A straightforward and efficient way for extraction of parabens that is methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben and benzylparaben in environmental water samples was developed through optimizing parameters for each method of extraction. In this study, methods involved were cloud point
extraction, vortex extraction, and liquid–liquid extraction. The parameters affecting the method of extraction were such as salt concentration, surfactant concentration, type of solvent, temperature, ratio of solvent to water and extraction time. The optimum parameter for cloud point
extraction method were 1.0 M of salt, 1.0% v/v of surfactant, ratio of surfactant to water is 1:1, extraction time is 1 minute at 30 °C while vortex extraction method, optimum parameter is 1.0 M salt, using acetonitrile as a solvent, ratio 1 solvent: 4 water, and extracted at 1 minute.
For the liquid–liquid extraction method, the optimum parameter was at 1.0 M salt, acetonitrile as a solvent, ratio of solvent to water is 1:1 and extraction time at 1 minute. The correlation coefficient for the calibration of paraben at concentration 0.2 ppm–1.0 ppm was in the
range from 0.9703 to 0.9942. The limit of detection of studied paraben were 0.1627, 0.0837, 0.1156 and 0.1918 ppm, respectively. Percentage recovery for cloud point extraction, vortex extraction and liquid–liquid extraction were between 41%–147.9%, 26.5%–134.7%, and 31.4%–142.4%
respectively. Each sample is repeated with triplication which the value of the relative standard deviation is less than 17.9%. Thus, the most suitable, efficient and effective method in extraction of paraben from water samples is cloud point extraction. The cloud point extraction shows the
potential to be explore on the future extraction of others organic pollutants from water samples.