Supported liquid membrane work-up in combination with liquid chromatography and electrochemical detection for the determination of chlorinated phenols in natural water samples

A sample preparation method has been developed for the determination of chlorinated phenols in water. The method is based on a supported liquid membrane extraction system connected on-line to liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. The supported liquid membrane technique utilizes a porous PTFE membrane. The membrane is impregnated with an organic solvent which forms a barrier between two aqueous phases and enables selective extraction. The technique can easily be coupled in a flow system. In this investigation five chlorinated phenols (1-5 chlorine atoms) were extracted from natural water samples. Extraction for 30 minutes resulted in detection limits of approximately 25 ng L(-1).