ABSTRACT
Nickless and Jones [1] and Musty and Nickless [2,3] evaluated Amberlite XAD-4 resin as an extractant for down to milligram per litre levels of polyethylated secondary alcohol ethoxylates, (R(OCH2CH2)„OH) surfactants and their degradation products from water samples. This resin was found to be an effective adsorbent for extraction of polyethoxylated compounds from water except for polyethylene glycols of molecular weight less than 300. Flow rates of 100ml m i n 1 were possible using 5g of resin, and interfering compounds can be removed by a rigorous purification procedure. Adsorption efficiencies of 80-100% at lOppb were possible for non ionic detergents using distilled water solutions. The main purpose of the work of Nickless and Jones [1] was the investigation of secondary alcohol ethoxylate as it proceeds through the water system. Associated with this is polyethylene glycol, a likely biodégradation product. Alkylphenol ethoxylate was also considered but only as an interfèrent that should be differentiated in order to allow fuller characterisation of secondary alcohol ethoxylate residues.
