ANALYSIS OF DIETHYLENETRIAMINE IN WATER AND SOIL AT PPB LEVELS BY HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY WITH FLUORESCENCE DETECTION

A fast and sensitive method for the determination of diethylenetriamin e in water and soil by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) w ith Fluorescence Detection is described. Diethylenetriamine is convert ed to its fluorescamine derivatives through pre-column derivatization and is separated by an isocratic reverse phase chromatographic system (Nucleosil C18) with acetonitrile and berate buffer at pH 8 as the mob ile phase. Water samples at concentrations of diethylenetriamine from 20 - 100 mu g/L were derivatized with fluorescamine and chromatographe d directly through direct aqueous injections. Recoveries averaged 94 /- 7% for a population of nine samples. Soil samples at concentrations of diethylenetriamine from 0.24 - 1.0 mu g/g were extracted with CaCl 2 solution (2 M) followed by derivatization with fluorescamine. Deriva tized soil extracts were then analyzed by HPLC. Recoveries averaged 21 +/- 2% for a population of nine samples.