Environmental monitoring of phenolic pollutants in water by cloud point extraction prior to micellar electrokinetic chromatography

• Published in: Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry Vol. 394; no. 2; pp. 567 - 573
• Main Authors: Stege, Patricia W, Sombra, Lorena L, Messina, Germán A, Martinez, Luis D, Silva, María F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01.05.2009; Springer-Verlag; Springer
• Subjects: Analysis methods; Analytical Chemistry; Applied sciences; Biochemistry; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Chromatographic methods and physical methods associated with chromatography; Chromatography; Chromatography, Micellar Electrokinetic Capillary; Cloud point extraction; Clouds; Electrokinetics; Enrichment; Environmental monitoring; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Exact sciences and technology; Extraction; Food Science; Global environmental pollution; hydroquinone; Laboratory Medicine; Mathematical analysis; Micellar electrokinetic chromatography; Molecular Structure; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Natural water pollution; Original Paper; Other chromatographic methods; p-aminophenol; p-nitrophenol; Phenols - analysis; Pollutants; Pollution; Surface-Active Agents - chemistry; Water - analysis; Water - chemistry; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water treatment and pollution; South America; Argentina; America; Hydroquinone; Cloud point extraction; nitrophenol; Micellar electrokinetic chromatography; aminophenol; Water; High resolution; Chemical analysis; Nitrophenol; Micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography; Selectivity; Chemical enrichment; Cloud point; Sample preparation; Detection limit; Aromatic compound; p-nitrophenol; Extraction process; Sediments; Environmental control; Soils; Sensitivity; Small angle neutron scattering; Simultaneous measurement; p-aminophenol; Environment; Water pollution
• ISSN: 1618-2642; 1618-2650
• DOI: 10.1007/s00216-009-2719-7

Many aromatic compounds can be found in the environment as a result of anthropogenic activities and some of them are highly toxic. The need to determine low concentrations of pollutants requires analytical methods with high sensitivity, selectivity, and resolution for application to soil, sediment, water, and other environmental samples. Complex sample preparation involving analyte isolation and enrichment is generally necessary before the final analysis. The present paper outlines a novel, simple, low-cost, and environmentally friendly method for the simultaneous determination of p-nitrophenol (PNP), p-aminophenol (PAP), and hydroquinone (HQ) by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography after preconcentration by cloud point extraction. Enrichment factors of 180 to 200 were achieved. The limits of detection of the analytes for the preconcentration of 50-ml sample volume were 0.10 μg L⁻¹ for PNP, 0.20 μg L⁻¹ for PAP, and 0.16 μg L⁻¹ for HQ. The optimized procedure was applied to the determination of phenolic pollutants in natural waters from San Luis, Argentina. [graphic removed]