A scheme for the isolation and concentration of dissolved trace organic substances from water for toxicological and chemical characterization was evaluated. The principle behind this scheme consists of the separation of organic solutes into fractions by adsorption onto different adsorbents (i.e., XAD-8 resin, AG MP-50 cation-exchange resin, and Carbopack Β graphitized car bon black) under varying pH conditions. Test solutions contain ing 22 model organic substances along with inorganic salts were used to monitor process performance. High-resolution gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography were employed for the quantitation of each model compound. The isolation-fractionation scheme proved to be effective for 16 out of 22 model compounds; average recoveries varied between 30% and 90%.THE HIGH COMPLEXITY AND DILUTED FORM in which organic com pounds occur in natural and drinking waters require that isolation, concentration, and fractionation procedures be employed to achieve a suitable sample for chemical and toxicological characterization. The use of these methods in analytical schemes has thus far allowed the iden tification of several hundred trace organic substances in drinking water