Two-stage extraction preconcentration and HPLC determination of phenol and 1-naphthol in aqueous solutions

The extraction of phenol and 1-naphthol with isomolar mixtures of ethyl acetate and hexane under batch conditions and with tributyl phosphate impregnated into a polyurethane foam under batch and dynamic conditions was studied. A procedure for determining phenol and 1-naphthol in aqueous samples was developed including their dynamic recovery on a column packed with polyurethane foam impregnated with tributyl phosphate, elution with a 0.1 M NaCl solution of pH 12.5–13.0, extraction with a mixture of ethyl acetate and hexane, and separation by normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV-detection. The overall preconcentration coefficient was 250. The detection limits were 2.5 μg/L. The relative error of determination was lower than 18%. The time of one determination was 2–2.5 h.