A rapid method, based on sonication-assisted extraction in small columns (SAESC) and subsequent quantification and identification by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), was developed for the determination of cyclic and linear siloxanes in soil. In the experiments with spiked samples (10-50 ng g(-1)), the recovery of cyclic and linear siloxanes ranged from 87.7 to 108.0% and from 84.9 to 107.6%, respectively. The validated method was used to determine the levels of these compounds in various types of soil samples collected from different locations in Spain. The cyclic siloxanes, decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) and dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane (D6) were detected in all the soil samples analyzed at concentrations from 9.2 to 56.9 ng g(-1) for D5 and from 5.8 to 27.1 ng g(-1) for D6 in agricultural soils and from 22 to 184 ng g(-1) for D5 and from 28 to 483 ng g(-1) for D6 in industrial soils. The total linear siloxanes concentrations (L5-L14) (sum of the 10 congeners) ranged from 191 to 292 ng g(-1) in agricultural soils and from 1411 to 8532 ng g(-1) in industrial soils.
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