Determination of ethylene dibromide in aquatic environments

Abstract

Amberlite XAD-4 resin was employed for the extraction of ethylene dibromide (EDB) from water and the EDB was separated and determined by gas chromatography using an electron-capture detector.

Samples spiked with EDB at the 1 µg l^–1 level exhibited a mean of 0.98 µg l^–1, a standard deviation of 0.105 µg l^–1 and a 95% confidence level of the mean of 0.98 ± 0.04 µg l^–1. The average recovery was 90%. Analyses of samples spiked with EDB at the 50 ng l^–1 level exhibited a mean of 52.9 ng l^–1, a standard deviation of 12.5 ng l^–1 and a 95% confidence level of the mean of 52.9 ± 12.5 ng l^–1, with a recovery of 97%. A real sample gave a mean EDB concentration of 6.8 µg l^–1, a standard deviation of 0.34 µg l^–1 and a 95% confidence level of the mean of 6.8 ± 0.3 µg l^–1. This method represents the first reported use of an Amberlite resin for the determination of EDB in water.