Determination of photodegradation and ozonation by products of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates by liquid chromatography and ion chromatography under controlled laboratory experiments

A Suntest solar simulator with arc xenon lamp was used to irradiate pure linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) standard and some commercial LAS solutions. The ozonation treatment was carried out in a pilot plant air-lift type reactor. Kinetic degradation curves were obtained showing an apparent first order reaction in both cases. Extraction and preconcentration of samples was carried out by off-line SPE using polymeric an RP-18 cartridges with recoveries varying from 77 to 93% for the LAS compounds. For LC chromatographic elution of LAS and degradation products an ion pair based on 5 mM triethylamine and 5 nM acetic acid had to the acetonitrile–water or methanol–water mobile phases. Fluorescence detection was achieved at 225 and 295 nm as excitation and emission radiation wavelength, respectively. Degradation by products were identified by liquid chromatography electrospray mass spectrometry detection (LC–ESI-MS). Ion chromatography (IC) was used to analyze refractory species such as oxalate, formate and acetate ions which were present in the treated solution even after 3 h of ozone treatment. The LAS mixture was almost totally degraded in less than 20 min using O3/H2O2, the reaction being faster than in the case of catalyzed photodecomposition. TOC removal reached 84% after 3 h of ozonation process.