Determination of phenols and chlorophenols in bottom sediments

Phenol, its alkylo-derivatives and chlorophenols belong to the family of compounds especially harmful for the environment. They are present in ambient air, process waters, waste waters and in soils. In environmental samples, these compounds are determined using such methods as gas chromatography with the ECD detector (GC/ECD), gas chromatography combined with the mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Each analytical method includes two stages: the stage of analyte enrichment and the stage of quantitative analysis. The paper presents a method for determination of all phenols, alkylophenols and chlorophenols in organic matter extracted from bottom sediments. The analytical procedure comprises extraction with dichloromethane in an ultrasonic field, separation of acidic compounds using acid-basic extraction and determination of the phenols and chlorophenols using GC-MS. The method has demonstrated the presence of phenol, its alkylo-derivatives and chlorophenols, although the last in insignificant amounts.