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Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extraction of Long-Chain Aliphatics from Two Soils

Fachhochschule Fresenius, Dep. of Trace Analysis, Dambachtal 20, 6200 Wiesbaden, Germany

M. Schnitzer^*

Land Resource Research Centre, Research Branch, Agiculture Canada, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0C6, Canada

*Corresponding author.

ABSTRACT

Current trends in soil organic-matter research are focused on developing methods for the extraction of specific organic-matter components. One such method is the supercritical gas extraction of soils using CO₂. To examine the applicability of this approach to whole soils, we used supercritical CO₂ for extracting two soils. The resulting extracts were analyzed by chemical methods, infrared (IR), ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and by field-ionization and field-desorption mass spectrometry. Major components identified in the extracts were C₁₅ to C₄₁ n-alkanes, the C₈ alkene, the C₂₉ n-alcohol, C₁₄ to C₄₀ n-fatty acids, C₁₇ to C₄₁ unsaturated fatty acids, the C₁₈ and C₂₆ dioic acids, the C₂₈ and C₃₀ n-ketones, C₃₈ to C₆₄ n-alkyl monoesters, the C₅₂ n-dioic acid dimer, and the C₇₈ n-dioic acid trimer. Of special interest was the presence in the extracts of 10-nonacosanol (C₂₉), a biomarker for coniferous epicuticular waxes. Supercritical CO₂ was found to be a mild and specific extractant for the removal of long-chain aliphatic materials from soils.

Contribution no. 90-96 of the Land Resource Research Centre, Research Branch, Agriculture Canada.

Received for publication January 18, 1991.