Rapid analysis of organic microcontaminants in environmental water samples by trace enrichment and liquid chromatography on a single short column

On-column trace enrichment and liquid chromatography using a single short (20 mm length) high-pressure packed column was optimized for the rapid simultaneous identification and quantification of a wide range of organic microcontaminants in environmental water samples. The quality of different C-18 bonded silica packing materials in terms of their performance (i.e., peak capacity, repeatability) and enrichment/extraction characteristics (i.e., recovery, selectivity) was tested. With 15-ml samples, limits of detection of 0.1-0.4 mu g/l and 0.5-1.1 mu g/l were achieved for tap and surface water, respectively. The applicability of the system was demonstrated by the screening of real environmental samples and the provisional identification of unknowns.