Spectrofluorimetric Evaluation of Total Aliphatic and Aromatic Amines in Well Waters and Wastewaters

Abstract

A simple and rapid spectrofluorimetric method is described for the determination of aliphatic and aromatic amines on the basis of ammonia and aniline, respectively. Aromatic amines in samples were reacted at pH 5.5 with fluram immoblised on an Octadecylsilane Solid Phase Extraction (ODS-SPE) cartridge. The produced pyrrolinones were adsorbed on SPE and separated from the aliphatic amines. Analysis of these compounds was carried out by elution of SPE with 1 ml Tetrahydrofuran (THF) and determination of fluorescence intensity at excitation wavelength 400 nm and emission wavelength 475 nm. Aliphatic amines after passing from SPE were collected and reacted with fluram at pH 9.2, and extracted into dichloromethane at pH 3 and quantitated fluorimetrically.

Linear dynamic ranges and detection limits (LOD) were 1–20, 0.43 mg 1⁻¹ and 1-200, 0.39 μg 1⁻¹ for ammonia and aniline, respectively. The proposed method was successfuly applied for the evaluation of these compounds in local well waters and municipality wastewaters.

Key Words:

• Spectrofluorimetry
• Aliphatic amines
• Aromatic amines
• Fluram (Fluorescamine)
• Solid phase extraction
• Water and wastewater analysis