HPLC Method for the Study of Anaerobic Degradation of Polyethylene Glycols

OMW spillage control tool based on tracking p-Coumaric acid degradation by HPLC

Olive mill wastewater (OMW) is a major watercourse pollutant agent with a high concentration of phenolic compounds. It is estimated that 30 million OMW m³ are released into rivers every year. Protecting the health of these courses against the uncontrolled discharges implies establishing an adequate legislation, where spillage control tools play a fundamental role. In this paper, a new tool for OMW spillage control is discussed. It is based on the use of a RP-HPLC-UV protocol to track p-Coumaric acid (pCA), a characteristic OMW phenolic compound, and its derivative compounds through their chemical oxidation and biological anaerobic degradation. Laboratory assays and real-life experiences allowed to determine degradation routes and apparition times for every pCA derivative, making it possible to detect an OMW spill and assess its age. Moreover, this RP-HPLC-UV introduces solid advantages over previous detection procedures, namely, quicker response times and smaller costs than HPLC methods and superior specificity than colorimetric methods. Finally, this tool was put to test in an actual OMW-polluted watercourse. In all scenarios, the tool demonstrated solid reliability.

Superheated Water Chromatography of Low Molecular Weight Polyethylene Glycols with Ultraviolet Detection

Superheated water chromatography (SWC) with ultraviolet detection was applied to the separation of low molecular weight polyethylene glycols (PEGs). PEG oligomers could be detected sensitively when the detection wavelength was set at 190 nm. The effect of column temperature on the separation of PEG oligomers was investigated. The elution time of all PEG oligomers decreased with increase in the column temperature; linear relationships were obtained between ln k and 1/T. A temperature-programmed SWC separation enabled the baseline separation of a PEG 200 sample within 50 min.