ABSTRACT
Phenols are organic compounds containing an -OH group attached to an aromatic ring. Trace amounts of phenols may occur in many natural waters and in domestic and industrial wastewater. The chlorination of such waters can produce chlorophenols. Several phenolic compounds occurring in industrial wastewater, soil, sediments, and hazardous waste are classified as US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) priority pollutants. This chapter lists these phenolic compounds. The total phenolic compounds in an aqueous sample can be determined by a colorimetric method using 4-aminoantipyrine. Solvent exchange from methylene chloride to 2-propanol is necessary for the derivatization of phenols for gas chromatography (GC)-electron capture detector (ECD) analysis. For GC-flame ionization detector (FID) or GC/mass spectrometry (MS) analysis, methylene chloride extract may be directly injected. Most phenols have very low vapor pressures and are not likely to be present in the gaseous state in ambient air. The particles or suspension in the air may, however, be determined by different sampling and analytical techniques.
