Flow injection determination of p-aminophenol at trace level using inhibited luminol–dimethylsulfoxide–NaOH–EDTA chemiluminescence

A novel flow injection procedure was developed for the determination of p-aminophenol (PAP) based on the inhibition by PAP of the chemiluminescence from luminol–dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO)–NaOH–EDTA system. The method has merits of higher sensitivity, wider linear range, simpler procedure, and a more rapid analyzing speed. It is applicable for the determination of PAP in the range of 2.5×10−10–5.0×10−8 g mL−1 with a detection limit of 1.9×10−10 g mL−1. The relative standard deviation (RSD) for 5.0×10−9 g mL−1 PAP is 0.78% (n=15). The method has been successfully used to determine PAP in industrial wastewaters and environmental waters. Additionally, the inhibition mechanism was also discussed briefly.