene, and Fluorene. Ultraviolet Visible technique is applied by using normal and derivative spectra to find a suitablewavelength for qualitative and quantitative measurements for each compound. Thecalibration curve for the standard solution for the six PAHs (0.1 -100) ppm gave linearity(0.979-0.999).The proposed method was applied on different samples from Tigris river. Highlevel of contamination caused by PAHs was detected in these samples in comparison witha previous study