Trace-Level Determination of Phenol by Liquid Chromatography with On-Line Precolumn Technology and Fluorescence Detection

Abstract

A strongly basic anion-exchange resin is used for the trace enrichment and automated sample handling of phenol, with subsequent determination by reversed-phase liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Because of the presence of high concentrations of ionic compounds in the water samples tested, phenol is first trapped on a relatively long precolumn filled with a highly hydrophobic packing material; during this step, (in) organic anions which are not retained, are flushed to waste. In the next step, phenol is desorbed from this column at high pH and sorbed in a small zone (“peak compression”) on a short precolumn containing the anion exchanger. In the analysis of tap and river water samples, the detection limit was found to be 10ppt (1:10¹¹).