Analytical Sciences

Capillary Electrophoretic Determination of Selected Phenolic Compounds in Humic Substances of Well Waters and Fertilizers

Mei-Ying CHEN,*1 Yan-Zin CHANG,*2 Fung-Jou LU,*3 and Jian-Lian CHEN*4

*1 Department of Family Medicine, E-Da Hospital, No. 1, Yi-Da Rd, Jiau-Shu Tsuen, Yan-Chau Shiang, Kaohsiung County 42445, Taiwan
*2 Institute of Medical and Molecular Toxicology, Chung-Shan Medical University, No. 110, Sec. 1, Chien-Kuo N Rd, Taichung 40242, Taiwan
*3 Institute of Medicine, Chung-Shan Medical University, No. 110, Sec. 1, Chien-Kuo N Rd, Taichung 40242, Taiwan
*4 School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, No. 91 Hsueh-Shih Rd, Taichung 40402, Taiwan

Humic substances (HS) from well waters, fertilizers, and synthetic phenolic polymers were characterized by elemental and UV-VIS spectroscopic analyses. Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) with UV absorption detection was used to analyze the lignin-derived phenolic distribution in the degradation residues after alkaline CuO oxidation of HS samples. Eleven phenols with p-acetyl, vanillyl and syringyl substituents were selected to optimize the CZE parameters. For well waters and fertilizers, the content of phenolic fragments was in agreement with the findings of the elemental and spectroscopic measurements. Additionally, parameters derived from the vanillic acid/vanilline, syringyl acid/syringaldehyde, p-hydroxyl/vanillyl and syringyl/vanillyl ratios matched analogous studies on dissolved organic matter from natural waters and on humic acids from terrestrial substances. The amount of phenolic monomer bonded within two synthetic HS polymers was found to be 25.9% protocatechuic acid and 71.3% gallic acid.

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