Determination of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in water by high-performance liquid chromatography with direct on-column preconcentration.

A technique for the direct preconcentration of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) on a reversedphase analytical column was proposed for the analysis of water samples by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A procedure for determining DEHP in surface-water and atmospheric precipitations in the laboratory and in the field was developed (the limit of detection is 0.1 Μg/L, the limit of determination is 0.3 Μg/L, and the relative standard deviation is 20 or 6% at a DEHP concentration of 0.3 or 10 Μg/L, respectively). The concentration levels of DEHP as a chemical tracer for the transfer and migration of air and water masses were examined in Lake Baikal water and in the snow cover of the Baikal region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]