Flow analysis techniques as effective tools for the improved environmental analysis of organic compounds expressed as total indices.

The scope of this work is the accomplishment of an overview about the current state-of-the-art flow analysis techniques applied to the environmental determination of organic compounds expressed as total indices. Flow analysis techniques are proposed as effective tools for the quick obtention of preliminary chemical information about the occurrence of organic compounds on the environment prior to the use of more complex, time-consuming and expensive instrumental techniques. Recently improved flow-based methodologies for the determination of chemical oxygen demand, halogenated organic compounds and phenols are presented and discussed in detail. The aim of the present work is to demonstrate the highlight of flow-based techniques as vanguard tools on the determination of organic compounds in environmental water samples. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.