TRACE DETERMINATION OF ALDEHYDES IN WATER BY HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY

A liquid chromatographic method is presented to determine trace amounts of aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes in water by using an innovative sampling cartridge. The PTFE cartridge used was packed with a moderately sulfonated cation exchange resin charged with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine. A 20-500-mL volume of water sample was passed through the cartridge. The 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone derivatives of the aldehydes on the resin were selectively eluted with acetonitrile. The eluate was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with a 3- mu m ODS column. With a 500-mL water sample, the detection limits were 0. 6 mu g/L for formaldehyde and 0. 3 mu g/L for acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, and benzaldehyde.