HPLC quantification of formaldehyde, as formaldemethone, in plants and plant-like organisms

Summary Formaldehyde, as its dimedone adduct formaldemethone, has been detected and quantified in all the tested species of angiosperms, gymnosperms, pteridophytes, lichens and fungi, as well as in the two species tested of cyanobacteria and the one species of charophyte. Yields ranged from<10μg g⁻¹ to 6940 μg g⁻¹ fresh weight, calculated as formaldemethone (equivalent to <1 μg g⁻¹ to 713 μg g⁻¹ fresh weight, calculated as formaldehyde). An HPLC procedure was used for quantification of formaldemethone. A linear relationship was found between 20 and 2160 μg g⁻¹ and the statistical limit of detection was calculated as 48 μg g⁻¹.