Determination of aliphatic and alicyclic amines in water by gas and liquid chromatography after derivatization by chloroformates

Two new methods were developed for the analysis of aliphatic (n-propylamine, pentylamine, hexylamine, heptylamine, octylamine) and alicyclic (pyrrolidine, morpholine, piperidine, piperazine) amines in water samples after derivatization and liquid-liquid-extraction. The carbamate-derivatives formed were determined by GC/MS (trichloroethyl carbamates) as well as by HPLC/fluorescence detection (9-fluorenylmethyl carbamates) in a concentration range between 0.05 and 1.0 μg/l suitable for drinking water analysis. Applications to German rivers and sewage plants show that both new methods produce corresponding results in analysing aliphatic and alicyclic amines in surface waters as well as in waste water samples.