Determination of alkylphenol ethoxylates in industrial and environmental samples

Abstract Degradation products of nonionic surfactants, which are used in large quantities in several industrial applications, have been shown to elicit estrogenic effects in the laboratory as well as in the environment. This has prompted the monitoring of such products, in particular the alkylphenols (AP) and alkylphenol ethoxylates (APE), in the environment. This study presents a relatively simple method for the determination of AP and APE in industrial and environmental samples by HPLC and GC-MS. It discusses some of the inherent analytical issues concomitant with the determination of the complicated mixtures these analytes are composed of. The method was applied to marine and estuarine sediments as well as wastewater and sewage sludge samples taken from industrial plants. In all marine and estuarine samples APE were found with a predominance of oligomers containing 1–3 ethoxylate units.