Liquid chromatographic determination of simple phenolic compounds in wastewaters from olive oil production plants

A method was developed for the determination of simple phenolic compounds ( PCs) in waste waters from olive oil production plants by liquid chromatogra phy (LC). The sample under examination was acidified to pH 2 to precipitate proteins, acetone was added to eliminate the colloidal fraction, and hexan e was used for extraction to eliminate lipidic substances. The solution obt ained was filtered and injected into the LC system; the wavelength selected for the spectrophotometric detection was specific for PCs, so that carbohy drates, organic acids, and short-chain free fatty acids did not interfere. Recoveries of 9 PCs spiked to a real sample were 90-100% for concentrations ranging from 20 to 2000 mg/L for each analyte.