ABSTRACT
Aldehydes and ketones constitute an important class of organic compounds containing the carbonyl group. This chapter summarizes the basic techniques for the determination of aldehydes and ketones. The carbonyl group of an aldehyde or a ketone reacts with dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) to form a stable derivative. Aldehydes and ketones are readily oxidized and must, therefore, be derivatized and extracted within 48 h of sample collection. The derivatized sample extracts should be analyzed within 3 days after preparation. Holding times exceeding more than 3 days have shown significant losses of compounds having seven or more C atoms. Aldehydes and ketones in ambient air may be determined by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method TO-5 or TO-11 or different National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) methods. The EPA methods are based on derivatization of these carbonyl compounds in air with the DNPH reagent.
