GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHIC HEADSPACE ANALYSIS OF PHENOL AND CRESOLS IN SOILSBY DIRECT ACETYLATION

A quick, simple and selective procedure has been developed for the det ermination of phenol, o-cresol, m-cresol, and p-cresol in soil samples . The method is based on the gas chromatographic headspace analysis of phenols as acetate derivatives. These acetates were prepared directly in the wetted soil samples by acetic anhydride in the presence of KHC O3. With this procedure sample handling is reduced to a minimum as des orption and derivatization of the analytes are developed from the wett ed samples inside the vial of the head space sampler. The acetate este rs were analyzed using a 60 m x 0.56 mm DIIDP capillary column (di-iso decyl-phthalate), using 2-chlorophenol as an internal standard. The de tection limit was between 0.03-0.08 mu g g(-1) for the different speci es considered. Soil samples having carbon contents lower than 5% can b e analyzed by the proposed procedure.