Spectrophotometric Determination of Anionic Surfactants in River Water with Cationic AZO Dye by Solvent Extraction- Flow Injection Analysis

Anionic surfactants in water were determined by a spectrophotometric flow injection technique coupled with solvent extraction. The ion associate which formed between an anionic surfactant and an cationic azo dye was extracted into an organic solvent and the absorbance was measured. The carrier was distilled water, and the reagent solution contained an cationic azo dye and sodium sulfate, the pH of which being adjusted to 5 with acetate buffer. A phase separator with a poly(tetrafluoroethylene) porous membrane (0.8μm pore size) was used to separate the organic phase. Six derivatives of cationic azo dyes and several extracting solvents were examined; a pair of 1-methyl-4-(4-diethylaminophenylazo)- pyridinium cation and chloroform turned out best. The sampling rate was 30 samples per hour. Calibration graphs were linear up to 2×10(-6)M or 3×10(-5)M of anionic surfactant when injection volume was 300 or 100μl, respectively. The relative standard deviation(n=10) was 1.5% for 300μl of 1×10(-6)M sodium dodecylsulfate. The detection limit was as little as 1×10(-8)M of anionic surfactant. Anionic surfactants in river water were determined satisfactorily.