Chemiluminescence determination of surfactant Triton X-100 in environmental water with luminol-hydrogen peroxide system

The novel chemiluminescence method for the determination of non-ionic surfactant Triton X-100 was based on the phenomenon that Triton X-100 greatly enhanced the CL signal of the luminol-H2O2 system. The alkaline medium of luminol and the pH value obviously affected the results. Luminol concentration and hydrogen peroxide concentration also affected the results. The optimal conditions were: Na2CO3 being the medium, pH value 12.5, luminol concentration 1.0 × 10-4 mol L-1, H2O2 concentration 0.4 mol L-1. The possible mechanism was studied and proposed.Under the optimal conditions, the standard curve was drawn up and quotas were evaluated. The linear range was 2 × 10-4 g·mL-1-4 × 10-2 g·mL-1 (w/v), and the detection limit was 3.97 × 10-5 g·mL-1 Triton X-100 (w/v). The relative standard deviation was less than 4.73% for 2 × 10-2 g·mL-1 (w/v) Triton X-100 (n = 7). This method has been applied to the determination of Triton X-100 in environmental water samples. The desirable recovery ratio was between 96%–102% and the relative standard deviation was 2.5%–3.3%. The luminescence mechanism was also discussed in detail based on the fluorescence spectrum and the kinetic curve, and demonstrated that Triton X-100-luminol-H2O2 was a rapid reaction.Surfactants are employed in a vast number of uses including domestic and industrial detergents, solubilization of membranes, and pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulations. Until recently, surfactants have drawn much research interest as enhancers in some special reactions [1,2]. With these extensive uses (more than 15 million tonnes/year), their toxicity and negative effect on the self-purification capability of surface water, make these synthetic organic compounds one of the main environmental concerns. Therefore, a number of sensitive and high resolution techniques have been developed for the determination of low concentrations of cationic surfactants and anionic surfactants in different matrices, including gas and liquid chromatography