Application of cloud-point methodology to the determination of polychlorinated dibenzofurans in sea water by high-performance liquid chromatography

Abstract

Polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF) are organic compounds with very toxic effects for humans and the environment. As they are present in low concentrations, an extraction technique is necessary prior to their determination by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In this work, the methodology of cloud-point extraction, using two non-ionic surfactants oligoethylene glycol monoalkyl ether (Genapol X-080) and polyoxyethylene-10-cetyl ether (Brij 56), is applied to the extraction and preconcentration of PCDF in sea water samples prior to their determination by HPLC with fluorescence detection.