DETERMINATION OF HYDROXY-S-TRIAZINES IN WATER USING HPLC OR GC-MS

Two methods are described for the routine determination of triazine degradation products in water. After solid phase extraction by means of RP-C-18 cartridges, the separation and detection were carried out using either HPLC (for hydroxy-atrazine [OHA], hydroxy-simazine [OHS], hydroxy-propazine [OHP], hydroxy-terbutylazine [OHT] and hydroxy-desethylatrazine [OHDEA]) or GC-MS (only for OHA, OHS, OHP and OHT after methylation with diazomethane). The HPLC set-up is described for detecting the hydro xy-triazines, including hydroxy-desisopropylatrazine (OHDIA), hydroxy-desethyldesisopropylatrazine (OHDEDIA) and cyanuric acid (CA). The average recoveries at concentration levels between 50 ng/L and 1 mu g/L ranged from 35% to 43% for GC-MS (n = 5) and from 53% to 75% for HPLC (n = 5) with the exception of hydroxy-desethylatrazine which has been recovered with only 21%. Hydroxy-desisopropylatrazine, hydroxy-desethyldesisopropylatrazine and cyanuric acid could not be enriched on RP C-18 The determination limit of the investigated compounds has to be set between 90 and 100 ng/L for both methods for OHS, OHA, OHP and OHT.