Gas-liquid chromatographic determination of 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol residues in fish

A procedure for the determination of 3-mftuormethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) in fish tissues is described. Homogenized tissues are extracted with hexane-ethyl ether; the extract is cleaned up by partitioning the TFM from the extracting solvent into O.IN NaOB, acidifying the aqueous solution, and partitioning again with hexaneethyl ether. The TFM is methylated with diazomethane and analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography, using electron capture detection. Recoveries ranged from 75 to 1000/., from fish muscles that were spiked with 0.01-2.00 JA#g TFM/g.