Fast, extraction-free analysis of chlorinated phenols in well water by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A fast and sensitive analytical method was developed for the chlorinated phenols included in the Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines without the need for costly, time-consuming sample extraction and concentration. Sensitivity and specificity were achieved by derivatization with dansyl chloride and detection via liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The dansyl-modified analytes displayed method detection limits in the range of 0.01-1.0 μg/L, enabling the direct determination of chlorophenols from well water without sample enrichment. Recoveries (n=4 days) ranged from 91 to 101% and accuracies were between 79 and 116% (n=4). This method significantly increases sample throughput compared to the current EPA method for phenols in finished drinking water.