Hollow fiber membrane supported thin liquid film extraction for determination of trace phenoxy acid herbicides and phenols in environmental water samples

Traces of phenoxy acid herbicides and phenols were determined in environmental water samples by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to thin liquid film extraction (TLFE). A TLFE sampling device was prepared by dipping pieces of a polypropylene microporous hollow fiber membrane into dihexyl ether (containing 10% tri-n-octylphosphine oxide as carrier) for a few minutes to impregnate the pores of the hollow fiber wall. Extraction of analytes takes place from the outer aqueous phase into the immobilized solvent. After extraction the removal of the organic solvent was accomplished with a few µl of methanol which was used for HPLC analysis. Enrichment factors as high as 446 were obtained for the target compounds. The method provided detection limits as low as 0.4–1.2 µg L^?1, good repeatability (the RSD ranging from 2.1 to 6.3%, n?=?5) and a linear range from 2 to 200 µg L^?1 for the target compounds. Real sample analysis showed recoveries between 84.6% and 112% for all compounds investigated.