Exploratory analysis and ranking of analytical procedures for short-chain chlorinated paraffins determination in environmental solid samples

Mariusz Marć; Marta Bystrzanowska; Marek Tobiszewski

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134665

Exploratory analysis and ranking of analytical procedures for short-chain chlorinated paraffins determination in environmental solid samples

Sci Total Environ. 2020 Apr 1:711:134665. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134665. Epub 2019 Nov 21.

Authors

Mariusz Marć¹, Marta Bystrzanowska², Marek Tobiszewski²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology (GUT), 11/12 G. Narutowicza St., 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland. Electronic address: marmarc@pg.edu.pl.
² Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology (GUT), 11/12 G. Narutowicza St., 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland.

PMID: 31818586
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134665

Abstract

Short-chain chlorinated paraffins are ones of the most recent chemical compounds that have been classified as persistent organic pollutants. They have various applications and are emitted to the environment. Despite the fact, that the content levels of these compounds in the environmental compartments should be monitored, there is still a lack of well-defined and validated analytical procedures, proposed or suggested by the national or international environmental protection agencies. Finding an appropriate analytical procedure (sensitive and green at the same time) from many available ones is very often a difficult task. Therefore it can be supported with multicriteria decision analysis. The dataset consisting of 22 procedures was described by 7 criteria, mainly referring to procedures greenness. The data treatment with cluster analysis and principal component analysis revealed the internal structure of the dataset. Moreover, both statistical tools allowed for reduction of dataset criteria to three. This was used for applying ternary plot to show the multicriteria decision analysis results within all possible weights. With the aid of chemometric and multicriteria decision analysis tools it was easy to assess the set of analytical procedure. Depending on the applied weights to assessment criteria different analytical procedures are the most appropriate (winners).

Keywords: Cluster analysis; Multicriteria decision analysis; Principal component analysis; Short-chain chlorinated paraffins; Solid samples; Technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution.