SEPARATION OF 11 PRIORITY PHENOLS BY CAPILLARY ZONE ELECTROPHORESIS WITH ULTRAVIOLET DETECTION

The separation and detection of eleven priority phenols using capillar y zone electrophoresis with UV detection are described. Using a 70 cm x 75 mu m I.D. capillary at 15 kV and an electrophoretic buffer of 20 mM sodium berate (pH 9.9 +/- 0.1), the eleven compounds could be compl etely separated in less than 14 min. The different variables that affe ct separation were studied and optimized, and good linearity was obtai ned between 0.5 and 20 mg l(-1) for 2,4-dimethylphenol (2,4-DMP) and b etween 0.25 and 20 mg l(-1) for the other compounds, and the detection limits were 0.1 mg l(-1) for all compounds except 2,4-DMP (0.25 mg l( -1)). Previous analyses of real samples, an off-line solid-phase extra ction process with a highly cross-linked styrene-divinylbenzene copoly mer cartridge was used to determine the priority phenolic compounds at low mu g l(-1) levels. The method was tested with tap and Ebro river waters.