Development of a new SPME-HPLC-UV method for the analysis of nitro explosives on reverse phase amide column and application to analysis of aqueous samples.

A rapid, simple, sensitive and accurate quantitative method has been developed for the determination of eleven nitroaromatic components by solid phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection from aqueous samples. PDMS/DVB resin fiber (60 microm) was used for concurrent extraction of all the analytes from aqueous matrix. Static desorption was carried out in the desorption chamber of SPME-HPLC interface containing mobile phase; methanol:water 43:57 (v/v) with subsequent liquid chromatographic analysis at isocratic flow rate of 1.3 mL/min and detection at 254 nm. A reverse phase amide column (5 microm) was used as a separation medium. The limit of detection (S/N=3) for TNT and Tetryl was found to be 0.35 and 0.54 ng/mL, respectively. Developed method has been applied successfully to the analysis of aqueous samples obtained from environmental and industrial sources like river water, ground water, drinking water and industrial waste water.