Fluorometric determination of trichloroacetic acid and its application in water sample analysis (original) (raw)

Abstract

A simple and rapid method for the determination of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) at the parts per million (ppm) level is developed. This is based on the photoreaction ofTCA with diphenylamine (DPA) to give a fluorescent product (Aem: 380 nm. ~c: 335 nm). The method has excellent reproducibility. The linear dy­ namic range for TCA is 20-200 ppm. Effects of reagent concentration, irradiation time and solvent are studied. The method is applicable to water analysis. A selective technique for the quantitative determi­ nation of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) is getting in­ creasing attention because it has been found in measurable amounts in drinking water1 along with other chloroorganics such as chloroform (CHCI3), carbon tetrachloride (CC4), dichloroacetic acid (DCA), monochloro acetic acid (MCA), etc. It is believed that, in drinking water TCA originates as a residual of sodium trichloroacetate associated with atrazine in weed killers, or from the reaction of cer­ tain organic compounds with...