Analysis of tetrabromobisphenol A and other phenolic compounds in water samples by non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis coupled to photodiode array ultraviolet detection

Non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis (NACE) with large-volume sample stacking injection using the electroosmotic flow pump (LVSEP) has been developed for the determination of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and other phenolic compounds in environmental matrices. Methanol has been used as run buffer solvent to reduce the electroosmotic flow (EOF). Identification and quantification of the analytes was performed by photodiode array ultraviolet detection. LVSEP–NACE improved sensitivity of the peak height by 90–300-fold. The method developed was applied to the analysis of TBBPA in river water and wastewater samples, using solid-phase extraction (SPE) as sample pretreatment process. The average recoveries of the analytes were in the range of 96–106% and 73–103% for 1 L of river water and 0.5 L of wastewater samples, respectively. When the method was based on off line SPE–LVSEP–NACE, sensitivity was improved by 3300–4500-fold and 1600–2200-fold for river water and wastewater samples, respectively.