Detection of Phenol Leakage into Wastewater Using TOC Measurement

User Benefits

- Phenol leakage into wastewater can be detected using a TOC analyzer without pretreatment. - The TOC-L laboratory TOC analyzer enables single-instrument monitoring of wastewater, process water, and cleaning water. - Rapid detection of phenol leakage in wastewater is achieved through continuous monitoring using the TOC-4200 on-line TOC analyzer.

Introduction

Phenol is a widely used industrial chemical employed in the production of plastics, pharmaceuticals, and other products. Because phenol is toxic and has a strong odor, its presence in process water, cleaning water, and wastewater must be carefully controlled, and leaks must be detected at an early stage. The conventional 4-aminoantipyrine colorimetric method (4-AAP method) is specific to phenol; however, it requires extraction, pH adjustment, and other pretreatment steps, which make the analysis time-consuming. Total organic carbon (TOC) analysis, by contrast, oxidizes organic compounds in the sample and measures the resulting CO₂. This allows rapid evaluation of organic contamination without pretreatment, regardless of the type of organic compound present. The Shimadzu TOC-L total organic carbon analyzer can be used not only for wastewater management but also for quality control of process water and cleaning processes. The TOC-4200 on-line TOC analyzer enables rapid detection of phenol leakage through continuous monitoring. This article presents an example of phenol leakage detection in wastewater using the Shimadzu TOC-L total organic carbon analyzer, which employs the combustion catalytic oxidation method.

March 3, 2026 GMT