Extraction and determination of phenolic derivatives in water samples by using polyoxyethylene surfactants and liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection.

Methodology based on the cloud-point phenomenon was applied to the comparative study of 3 different polyoxyethylene nonionic surfactants in order to extract and preconcentrate a group of phenolic derivatives in water samples; these phenolic compounds, which were determined by liquid chromatography with UV detection, included 11 pollutants given priority by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The optimum conditions for the extraction and preconcentration of phenolic compounds were established for each surfactant. The surfactant that gave the best extraction and preconcentration of the analytes under study was polyoxyethylene 6 lauryl ether (C12E6) with detection limits of <3.5 microg/L for all the phenolic compounds tested. The method was applied to seawater and depurated wastewater samples.