The Determination of Low Molecular Weight Aldehydes in Rain, Fog and Mist by Reversed Phase Liquid Chromatography of the 2, 4-Dinitrophenylhydrazone Derivatives

An improved analytical procedure has been developed for the detection and identification of volatile carbonyl compounds in wet deposition. The procedure is based on the reversed phase liquid chromatographic separation of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone derivatives. Both the reproducibility and the precision of the procedure are better than ±10%. Four aldehydes have been identified in rainwater samples from Los Angeles. The identities of the compounds were verified by mass spectrometry.