Abstract
The analysis of aromatic amines, particularly benzidines, at trace levels in environmental media has been difficult because of the lack of suitable deactivated capillary column stationary phases for gas chromatography. This report describes the use of an improved type of column as well as a method for the analysis of anilines and benzidines in water, wastewater and sewage samples. Extraction procedures are applicable to a wide range of compounds that are effectively partitioned from an aqueous matrix into methylene chloride, or onto a solid-phase extraction cartridge. The extracted analytes are also amenable to separation on a capillary gas chromatographic column and transferable to the mass spectrometer. These contaminants are converted to their N-trifluoroacetyl derivatives. Aniline and some substituted anilines, and 3,3’-dichlorobenzidine and benzidine were determined in 24-h composite industrial water, wastewater, primary sludge and final effluent samples at concentrations from 0.03 up to 2760 µg/L.