Nonenzymatic method for the determination of hydrogen peroxide in atmospheric samples

A nonenzymatic method is developed and compared with the well-known enzymatic (p-hydroxyphenyl)acetic acid (pOHPAA) method for the determination of hydrogen peroxide in aqueous atmospheric samples. The new method is based on the Fe(II)-catalyzed oxidation of benzoic acid by H{sub 2}O{sub 2} to form hydroxylated products (OHBA), which are analyzed by fluorescence detection. The limit of detection and linear response range of the new method are comparable to those of the pOHPAA technique. In addition, the new Fenton-OHBA method has the advantage of using inexpensive, stable, easily available chemical reagents that do not require refrigeration. The new method is insensitive to moderate transition-metal concentrations often found in atmospheric samples.