Cloud point extraction and determination of trace trichlorfon by high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet-detection based on its catalytic effect on benzidine oxidizing

4-Amino-4′-nitrobiphenyl, which is formed by catalytic effect of trichlorfon on sodium perborate oxidizing benzidine, is extracted with a cloud point extraction method and then detected using a high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV). Under the optimum experimental conditions, there was a linear relationship between trichlorfon in the concentration range of 0.01-0.2 mg L⁻¹ and the peak areas of 4-amino-4′-nitrobiphenyl (r = 0.996). Limit of detection was 2.0 μg L⁻¹, recoveries of spiked water and cabbage samples ranged between 95.4-103 and 85.2-91.2%, respectively. It was proved that the cloud point extraction (CPE) method was simple, cheap, and environment friendly than extraction with organic solvents and had more effective extraction yield.