Determination of chlorinated phenols in surface-treated lumber by HPLC

A solution of internal standard in acetonitrile is used to extract samples of wood from lumber which had been commercially treated with chlorinated phenols. The tetrachlorophenol(TCP) and pentachlorophenol( PCP) were analytically separated from each other and from the other wood extractive compounds using a high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC). The ultraviolet (UV) absorptions of the TCP, PCP, and internal standard were automatically measured as they eluted. The UV absorption peaks were integrated, and the amounts of TCP and PCP present were calculated with a dedicated microcomputer. Compared with the method previously used, this method is faster (up to 144 samples per 48 hours), has the same accuracy and precision, and it is linear over the concentration range used.