Headspace-spme analysis of the sapwood and heartwood of picea abies, pinus sylvestris and larix decidua

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) combined with GC and GC/MS was used for analysis of the wood volatiles of Norway spruce (Picea abies L.), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), and European larch (Larix decidua Mill.). More than 160 compounds were extracted and identified from spruce, pine, and larch stemwood. Differences in the quantitative and qualitative composition of the volatiles from the different conifer species were found. The volatile composition was specific for each species. Only small differences in the volatiles from different wood tissues, i.e. sapwood and heartwood, were found.