Separation and determination of perfluorinated carboxylic acids using capillary zone electrophoresis with indirect photometric detection

Perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) belong to anthropogenic fluoroorganic compounds that have been detected in the natural environment and living organisms including humans. A capillary zone electrophoretic method with indirect UV detection using 2,4-dinitrobenzoic acid (2,4-DNBA) as a chromophore probe has been developed for analysis of PFCAs (C6–C12) in water. Optimal analyte resolution and detection sensitivity was obtained with 50 mM Tris solution of pH 9.0 and 50% methanol as a background electrolyte (BGE). The baseline separation of C6–C12 PFCAs was obtained within 20 min with detection limits in the range from 0.6 to 2.4 ppm.