Application of cloud-point methodology to the determination of polychlorinated dibenzofurans in sea water by high-performance liquid chromatography

Polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF) are organic compounds with very toxic effects for humans and the environment. As they are present in low concentr ations, an extraction technique is necessary prior to their determination b y high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In this work, the methodol ogy of cloud-point extraction, using two non-ionic surfactants oligoethylen e glycol monoalkyl ether (Genapol X-080) and polyoxyethylene-10-cetyl ether (Brij 56), is applied to the extraction and preconcentration of PCDF in se a water samples prior to their determination by HPLC with fluorescence dete ction.