Screening check test to confirm the relative reactivity and applicability of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine impregnated-filters for formaldehyde on other compounds.

Objectives: A simple check test method was designed to confirm whether a 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) filter for formaldehyde can be used to measure other compounds.

Methods: Sample mixtures containing the same concentrations of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acetone were spiked to the DNPH-filter, extracted, and then measured using high performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detector (HPLC-PDA). The amounts of DNPH-derivatives versus the amounts of spiked samples were then plotted.

Results: When the amount of DNPH << the total amount of spiked samples, the amount of DNPH-derivatives was formaldehyde > acetaldehyde >> acetone. This order corresponded to the relative rate constants for the reaction. Therefore, this study confirmed that acetone was not collected at the formaldehyde sampling rate.

Conclusions: This check test easily measured the reaction rate order and can be used as a simple test to determine whether other samples can be measured by the analytical methods used for the specified sample.