Solid-phase microextraction coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography to determine phenolic compounds in water samples

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ultraviolet (UV) and electrochemical detection (ED) has been applied to determine 11 phenolic compounds considered priority pollutants by the US Environmental Protection Agency. 85 μm polyacrylate fibers were used to extract the analytes from the aqueous samples. Two different designs of the liquid chromatograph were compared in combination with SPME. Dynamic and static modes of desorption in both HPLC designs were compared and the variables affecting both absorption and desorption processes in SPME–HPLC were optimized. Static desorption in both HPLC systems showed better recoveries for the phenolic compounds. The performance of the SPME–HPLC–UV–ED method was evaluated with river water and wastewater samples. The method enabled the determination of phenolic compounds at low levels in these water samples.