ANALYSIS OF LOWER ALIPHATIC-ALDEHYDES IN WATER BY MICELLAR ELECTROKINETIC CHROMATOGRAPHY WITH DERIVATIZATION TO 2,4-DINITROPHENYLHYDRAZONES

The analysis of lower aliphatic aldehydes in water following derivatiz ation to 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones, was investigated by micellar ele ctrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). The effects of the buffer pH and ac etonitrile addition on the separation were investigated. Under optimiz ed conditions the 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) reagent was comple tely separated from four DNPH derivatized aldehydes with high separati on efficiency. DNPH-formaldehyde and DNPH-acetaldehyde were also compl etely separated from one another. Their relative standard deviation of migration times and peak areas were within 1.0% and 3.3%, respectivel y. The reproducibility of peak areas in this MEKC analysis was as good as that of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis wit h the same derivatization method. The recovery values from tap and riv er water were in the range of 97-102%. The detection limits of formald ehyde and acetaldehyde were 0.05 mg/L and 0.08 mg/L respectively.