Analytical Studies for the Determination of Dicofol Pesticide with p-nitroaniline Reagent

Abstract

Method is based on Fujiwara Reaction an easy, impressible, sensitive spectrophotometric determination, explained for simple analysis of organochlorine pesticide dicofol on trace levels. Dicofol on its alkaline hydrolysis gives chloroform which react with pyridine produce pink colour Schiff base of glutaconic aldehyde. In the present method pink colour is discharged with adding acetic acid followed by the addition of p-nitroaniline reagent, reddish yellow colour dye obtained. To obtain the maximum sensitivity the effective reaction variables were optimised. The coloured complex shows absorption maxima at 410 nm. Under optimised experimental conditions calibration graph was linear over the range of 0.2 to 2.0 µg ml^-1. The molar absorptivity and Sandal’s sensitivity were found to be 4.2×10⁶ molL^-1 cm^-1 4.131×10^-5 µg cm^-2 respectively. Also calculated the standard and relative standard deviation for the present method was 2.12×10^-3 µg ml^-1 and 0.47%. The interfering effect of various species was also investigated. The present method has been applied and checked for the determination of dicofol in various environmental samples.