Analyte isolation, aqueous environmental samples

In this chapter, the current and future capabilities of HPLC for the determination of trace organic compounds in aqueous environmental samples will be assessed. This assessment will include approaches to sample cleanup or analyte isolation for those species likely to be candidates for analysis by HPLC. Column technology, as it contributes to the use of HPLC for trace organic analyses, will be surveyed. Finally, detection of the compounds eluting from the system will be examined. The ultimate detector will always adequately identify and measure the compounds of interest. 

In the past 5 years the frequency of reports on the use of HPLC technology for the determination of trace organic compounds in aqueous environmental samples has been steadily increasing. Many innovative approaches to sample cleanup and analyte isolation have been reported. Reversed-phase separation, with its many mobile-phase adaptations, has been and continues to be the most popular HPLC separation mode. The development of fast columns and microbore columns should provide optimal configurations for particular applications. The operating characteristics of microbore columns also make... 

Figure 1. Schematic of the strategy for the coupled bioassay-analytical fractionation of residue organics isolated from aqueous environmental samples.

This high and reproducible percent recovery for the isolation and recovery of lindane from water strongly suggests that RP-SPE is very appropriate as a sample preparation method for this analyte. Lindane is of continued interest to environmental and toxicological scientists. One such study, discussed next, taken from the author s work, involves the isolation and recovery of lindane from homogenized myometrial tissue suspended in an aqueous matrix. 

---