Optimisation of solvent desorption conditions for chemical warfare agent and simulant compounds from Porapak Q using experimental design. Part 2: Extraction of sulphur mustard from steel and glass Porapak tubes

The ion-pair solid-phase extraction (SPE) of 4-alkylphenols followed by derivatization with pentafluoropyridine is demonstrated. Under alkaline conditions, the 4-alkylphenols could be efficiently adsorbed on a C18 SPE cartridge conditioned with an ion-pair reagent, tetra-n-hexylammonium bromide. The ion pairs, ammonium phenolates, formed on the C18 solid phase, were eluted with a solvent containing the derivatizing reagent, pentafluoropyridine, and completely derivatized during the elution. After optimization of the adsorption and derivatization, we established a method for the determination of the 4-alkylphenols in water samples. The method showed good linearity between 20 and 1000 ng (200-10,000 ng for nonylphenol). By processing 20-ml samples, the method detection limits (MDL) were in the range of 5.2-8.9 ng/l for the 4-alkylphenols (76 ng/l for nonylphenol). To evaluate its applicability to a real aqueous matrix, several river water samples were analyzed.     

Simultaneous determination of alkylphenols and bisphenol A in river water by stir bar sorptive extraction with in situ acetylation and thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A method for the determination of seven alkylphenols and bisphenol A by stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) with in situ derivatization-thermal desorption (TD)-gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) is described. SBSE was performed with in situ acetylation and without derivatization for comparison. For 4-tert-butylphenol and bisphenol A, in situ acetylation improved the responses in SBSE-TD-GC-MS. The method detection limits ranged from 0.1 to 3.2 ng/l. The recoveries of the analytes from a river water sample spiked with standards at 10 and 100 ng/l were 85.3-105.9% (R.S.D., 3.0-11.0%) and 88.3-105.8% (R.S.D., 1.6-8.3%), respectively.     

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of alkylphenols in produced water from offshore oil installations as pentafluorobenzoate derivatives

A simple, highly selective and sensitive method for the determination of 14 representative alkylphenols from phenol (C0) to nonylphenol (C9) in produced water is described. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) by anion-exchange sorbent is used to extract alkylphenols from produced water. The samples are then derivatised by pentafluorobenzoyl chloride and analysed on GC-MS (negative ion chemical ionisation, NCI). The derivatisation procedure has been validated by means of two-level factorial design (2(7-4)) experiments. Quantification is done with isotope dilution of five internal standards of different alkyl chain length. The detection limits were at low ng/l levels. A comparison with GC-MS analysis of non-derivatised alkylphenol samples revealed the advantage of derivatisation as described in the method.     

Analytical methodologies for determining the occurrence of endocrine disrupting chemicals in sewage treatment plants and natural waters

In this study, a method for assessing the occurrence of trace amounts of 12 representative estrogenic compounds in sewage and surface waters was developed. The selected substances were the phytoestrogens daidzein, genistein and biochanin A, the alkylphenols bisphenol A and 4-nonylphenol, the natural hormones 17β-estradiol, estrone, estriol and the synthetic hormone 17α-ethynylestradiol and the mycoestrogens zearalenone and two of its metabolites (α-zearalanol and β-zearalanol). The procedure consists in solid phase extraction (SPE) performed with OASIS cartridges followed by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS). Recoveries were all above 80% for each analyzed aqueous matrices. The developed method was applied to verify the occurrence of endocrine disrupters in environmental samples of sewage influents and effluents of an Italian STP. Phytoestrogens were present in effluents at concentrations ranging from 3 to 83 ng/l, whereas the levels detected for alkylphenols were in the range 13-36 ng/l for bisphenol A and up to 1 μg/l for nonylphenol. Estrogens and zeranols were determined at levels below 30 ng/l. Analysis of a river (Tiber) receiving effluent waters revealed high quantities of bisphenol A (15-29 ng/l) and nonylphenol (up to 1.2 μg/l), whereas the presence of all the other compounds were at levels of few ng/l.     

Determination of alkylphenols and alkylphenol carboxylates in wastewater and river samples by hemimicelle-based extraction and liquid chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry

Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-coated alumina and cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC)-coated silica were investigated as new sorbents for the concentration of alkylphenol polyethoxylate (APE) biodegradation products from wastewater and river water samples. Octylphenol (OP), nonylphenol (NP), octylphenol carboxylic acid (OPC) and nonylphenol carboxylic acid (NPC) were quantitatively retained on both supramolecular sorbents on the basis of the formation of mixed hemimicelles and admicelles. SDS hemimicelles-based SPE was proposed for the extraction/concentration of the target compounds prior to their separation and quantitation by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization in negative mode, ion trap mass spectrometry. No clean-up steps or evaporation of the eluent were required. The recovery of APE metabolites from sewage and river water ranged between 87 and 100%. Concentration factors of about 500, using sample volumes of 1 l, were achieved. Detection limits were between 75 and 193 ng/l. The approach developed was applied to the determination of alklylphenols and alkylphenol carboxylic acids in raw and treated sewage and river samples. The concentrations of APE metabolites found ranged between 0.8 and 78 microg/l.     

Solid phase analytical derivatization of anthropogenic and natural phenolic estrogen mimics with pentafluoropyridine for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A simple, low cost, fast and sensitive method is reported for the determination of the four endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) 4-tert-butylphenol, 4-tert-octylphenol, bisphenol A and 17β-estradiol using pentafluoropyridine as the derivatizing reagent. These EDCs were determined by simultaneous extraction and derivatization in a solid phase analytical derivatization (SPAD) technique without the aid of any phase transfer catalyst (PTC) or an ion-pair mechanism. Recoveries of analytes as their tetrafluoropyridyl derivatives from water ranged from 71% for 4-tert-butylphenol to 106% for 17β-estradiol; from urine they ranged from 61% for 17β-estradiol to 91% for 4-tert-octylphenol; and from humic acids solution the ranged from 59% for 17β-estradiol to 104% for 4-tert-octylphenol in humic acid solutions. Calibration curves were constructed from a matrix of human male urine in the range 1-40 ng/mL and had coefficients of correlation greater than 0.99. For 4-tert-butylphenol, bisphenol A and 17β-estradiol the limits of quantitation were 5 ng/mL and for 4-tert-octylphenol it was 1 ng/mL. This method was applied to determine EDCs and detected 4-tert-octylphenol, bisphenol A and 17β-estradiol in concentrations comparable to those found in the literature. The method offers advantages in speed of analysis, reduced reagent and specificity of derivatization.     

Qualitative analysis of phenols and alcohols in complex samples after derivatization to esters of ferrocene carboxylic acid by gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection

Phenols and alcohols in complex petrochemical samples are derivatized to esters of ferrocene carboxylic acid in a rapid and simple reaction. These esters show several characteristic ions of high intensity in gas chromatography coupled with electron impact ionization mass spectrometry (GC-EI-MS) which can be used for the identification of the analyte. A differentiation between alcohols and phenols is possible due to the McLafferty rearrangement shown only by the alcohol esters. Selective ion monitoring of m/z 213 yields a phenol-selective chromatogram and m/z 230 an alcohol-selective chromatogram. For all iron containing fragments, the isotopic pattern of iron can be observed which enhances the reliability of the peak identification. The ferrocene esters of 11 alcohols, 20 alkylphenols (including octyl- and nonylphenol), phenylphenol, naphthol and hydroxyphenanthrene, several chloro- and all mononitrophenols were synthesized as well as the esters of pentadeutero- and two fluorinated phenols. Their fragmentation pattern under EI ionization is studied and a GC-ion trap-MS system was optimized for simultaneous use of the full scan mode and an MS/MS experiment in the same run. This provides for a very high selectivity in the detection of the esters and makes available the complete mass spectra without any additional measurements. The benefits of the simple and rapid derivatization procedure in combination with this powerful detection method are demonstrated for selected petrochemical samples. Several alkylphenols could be successfully identified in such samples and molecular information about unknown phenolic components could be easily obtained.     

Flow-rate variated HPLC-/EC-determination of phenols

Summary An HPLC-EC-method is proposed for the determination of phenol, alkylphenols, hydroxyphenols and chlorophenols. With the application of programmed flowrate variation good resolution within short analysis times could be reached; the eluent is usable for several times. An electrochemical dual-detector provides detection limits ranging from 55 pg for hydroquinone to 19 ng for pentachlorophenol (injection volume 20 l). The dual mode is used to increase selectivity and sensitivity. The method was successfully applied to the direct determination of phenols in waste and river water.     

Simultaneous determination of degradation products of nonylphenol polyethoxylates and their halogenated derivatives by solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry after trimethylsilylation

An efficient method for the simultaneous determination of the degradation products of nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NPnEOs, n = number of ethoxy units), i.e., nonylphenol (NP), NPnEOs (n = 1-3), nonylphenoxy carboxylic acids (NPnECs, n = 1-2, number of ethoxy units plus an acetate) and their halogenated derivatives (XNP, XNP1EO and XNP1EC; X = Br or Cl), in water samples were developed. After trimethylsilylation with N,O-bis(trimethysilyl)acetamide, all the analytes were determined by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS-MS) with electron ionization (EI). The ion peaks of [M - 85]+ of the derivatives were selected as precursor ions and their product ions showing the highest intensities were used for the quantitative analysis. The instrumental detection limits were in the range from 2.1 to 11 pg. The recoveries of the analytes from the water samples were optimized by using solid-phase extraction (SPE). The deuterated reagents of octylphenol, octylphenol monoethoxylate and octylphenoxyacetic acid were used as the surrogates. The method detection limits (500 ml water sample) using C18 SPE were from 2.5 to 18 ng/l. The recoveries from spiked pure water and the environmental water samples were greater than 78%. The method was successfully applied to environmental samples. Remarkably, the concentrations of the halogenated compounds (CINP, CINP1EO and BrNP1EO) were detected at the hundreds of ng/l levels in the Neya river.     

A Rapid HPLC Determination of C2–C7 Aliphatic Diamines by Precolumn Derivatization with Acetylacetone in Methanol-Water

A rapid reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatographic analysis for the determination of seven aliphatic diamines in water is described. Precolumn derivatization with acetylacetone is used for traces of aliphatic diamines in water-methanol (10:1 v/v) medium. The acetylacetone derivatives obtained after 15 min were extracted with an octadecylsilane functionalized silica cartridge, and then injected into the HPLC system. The HPLC system consisted of a reversed-phase column, and a spectrophotometric detector adjusted to 310 nm as elution solvent a methanol-tetrahydrofuran-water (55:3:42 v/v) mixture was used. The acetylacetone derivatives of the C2-C7 diamines were separated with a good resolution in 23 min. The detection limits achieved for each diamine were between 0.18-0.72 ng/ml for a 100 ml water sample. The recovery of diamine derivatives from river and seawater was 88-101%, with relative standard deviations of 2.2-4.0%, and 82-93%, with relative standard deviations of 2.8-4.6%, respectively. Aliphatic diamines are widely used as chemical reagents, occur as metabolic in biomedical studies and are used as chelating agents in analytical chemistry. As they are soluble in water, their use results in their ultimate release to the environment. The need for a sensitive, selective and rapid determination of aliphatic diamines in environmental samples thus has become important. Dobberpuhl et al. [1] have described a highly sensitive pulsed electrochemical detection for aliphatic monoamines and diamines following their chromatographic separation. Although, it is a sensitive method the determination has to be carried out in alkaline conditions. The most common method for the determination of aliphatic amines is high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), using different derivatives with either fluorescence [2-5] or UV-visible detection [6-11]. The fluorescence detection method most often relies on post-column derivatization, which requires a second pump to deliver the reagent. Acetylacetone is soluble to some degree in water, and has been used as a pre-column derivatization reagent [12]. The reaction only is effective with diamines, and results in UV-active acetylacetone derivatives known as Schiff bases. But acetylacetone requires a long reaction time in water, which makes it rather unsuitable for routine analysis. In this paper an optimized reversed-phase HPLC determination procedure for C2-C7 aliphatic diamines at low ng/ml levels in water is described.     

Analysis of odorous trichlorobromophenols in water by in-sample derivatization/solid-phase microextraction GC/MS

The simultaneous determination of several odorous trichlorobromophenols in water has been carried out by an in-sample derivatization headspace solid-phase microextraction method (HS-SPME).The analytical procedure involved their derivatization to methyl ethers with dimethyl sulfate/NaOH and further HS-SPME and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) determination. Parameters affecting both the derivatization efficiency and headspace SPME procedures, such as the selection of the SPME fiber coating, derivatization–extraction time and temperature, were studied. The commercially available polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) 100 μm and Carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane-divinylbenzene (CAR-PDMS-DVB) fibers appeared to be the most suitable for the simultaneous determination of these compounds. The precision of the HS-SPME/GC/MS method gave good relative standard deviations (RSDs) run-to-run between 9% and 19% for most of them, except for 2,5-diCl-6-Br-phenol, 2,6-diCl-3-Br-phenol and-2,3,6-triBr-phenol (22%, 25% and 23%, respectively). The method was linear over two orders of magnitude, and detection limits were compound dependent but ranged from 0.22 ng/l to 0.95 ng/l. The results obtained for water samples using the proposed SPME procedure were compared with those found with the EPA 625 method, and good agreement was achieved. Therefore, the in-sample derivatization HS-SPME/GC/MS procedure here proposed is a suitable method for the simultaneous determination of odorous trichlorobromophenols in water.     

Analysis of organotin compounds by grignard derivatization and gas chromatography-ion trap tandem mass spectrometry

The determination of organotin compounds in water using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS-MS) is described. Several organotin derivatives were synthesized by the reaction of organotin chlorides with Grignard reagents such as methyl-, propyl- and pentylmagnesium halides. After the optimization of the GC-MS-MS conditions, several derivatizations with the Grignard reagents were compared by evaluating the molar responses and volatilities of the derivatives and derivatization yields. As a result, the derivatizing reagent of choice is pentylmagnesium bromide. Calibration curves for the mono-, di- and tributyltins and mono-, di- and triphenyltins with pentylmagnesium bromide were linear in the range of 0.5-100 pg of Sn. The instrumental detection limits of six organotins ranged from 0.20 to 0.35 pg of Sn. The recovery tests from water samples (500 ml) were performed by using sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) as a complexing reagent. Except for monophenyltin, the absolute recoveries of organotins from pure water at 200 ng of Sn/l were satisfactory. The recoveries calibrated by surrogate compounds (perdeuterated organotin chlorides) ranged from 71 to 109%. The method detection limits ranged from 0.26 to 0.84 pg of Sn (500-ml sample). This method was applied to the recovery of organotins from river water and seawater. The calibrated recoveries were between 90 and 122%.     

分散液液微萃取-衍生化高效液相色谱-荧光检测法测定环境水样中4种酚类内分泌干扰物

为实现小体积环境水样中酚类化合物的准确、快速、高灵敏测定,通过分散液液微萃取(DLLME)和荧光衍生化的结合,建立了高效液相色谱-荧光检测(HPLC-FLD)双酚A、壬基酚、辛基酚和对特辛基酚的分析方法。考察并优化了DLLME和衍生化条件,结果表明,最优的DLLME条件为萃取剂氯仿用量70μL,分散剂乙腈用量400μL,漩涡振荡3 min,高速离心2 min。以2-[2-(7 H-二苯并[a,g]咔唑-乙氧基)]-乙基氯甲酸酯(DBCEC-Cl)为柱前衍生试剂,在pH10.5的Na2CO3-NaHCO3缓冲液/乙腈溶液、50℃下衍生反应3 min得到稳定的衍生产物,于10min内实现了4种酚衍生物的分离。方法的检出限为0.9~1.6 ng/L,定量限为3.8~7.1 ng/L,具有良好的线性、精密度和回收率,与以往报道的方法相比具有一定的优势和实用性,可用于造纸厂废水、湖水、生活废水、自来水中4种酚类内分泌干扰物的测定。     

Determination of Xenoestrogens Alkylphenols in Oyster and Snail Tissues by Extractive Steam Distillation and Gas Chromatography‐Mass Spectrometry

A simple and sensitive method is presented for the determination of two well‐known xenoestrogens alkylphenols (4‐tert.‐octylphenol (4‐t‐OP) and 4‐nonylphenol isomers (4‐NPs)) in oysters and snails. The method involves extraction of the sample by a modified Nielson‐Kryger steam distillation extraction, and the alkylphenols were then identified and quantitated by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. The quantitation limit of this method was less than 20 ng/g in 0.5 g (dry weight) of the samples. The perfect applicability of the steam distillation extraction method for 4‐t‐OP and 4‐NPs was determined after testing it with spiked and real samples. Recovery of 4‐t‐OP and 4‐NPs in spiked tissue samples was above 88% while relative standard deviation (RSD) ranged from 7 to 14%. 4‐tert.‐octylphenol and 4‐nonylphenol isomers are ubiquitous in oysters and snails with the concentrations of 4‐t‐OP and 4‐NPs ranging from 70 to 820 ng/g and from 210 to 2750 ng/g (dry weight), respectively.     

Development of a solid-phase microextraction method for the determination of short-ethoxy-chain nonylphenols and their brominated analogs in raw and treated water

A direct solid-phase microextraction (SPME) procedure has been developed and applied for the simultaneous determination of nonylphenol, nonylphenol mono- and diethoxylates and their brominated derivatives in raw and treated water at low microg l(-1) concentrations. Several parameters affecting the SPME procedure, such as extraction mode (headspace or direct-SPME), selection of the SPME coating, extraction time, addition of organic modifiers such as methanol and temperature were optimized. The divinylbenzene-carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane fiber was the most appropriate one for the determination of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEOs) and bromononylphenol ethoxylates (BrNPEOs) by SPME-GC-MS. The optimized method was linear over the range studied (0.11-2.5 microg l(-1)) and showed good precision, with RSD values between 4 and 15% and detection limits ranging from 30 to 150 ng l(-1) depending on the compound. The SPME procedure was compared with a solid-phase extraction-GC-MS method (C18 cartridge) for the analysis of NPEO and BrNPEOs in water samples. There was good agreement between the results from both methods but the SPME procedure showed some advantages such as lower detection limits, a shorter analysis time and the avoidance of organic solvents. The optimized SPME method was applied to determine nonylphenol and brominated metabolites in raw and treated water of Barcelona (NE Spain).     

Determination of major phenolic compounds in water by reversed-phase liquid chromatography after pre-column derivatization with benzoyl chloride

A simple reversed-phase LC method capable of detecting ng/ml quantities of phenolic compounds in water is described. Pre-column derivatization with benzoyl chloride is used for the separation and determination o-cresol, m-cresol, p-cresol, phenol, resorcinol, catechol and hydroquinone in water. The benzoyl derivatives formed within in 15 min, were extracted with dietyl ether, and then analyzed by liquid chromatography with UV detection at 232 nm. With a mobile phase of acetonitrile-tetrahydrofuran-water (54:6:40, v/v) the seven derivatives were eluted in 15 min. The detection limits were between 0.05 and 0.50 ng/ml for 50 ml of a standard water sample. The method was applied to the analysis of phenols in wine and river water. The recovery of the derivatives from pure water was 81-94% with relative standard deviations of 2.5-5.0%.     

Rapid determination of alkylphenols in aqueous samples by in situ acetylation and microwave-assisted headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A rapid and solvent‐free procedure for the determination of 4‐tert‐octylphenol and 4‐nonylphenol isomers in aqueous samples is described. The method involves in‐situ acetylation and microwave‐assisted headspace solid‐phase microextraction prior to their determination using gas chromatography–ion trap mass spectrometry operated in the selected ion storage mode. The dual experimental protocols to evaluate the effects of various derivatization and extraction parameters were investigated and the conditions optimized. Under optimized conditions, 300 μL of acetic anhydride mixed with 1 g of potassium hydrogencarbonate and 2 g of sodium chloride in a 20 mL aqueous sample were efficiently extracted by a 65 μm polydimethylsiloxane‐divinylbenzene fiber that was located in the headspace when the system was microwave irradiated at 80 W for 5 min. The limits of quantitation were 5 and 50 ng/L for 4‐tert‐octylphenol and 4‐nonylphenol isomers, respectively. The precision for these analytes, as indicated by relative standard deviations, were less than 8% for both intra‐ and inter‐day analysis. Accuracy, expressed as the mean extraction recovery, was between 74 to 88%. A standard addition method was used to quantitate 4‐tert‐octylphenol and 4‐nonylphenol isomers, and the concentrations ranged from 120 to 930 ng/L in various environmental water samples.     

Utilisation of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for determination of alkylphenols in various environmental matrices. Comparison with LC-MS/MS method

Among the wide range of substances discharged continuously in the environment, alkylphenols became a major focus of environmental research in the last decades, as it was found that they possess endocrine disrupting properties. Knowledge about the occurrence and levels of alkylphenols in environment is critical for the risk assessment of these compounds on both ecosystem and human health. However, the analysis of traces of alkylphenols in environmental matrices is a very difficult task, and the suitable methods involve generally an extraction followed by an extensive sample clean-up before detection, steps often time-consuming and costly.In order to reduce the analysis time, obtain a high throughput of analysis and thus improve work efficiency, the objective of the present study is to investigate the use of immunochemical technique (ELISA) for the determination of nonylphenol and octylphenol in soils and various kinds of water. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the determination of alkylphenols in soil using immunoassay technique is described. A methodology is developed, based on the combination of a single preparation step and the use of a simply ELISA kit. The performances of the method are compared with LC-MS/MS, considered as reference. The developed procedure offers the sensitivity and selectivity necessary for the detection of the target alkylphenols in the ng/g or ng/L range, and is successfully applied to the analysis of several samples. Results indicate that alkylphenols are quantified with concentrations in the same order than LC-MS/MS, meaning that ELISA may be useful not only in screening the samples and get a positive/negative response, but also it allows a good approximation of the concentrations.     

Solid phase microextraction procedure for the determination of alkylphenols in water by on-fiber derivatization with N-tert-butyl-dimethylsilyl-N-methyltrifluoroacetamide

The solid phase microextraction (SPME) technique with on-fiber derivatization was evaluated for the analysis of alkylphenols (APs), including 4-tert-octylphenol (4-t-OP), technical nonylphenol isomers (t-NPs) and 4-nonylphenol (4-NP), in water. The 85 μm polyacrylate (PA) fiber was used and a two-step sample preparation procedure was established. In the first step, water sample of 2 mL was placed in a 4 mL PTFE-capped glass vial. Headspace extraction of APs in water was then performed under 65 °C for 30 min with 800 rpm magnetic stirring and the addition of 5% of sodium chloride. In the second step, the SPME fiber was placed in another 4 mL vial, which contained 100 μL of N-tert-butyl-dimethylsilyl-N-methyltrifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA) with 1% tert-butyl-dimethylchlorosilane (TBDMCS). Headspace extraction of MTBSTFA and on-fiber derivatization with APs were performed at 45 °C for 10 min. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used for the analysis of derivatives formed on-fiber. The adsorption-time profiles were also examined. The precision, accuracy and method detection limits (MDLs) for the analysis of all the APs were evaluated with spiked water samples, including detergent water, chlorinated tap water, and lake water. The relative standard deviations were all less than 10% and the accuracies were 100 ± 15%. With 2 mL of water sample, MDLs were in the range of 1.58-3.85 ng L⁻¹. Compared with other techniques, the study described here provided a simple, fast and reliable method for the analysis of APs in water.     

Large-volume injection electrothermal AAS combined with tungsten-treated pyrolytic graphite furnace: determination of cadmium in tap, snow and river water samples with phosphate modifier.

A large-volume (100 microl) injection-ETAAS with W-treated PG furnace combined with a phosphate modifier was applied to the determination of unpolluted levels of Cd in tap, snow and river-water samples. The limit of detection of 1.1 ng l(-1) was observed for a 4 w/v% NH4H2PO4 modifer. Matrix interference studies were tested for major ion species well found in fresh water. The direct determination of Cd in certified river water (12 +/- 2 ng l(-1)) was carried out and the observed value was in agreement with the certified one. The good recoveries of Cd added to real environmental water samples were also observed. This method was applied to the determination of Cd in unpolluted environmental water samples.