Table 3.

Advantages and disadvantages of extraction technique and analytical approaches used for determination of phthalates esters (PAEs) in environmental and food samples.

Extraction Technique		Advantages	Disadvantages
LLE		✓ Economical ✓ High extraction efficiency ✓ Simple operation ✓ Suitable for small scale	✓ Large volume of solvent ✓ Low selectivity ✓ Difficult to automate ✓ Time-consuming
DLLME assisted (UVA-DLLME, VSLLME, VALLME, VS-EDLLME)		✓ Economical ✓ High recovery ✓ Low amount of sample ✓ Low extraction time ✓ Low volume of solvent	✓ Low selectivity ✓ Requires centrifugation ✓ Requires the use of three solvents
Soxhlet		✓ Simple operation ✓ Suitable for small scale	✓ Large volume of solvent ✓ Limited extraction efficiency ✓ Time-consuming
ASE		✓ Easy of automatization ✓ High efficiency ✓ Low volume of solvent ✓ Short extraction time	✓ Requires high temperatures (40 to 200 °C) and pressures (1500 psi)
UAE		✓ Economical ✓ Environmentally friendly ✓ High extraction efficiency ✓ Short extraction time ✓ Thermally stable molecules	✓ Decline of power with the time ✓ Lack of uniformity in the distribution of ultrasound energy
Microwave assisted		✓ Environmentally friendly ✓ High recovery ✓ Low volume of solvent ✓ No clean-up ✓ Reduced extraction time	✓ Expensive ✓ Low selectivity ✓ Requires centrifugation/filtration
SPE		✓ Alternative of LLE ✓ Easy automation ✓ Suitable for large scale	✓ Involve many steps ✓ Large volume of solvent ✓ Possibility of low recoveries
MSPE		✓ Environmentally friendly ✓ Limited number of steps ✓ Low amount of sorbent material ✓ Reuse of sorbent material ✓ Short extraction time	✓ Requires vortex/shaker/magnetic stirrer ✓ Selection of suitable sorbent
MSDP		✓ Environmentally friendly ✓ Limited number of steps ✓ Quick ✓ Simple	✓ Requires anhydrous sorbents activated at high temperatures
SPME		✓ Alternative to SPE ✓ Limited number of steps ✓ Low amount of samples ✓ Reuse of the polymeric phase ✓ Short extraction time	✓ Potential contamination of the SPME needle
QuEChERS-dSPE		✓ Economical ✓ Efficient clean-up by dSPE ✓ Limited solvent consumption ✓ Quick ✓ Simple	✓ Reduced precision and accuracy ✓ Reduced sensitivity
Analytical platforms
GC	FID	✓ Economical ✓ High sensitivity ✓ Quick ✓ Wide linear range	✓ No information related to structure ✓ Time consuming
	EI-MS	✓ Volatiles ✓ Economical ✓ High resolution ✓ Information related to structure ✓ Library database ✓ Minimal matrix effect ✓ User friendly	✓ Hard ionization ✓ Impossible analysis of thermally stable molecules ✓ Low response factor consistency ✓ Low-volatility compounds need to be derivatized ✓ Moderate sensitivity
LC	UV	✓ Economical ✓ High sensitivity; ✓ HPLC columns can be reused without repacking or regeneration ✓ Speed of analysis ✓ User friendly	✓ Sensitivity is chromophore dependent ✓ Low specificity at short wavelengths ✓ Identification based on retention time and UV/vis absorbance
	ESI-MS	✓ Derivatization is unnecessary ✓ High sensitivity ✓ Large mass range ✓ Mid- to high chromatographic resolution; ✓ Nonvolatile, polar, and ionic molecules (mid- to high-polarity) ✓ Soft ionization ✓ Speed of analyses ✓ Thermally stable molecules	✓ Expensive ✓ Matrix effect ✓ No universal Library ✓ Limited potential in identification unless the MS/MS is used ✓ De-salting may be required ✓ A few restrictions on LC eluents ✓ Low limit of detection (few pg to 10−15 g)
	HRMS	✓ High resolution ✓ Mass accuracy ✓ High selectivity ✓ High specificity	✓ Expensive ✓ Instrument maintenance ✓ Data file storage

Abbreviations: ASE: Accelerated solvent extraction; DLLME: dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction; EI-MS: electron ionization mass spectrometry; ESI-MS: electrospray ionization mass spectrometry; FID: flame ionization detection; GC: gas chromatograph; HRMS: high resolution mass spectrometry; LC: liquid chromatography; LLE: liquid-liquid extraction; MS/MS: tandem mass spectrometry; MSPD: matrix solid phase dispersion; MSPE: magnetic solid phase extraction; QuEChERS-dSPE: quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe: dispersive solid phase extraction; SPE: solid phase extraction; SPME: solid phase extraction; UAE: ultrasound assisted extraction; UV: ultraviolet detection; UVA-DLLME: ultrasound vortex assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction; VA-EDLLME: vortex assisted-emulsification dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction; VSLLME: vortex-assisted surfactant-enhanced emulsification liquid–liquid microextraction.