DETERMINATION OF PHENOLIC-COMPOUNDS IN WATER USING MEMBRANE INLET MASS-SPECTROMETRY

Two membrane inlet mass spectrometric (MIMS) methods for determining p henolic compounds in water are described and compared, namely direct a nalysis and analysis after acetylation of the phenolic compounds. Dire ct analysis of phenolic compounds in water is a very simple and rapid method and detection limits are relatively low (from 30 mu g l(-1) for phenol to 1000 mu g l(-1) for 4-nitrophenol). Analysis of phenolic co mpounds after aqueous acetylation is also a very simple and rapid meth od, and the detection limits are even two orders of magnitude lower th an in the direct analysis. For example the detection limit of phenol a cetate is 0.5 mu g l(-1) and that of 4-nitrophenol is 10 mu g l(-1). T he acetylation method was also tested in the analysis of phenolic comp ounds from contaminated surface water samples. (C) 1997 Elsevier Scien ce B.V.