Room temperature phosphorescence as a liquid chromatographic detection method for polychlorinated naphthalenes and...

Quenched and sensitized room temperature phosphorescence techniques have been used for the detection of PCNs and PCBs after liquid chromatographic separation. The usefulness of these techniques to fingerprinting of commercial Aroclor and Halowax mixtures in complex matrices has been shown. The complementary nature of these detection modes yield valuable information in addition to UV detection. a signal inverter is proposed for linearization of the quenched RTPL signals. In this way linear calibration plots over more than two orders can be obtained. Detection limits are generally in the low nanogram or subnanogram concentration region. The application of RTPL detection techniques to the analysis of commercial PCN and PCB mixtures in surface water and urine is demonstrated. Pre-columns can be used to advantage for pre-concentration and clean-up of this type of samples.