Determination of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) in Soils: A Review of Spectroscopic and Nonspectroscopic Techniques

In the analysis of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soils for total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), the roles of spectroscopic and nonspectroscopic techniques are inseparable. Therefore, spectroscopic techniques cannot be discussed in isolation. In this report, spectroscopic techniques including Raman, fluorescence, infrared, and visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopies, as well as mass spectroscopy (coupled to a gas chromatograph) and nonspectroscopic techniques such as gravimetry, immunoassay, and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection are reviewed. To bridge the perceived gap in coverage of the quantitative applications of Vis-NIR spectroscopy in the rapid determination of TPHs and PAHs in soils, a detailed review of studies from the period 1999-2012 are presented. This report also highlights the strengths and limitations of these techniques and evaluates their performance from the perspective of their attributes of general applicability, namely economic portability, operational time, accuracy, and occupational health and safety considerations. Overall, the fluorescence spectroscopic technique had the best performance (85% total score) in comparison to the others, and the gravimetric technique performed the least (60% total score). Method-specific solutions geared toward performance improvement are also suggested.