Complex matrices such as food typically require acid hydrolysis or pretreatment prior to solvent extraction. Our newly updated flow-through solvent extraction system allows extraction of matrices which require acidic or alkaline pretreatment. The ability to extract these pretreated matrices significantly expands the capabilities of accelerated solvent extraction technology.This Application Note describes methods used for extraction of total fat from food samples and determination of fat content by FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester) analysis based on AOAC Official Method 996.06 section G.

The following compounds are listed by UNEP to be POPS: • Pesticides: Aldrin, Chlordane, DDT, Dieldrin, Endrin, Heptachlor, Mirex, and Toxaphene • Industrial chemicals: Hexachlorobenzene, and PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) • Chemical by-products (Dioxins): Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD and PCDF) This application note describes methods and results for extraction of the POPs listed above, with tables comparing ASE to traditional extraction methods.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were developed in the early 1970s and are used as flame retardants for various consumer products, including clothing, furniture, and plastics. Accelerated Solvent Extraction (ASE), introduced in 1995, was EPA approved under method 3545A and has proven to be a valuable technique for environmental laboratories. In this application note, PBDEs were extracted from human breast milk (freeze dried), sediments, fish tissues, and polymers using ASE.

Organotin compounds are a highly versatile group of organometallic chemicals used in industrial and agricultural applications. ASE systems are currently used to replace traditional extraction methods such as sonication and Soxhlet. Using an ASE system, extracts can be generated in much less time and using significantly less solvent than these traditional methods. ASE systems have been shown to provide better or equivalent recoveries compared to these techniques for compound classes covering a wide range of polarities and exhibiting both high and low levels of bonding to the matrix.

Accelerated solvent extraction is an extraction method that significantly streamlines sample preparation. PCBs are found in many solid waste materials. This AN describes the application of accelerated solvent extraction to the extraction of PCBs from sewage sludge, river sediments, marine sediments, and oyster tissue. The procedures described in this AN meet the requirements for sample extraction of solid samples as determined by U.S. EPA Method 3545.