Determination of submicromolar concentrations of formaldehyde by liquid chromatography

Dissolved formaldehyde in aqueous samples was determined at submicromolar levels by derivatization with Nash's reagent followed by liquid chromatography. The method requires little sample preparation, and the chromatogram is simple even in the presence of other aldehydes and ketones. The isocratic HPLC analysis is rapid with a low limit of detection (0.1 [[micro]molar]) and a precision of 1% RSD at 150 [[micro]molar]. The derivative is stable for at least 3 days at room temperature. Accuracy of the method was verified by intercomparison with an alternate, completely independent method, which utilizes another derivatizing agent.