Ion chromatography–electrospray mass spectrometry for the identification of low-molecular-weight organic acids during the 2,4-dichlorophenol degradation

End-product identification of organic pollutants during oxidation water treatments is of environmental concern due to their potential toxicity. In this work the coupling of ion chromatography (IC), equipped with a membrane ion suppressor, and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) has been successfully exploited for the identification of novel low molecular weight organic acids formed as final by-products of 2,4-dichloro-phenol (DCP) degradation by Fentonʹs reagent, an oxidation method widely employed to degrade recalcitrant organic pollutants in industrial wastewater. The IC–ESI-MS analytical set-up not only allowed the detection of known organic acids but also the identification of 13 new low molecular weight organic acids as a result of extensive oxidation of the parent organic pollutant. Some of the novel organic acids were shown to be chlorine containing by-products and, consequently, of environmental concern. The analytical set-up could be used for characterizing the unknown organic carbon fraction arising from oxidation water treatments.