HPLC determination of chloride, bromide and iodide ions in drinking water and industrial effluents using trifluoromethylmercuric nitrate as derivatizing reagent

A simple procedure for the simultaneous determination of various halides in drinking water and industrial effluents of Hyderabad and Iodized salt is reported. The method utilizes derivatization of halides through trifluoromethylmercuric nitrate in aqueous solution, extraction in petroleum ether followed by reverse phase HPLC separation using c-18 Lichrosorb column, 150 x 4 mm i.d., mobile phase methanol : water (20: 80) and UV detection at 225 nm. Linear calibration ranges for chloride, bromide and iodide (0-10 ug/mL) with correlation coefficient 0.996, 0.998 and 0.989 have been determined with lowest possible detection limit as 1.0, 0.25 and 1.5 Mu g/ml, respectively. The effect of various interfering ions is also discussed. (author)