Determination of trace levels of phenol and cresols in rain by continuous liquid-liquid extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography.

Trace levels of phenol and methylphenols (cresols) in aqueous samples were determined by continuous liquid-liquid extraction and normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with UV-fluorescence detection. The recovery of phenol from water at a concentration of 1.6 micrograms l-1 was 70 +/- 6%. The method successfully measured traces of phenol and cresols extracted from rainwater without further clean-up. The average reproducibility of the method for rain samples was +/- 16%. The results compared well with those obtained by high-resolution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.