Spectrophotometric Determination of Phenols and Cyanides Afi'er Distillation from Natural Waters

Total phenols were determined by molecular spectmphotometry, after distillation, complexation with Caminoantipyrine and extraction into chloroform. Cyanides were also determined spectrophotometrically after distillation from the acidified samples, and complexation in moderate acidic solution with barbituric acid. The dynamic ranges were 0 100 pg L-' for total phenols and 0 30 pg L-' for cyanides. The above methods were applied in the analysis of river, lake and stream waters collected from Northern Greece. The seasonal and spatial variation of concentrations was evaluated by two-way ANOVA. Background levels (4 12 pg L-' for total phenols and 0.3 3 pg L-' for cyanides), were found in almost all surface waters, with some exceptions.