Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography--mass spectrometry for the analysis of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins

Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) was examined for the separation of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins using the stationary phase TSK-gel Amide-80. The parameters tested included type of organic modifier and percentage in the mobile phase, buffer concentration, pH, flow rate and column temperature. Using mass spectrometric (MS) detection, the HILIC column allowed the determination of all the major PSP toxins in one 30 min analysis with a high degree of selectivity and sensitivity. The high percentage of organic modifier in the mobile phase and the omission of ion pairing reagents, both favored in HILIC, provided limits of detection (LOD) in the range 50-100 nM in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode on a single quadrupole LC-MS system. LOD in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode on a sensitive triple quadrupole system were as low as 5-30 nM. Excellent linearity of response was observed.     

Determination of hexabromocyclododecane diastereoisomers in air and soil by liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

Hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs), used as additive brominated flame retardants, are of high concern due to their widespread use and increasing levels in various environmental systems. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was developed for the determination of HBCD diastereoisomers. A detailed study was carried out to optimize the composition of the mobile phase involving methanol/acetonitrile/water, and the values of MS/MS parameters. It was found that the mobile phase could simultaneously affect the chromatographic separation and sensitivity. The instrumental limits of detection (LODs) on column in this study were 0.5, 0.3 and 0.3 pg for alpha-HBCD, beta-HBCD and gamma-HBCD, respectively. The effects of extracted matrix components on HBCD determination were investigated by spiking air and soil sample extracts with three 13C-labelled individual stereoisomers. The results indicated that the responses of the HBCD analysis in air and soils were not significantly affected by matrix effects. The method reported here was further applied to the air and soil samples. Three HBCD diastereoisomers were detected in all the air and soil samples, with levels ranging from 1.2 to 1.8 pg/m3 and 1.7 to 5.6 ng/g dry weight, respectively.     

QuEChERS-高效液相色谱-串联质谱法同时测定有机肥料中10种氟喹诺酮类药物残留

分析检测有机肥料中的兽药残留对于评价土壤微生物群落和人类健康的潜在风险至关重要。该文建立了一种QuEChERS联用高效液相色谱-串联质谱（HPLC-MS/MS）同时检测有机肥料中10种氟喹诺酮类药物残留的分析方法。样品经乙二胺四乙酸二钠（Na₂EDTA）-Mcllvaine缓冲溶液（pH=4.0）和乙腈提取，采用Atlantis T3 C₁₈色谱柱（250 mm×4.6 mm，5 μm），以0.2%（体积分数）甲酸水溶液和乙腈为梯度洗脱的流动相，采用电喷雾离子（ESI）源，在多反应监测（MRM）扫描模式下进行检测。10种氟喹诺酮类药物用内标法定量。结果表明，10种氟喹诺酮类药物在10~500 μg/kg范围内线性关系良好，相关系数均大于0.9930。方法检出限为0.5~2.5 μg/kg，定量限为1.7~8.3 μg/kg。该分析方法成功应用于9个有机肥样品的兽药污染调查。结果显示，样品的平均加标回收率为82.5%~117.1%，相对标准偏差为3.4%~10.2%。该方法准确可靠、灵敏度高，能够满足多种兽药残留的同时检测，该方法有望为有机肥料兽药风险评估提供依据。     

Novel applications of highly sensitive liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry for the direct detection of ultra-trace levels of contaminants in water

Recent advances in the sensitivity of liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) instrument technology provide the basis for the direct detection, i.e. without sample pre-concentration, of organic contaminants in water in the ng/L range. Novel applications for the analysis of atrazine and some of its desalkylated and hydroxylated degradation products, the pharmaceutical compounds diclofenac and carbamazepine, sulfonylurea herbicides, and iodinated X-ray contrast media have been developed. For each analyte a specific tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) transition has been selected and the corresponding mass spectrometric parameters optimised. All analytes could be analysed within three specific analytical runs including different high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) conditions. Detection limits were determined to be better than 10 ng/L for the direct analysis of the compounds in water except for X-ray contrast media, for which detection limits were found to be up to one order of magnitude higher. The methods have been successfully utilised for the analysis of natural waters. Matrix effects frequently occurring in LC/MS have shown to be low to moderate in the case of X-ray contrast media. This work demonstrates that for the analysis of a large number of water contaminants, the sample pre-concentration step could possibly be omitted.     

Determination of soil amino acids by high performance liquid chromatography-electro spray ionization-mass spectrometry derivatized with 6-aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbamate

Determination of amino acids by mass spectrometry (MS) is an important technique to investigate soil nitrogen transformation and cycling as amino acids being the major nitrogen-containing compounds in soil organic matter. However, researchers have long faced a critical problem in coupling an efficient separation technique to a sensitive MS detection system simultaneously. In this context, we established a new method of liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry based on the 6-aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbamate (AQC) derivatization method for convenient and accurate quantification of amino acids in soil samples. Baseline separation of 17 amino acid AQC-derivatives was achieved on an XTerra^R MS C₁₈ column using ammonium formate as a mobile phase modifier. The concentration of ammonium formate and the pH of the mobile phase were optimized in order to obtain sensitive MS signals. The response curves were linear over the range of 50-800 μmol L⁻¹ amino acids. The detection limits were 0.20-0.60 pmol μL⁻¹ on column and 0.07-0.24 μg g⁻¹ soil under the optimized conditions. The method has been applied successfully for the first time to determine amino acids in 4 types of soil samples, in which 15 amino acids were quantified by MS detector but methionine and cystine were below the detection limits. Both the recovery and the precision were satisfactory. Hence, this proposed technique shows a potential for the identification of amino acids in soil as well as tracing the transformation of soil amino acids with isotope dilution technique in nitrogen cycling investigation.     

Analysis of low-molecular-mass inorganic and organic anions by ion chromatography-atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry.

Different nonvolatile mobile phases have been tested for the combination of ion-exchange chromatography combined with mass spectrometric detection of anions and organic acids. Buffer systems based on carbonate, sulfate, oxalate and citrate as the eluting species have been used. Among these, citrate proved to be the most versatile eluent allowing the separation of anions with absolute detection limits between 0.4 and 0.7 ng and of organic acids with detection limits between 0.4 and 4 ng in the non-suppressed mode. In the suppressed eluent mode iodate, bromate and chlorate could be separated using sodium carbonate as the mobile phase resulting in detection limits of 50 pg. The method was applied to the analysis of water samples containing oxyhalides originating from ozonization. Additionally, organic acids were separated by chromatographic separation techniques like reversed-phase, ion-pair or ion-exclusion chromatography and the compatibility with mass spectrometry was investigated with special respect to sensitivity of this detection mode.     

Determination of vitamins A, D and E in a small volume of human plasma by a high-throughput method based on liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

We have developed an automated high-throughput assay for the determination of vitamin A (retinol), ergocalciferol (25-OH D2), cholecalciferol (25-OH D3) and vitamin E (α-tocopherol) in a small volume of human plasma. Sample preparation involved mixing 50 μL of plasma with 100 μL of ethanol containing isotope-labelled internal standards, followed by mixing with isooctane/chloroform (3:1, 300 μL). The organic phase was evaporated, and the sample reconstituted in 50 μL methanol. The analysis was performed using reversed-phase liquid chromatography with a gradient mobile phase containing water, methanol and ammonium formate. Chromatographic run-time was 5 min, and positive mode electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) was used for detection. The limits of detection were 0.10 μM for all-trans retinol and 3.3 nM for 25-OH D2 and 25-OH D3. Recoveries were 91.9-105.0%, and within- and between-day coefficients of variance (CVs) 2.4-5.3 and 3.1-8.2, respectively. The assay is presently being used in large-scale studies.     

Fast determination of herbicides in waters by ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid multiresidue method for the analysis of more than 40 herbicides (such as simazine, terbuthylazine and diuron) in waters has been developed and validated by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS/MS). Prior to chromatographic determination, the samples were extracted using a solid-phase extraction procedure. The analysis was performed on an Acquity UPLC BEH C(18) column using a gradient elution profile and a mobile phase consisting of methanol and an aqueous solution of formic acid (0.01%). Other chromatographic and MS/MS parameters were optimised in order to improve selectivity and sensitivity of the analytes. The analytes were detected using electrospray ionisation (ESI)-MS/MS in positive ion mode with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM), optimising parameters such as voltage cone, capillary voltage, source and desolvation temperature, and desolvation and cone gas flow. The optimised method provides a rapid separation (less than 10 min) of the selected herbicides in the assayed matrices, and it was validated by the analysis of spiked blank matrix samples. Good linearity was obtained and the repeatability of the method was less than 20% for the lowest calibration point. The limits of detection ranged from 0.002 to 0.02 microg/L, and the limits of quantification from 0.005 to 0.05 microg/L, which were below the values specified by the European Union. Finally, the method was successfully applied to real environmental samples from Andalusia (southern Spain). Terbuthylazine, simazine, atrazine desisopropyl and desethyl terbuthylazine were the herbicides most frequently found in water samples.     

Direct determination of resin and fatty acids in process waters of paper industries by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS)-based methods were developed for the analysis of 10 resin acids and five fatty acids in process waters of paper industries. No fragmentation of target compounds was observed using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) with negative ionization. The [M - H](-) ion permitted the individual quantification of fatty and aromatic resin acids, whereas the non-aromatic resin acids presented a single and common ion at m/z 301. Separation with two columns of different polarity permitted peak confirmation. The method that used a C(8) column with 2-propanol in the mobile phase allowed a certain separation and identification of the non-aromatic resin acids, whereas the method using a C(18) column provided detection limits 10-fold lower for fatty acids. Limits of detection were 0.10 ng for all compounds. Direct sample introduction was compared with liquid-liquid extraction, with similar recoveries (70-101%). Whereas slightly lower detection limits were obtained with liquid-liquid extraction, better reproducibility was observed for direct sample introduction. Resin and fatty acids were determined in process waters of several paper industries. Palmitic, dehydroabietic and non-aromatic resin acids were encountered in most water samples, at levels between 22 and 403 micro g l(-1). LC/MS with direct sample introduction was found to be a good alternative to traditional liquid-liquid extraction and gas chromatography for the analysis of such compounds since no derivatization was required and sample manipulation was minimal.     

Monosaccharide compositional analysis of marine polysaccharides by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A simple and sensitive method was developed using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry for determination of monosaccharides liberated from marine polysaccharides by acidic hydrolysis. Optimal separation of diastereomeric monosaccharides including hexoses, pentoses, and deoxyhexoses was achieved using an aminopropyl bonded column with mobile phase containing ternary solvents (acetonitrile/methanol/water) in conjunction with MS/MS in SRM mode. Mechanisms for fragmentation of deprotonated monosaccharides with regard to cross-ring cleavage were proposed. Matrix effects from coeluting interferences were observed and isotopic-labeled internal standard was used to compensate for the signal suppression. The method demonstrated excellent instrumental limits of detection (LOD), ranging from 0.7 to 4.2 pg. Method LODs range from 0.9 to 5.1 nM. The proposed method was applied to the analysis of polysaccharides in seawater collected from the open leads of the central Arctic Ocean in the summer of 2008.     

Quantitative determination of acetylcholine in microdialysis samples using liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure spray ionization mass spectrometry

A fast, simple and sensitive liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method was developed for the determination of acetylcholine in rat brain microdialysis samples. The chromatographic separation was achieved in 3 min on a reversed-phase column with isocratic conditions using a mobile phase containing 2% (v/v) of acetonitrile and 0.05% (v/v) of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). A stable isotope-labeled internal standard was included in the analysis and detection was carried out with a linear ion trap mass spectrometer using selected reaction monitoring (SRM). Analyte ionization was performed with an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) source without applying discharge current (atmospheric pressure spray ionization). This special ionization technique offered significant advantages over electrospray ionization for the analysis of acetylcholine with reversed-phase ion-pairing chromatography. The lower limit of quantification was 0.15 nM (1.5 fmol on-column) and linearity was maintained over the range of 0.15-73 nM, providing a concentration range that is significantly wider than that of the existing LC/MS methods. Good accuracy and precision were obtained for concentrations within the standard curve range. The method was validated and has been used extensively for the determination of acetylcholine in rat brain microdialysis samples.     

高效液相色谱-串联质谱法同时测定水中13种有机污染物

以地表水环境质量标准严格控制的特定项目为依据,建立了直接进样-高效液相色谱-串联质谱同时测定水中13种化学性质差异较大的有机污染物的分析方法,这13种有机污染物为乐果、敌敌畏、敌百虫、对硫磷、甲基对硫磷、马拉硫磷、内吸磷、丙烯酰胺、苯胺、联苯胺、甲萘威、微囊藻毒素-LR、阿特拉津。水样经0.22 μm尼龙66滤膜过滤后,采用Kromasil 100-5 C18柱(150 mm×2.1 mm, 5 μm)分离,以甲醇-0.01%甲酸水溶液为流动相进行梯度洗脱,流速0.5 mL/min,柱温40 ℃,电喷雾正离子模式(ESI⁺)电离,多反应监测模式(MRM)进行检测,外标法定量。13种化合物的浓度与其峰面积在一定浓度范围内均呈现良好的线性关系(r≥0.9995),方法检出限为0.02~0.1 μg/L。测定低、中、高浓度的加标样品,13种化合物的相对标准偏差为0.5%~5.0%(n=6),实际样品加标平均回收率为81.2%~112%。此方法灵敏度高、干扰小、分析速度快,可适用于地表水、地下水中这13种有机污染物的同时分析。     

Analysis of native amino acids by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry: comparative study between two sources and interfaces

The analytical performances of two triple-quadrupole instruments, which differ in their atmospheric-pressure sources, were evaluated for native amino acid analysis. The Applied Biosystems/Sciex API 300 instrument was equipped with a turboIon Spray source and a curtain gas interface while the Waters/Micromass Quattro Ultima instrument was characterized by its Z-spray source. Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of native amino acids requires volatile ion-pairing mobile phase additives (mainly perfluorinated carboxylic acids). The effects of the structure and concentration of the ion-pairing reagents as well as the organic modifier percentage on the electrospray response of amino acids were studied in detail. The most favourable chromatographic conditions depend strongly on the mass spectrometer used. Several instrumental parameters were also studied, including spray voltage, transmission lens voltages, temperature of desolvation and auxiliary gas flow rates. The results show substantial qualitative differences depending on the instrument geometry. The quantitative performances of the two triple-quadrupole mass spectrometers were evaluated in terms of limits of detection and quantification. The effects of the matrix on the analyte ionization were also examined, and the long-term stability of the electrospray performance was studied over 12 h using a mobile phase containing the perfluorinated ion-pairing reagents. The study provides information on the robustness of the MS instrument and its detection sensitivity towards native amino acid analysis. It appears that each instrument has its good and bad points since one provides higher sensitivity while another is more robust.     

Determination of methylmalonic acid and glutaric acid in urine by aqueous-phase derivatization followed by headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

In this work, a novel technique of aqueous-phase derivatization followed by headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was developed for the determination of organic acids in urine. The analytical procedure involves derivatization of organic acids to their ethyl esters with diethyl sulfate, headspace sampling, and GC/MS analysis. The proposed method was applied to the determination of methylmalonic acid and glutaric acid in urine. The experimental parameters and method validation were studied. Optimal conditions were obtained: PDMS fiber, extraction temperature 55 degrees C, extraction time 30 min, and 60 microL of diethyl sulfate as derivatization reagent with 2 mg of the ion pairing agent tetrabutylammonium hydrogensulfate. The method was linear over three orders of magnitude, and detection limits were 21 nM for methylmalonic acid and 34 nM for glutaric acid, respectively. Consequently, in-situ derivatization/HS-SPME/GC/MS is an alternative and powerful method for determination of organic acids as biomarkers in biological fluids.     

Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry for determination of domoic acid in Adriatic shellfish

This paper describes a new method for sensitive, specific and direct determination of domoic acid (DA), the causative toxin of amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) syndrome, in shellfish. It is based on combination of hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (HILIC/MS). The high percentage of organic modifier in the mobile phase and the omission of ion-pairing reagents, both favoured in HILIC, result in enhanced detection limits with MS detection. The new method was set up either on an ionspray ion trap MS instrument operating in MS and MS/MS scanning acquisition modes, or on a turboionspray triple-quadrupole MS system operating in selected ion monitoring (SIM) and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) acquisition modes. Positive and negative ion experiments were performed. MRM experiments are recommended for screening contaminated shellfish tissue and for quantitative analyses due to highest sensitivity and selectivity. The minimum detection levels for the toxin in tissue were found to be 63 and 190 ng/g in positive and negative MRM experiments, respectively, which are well below the regulatory limit for DA in tissue (20 microg/g). Application to shellfish samples collected in the Adriatic Sea (Italy) in the period 2000-2004 demonstrated for the first time in Italy the presence of DA as a new toxin that has entered the Adriatic Mytilus galloprovincialis toxin profile.     

Determination of amphetamine in rat brain by in vivo microdialysis and ion-pairing liquid chromatography with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

An ion-pairing liquid chromatography/electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ES-MS/MS) method with in vivo microdialysis for the determination of amphetamine in rat brain has been developed. A microdialysis probe was surgically implanted into the striatum of the rat and artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) was used as the perfusion medium. Samples were collected and then analyzed off-line by LC/ES-MS/MS. A reversed-phase C18 column was employed for LC separation and MS/MS was utilized for detection. Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) was added to the mobile phase (acetonitrile/water) as an ion-pairing reagent. Detection was by ES-MS/MS directly, and no post-column addition of organic modifier was needed. Dual linear ranges were determined from 0.1-0.5 microg/mL and 0.005-0.1 microg/mL, respectively. The detection limit, based on a signal-to-noise ratio of 3, was 0.001 microg/mL (5 nM). Good precision and accuracy were obtained. The applicability of this newly developed method was demonstrated by continuous monitoring of amphetamine concentrations in rat brain. Amphetamine reached a maximum concentration of 0.086 +/- 0.017 microg/mL over 20-40 min after a single 3.0 mg/kg intraperitoneal administration.     

Universal screening method for the determination of US Environmental Protection Agency phenols at the lower ng l(-1) level in water samples by on-line solid-phase extraction-high-performance liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry within a single run

The applicability of a previously optimized method for the analysis of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations phenols, based on on-line solid-phase extraction coupled to liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric (MS) detection in different matrix loaded water samples is demonstrated. The comprehensive optimization of the mobile phase conditions and their influence on the ionization process in atmospheric pressure ionization is described in detail. In particular, MS detection of the weakly acidic phenols such as phenol, monochlorinated phenols and methylated phenols requires the absence of acidic mobile phase modifiers and buffers. Thus lower retention times and slight peak broadening of the more acidic dinitrophenols are obtained if the entire range of EPA phenols is analyzed within a single chromatographic run. The figures of merit for the method were determined and the applicability to real water samples was investigated. Limits of detection for phenols ranging from 40 to 280 ng l(-1) and relative standard deviations below 8% in SCAN mode are obtained for all phenols if only 10-ml river water samples with low dissolved organic carbon (DOC 5 mg C l(-1) concentrations are preconcentrated. The method was used to detect 2-nitrophenol and 4-nitrophenol in river water samples in the lower ng l(-1) range. The analysis of highly matrix-loaded samples (DOC 210 mg C l(-1)) requires a reduced enrichment volume resulting in decreased sensitivity. Still the method is capable of reaching excellent detection limits which demonstrates its excellent suitability for screening analysis.     

液相色谱-串联质谱法测定花粉中的链霉素和双氢链霉素

建立了花粉中链霉素（streptomycin,STR）与双氢链霉素（dihydrostreptomycin,DHS）的高效液相色谱-串联质谱（HPLC-MS/MS）检测方法。样品经提取液提取、三氯甲烷沉淀蛋白后,用C18固相萃取柱进行富集净化,采用HPLC-MS/MS对目标物进行定性确证和定量分析。在Protemix WCX-NP5色谱柱（100 mm×2.1 mm,5 μm）上以5%（v/v）甲酸、20 mmol/L醋酸铵和甲醇为流动相进行梯度洗脱分离;质谱采集模式为电喷雾正离子监测模式。链霉素和双氢链霉素的检出限（以信噪比（S/N）=3计）均为5 μg/kg,定量限（以S/N=10计）均为10 μg/kg;在10~200 μg/L的质量浓度范围内呈现良好的线性关系,相关系数（r）大于0.99。本底空白的松花粉、玉米花粉、茶花粉、葵花粉、油菜花粉、杂花粉等6种基质中10、20、50 μg/kg添加水平下的加标回收率范围为76.8%~100.3%,精密度范围为3.70%~12.6%。该方法无需使用对LC-MS联用仪容易造成污染的七氟正丁酸,且方法准确可靠,适用于大部分花粉基质的测定。     

固相萃取/高效液相色谱-串联质谱法测定黄瓜及土壤中的春雷霉素残留

建立了测定黄瓜和土壤中春雷霉素残留的固相萃取/高效液相色谱-串联质谱(SPE/HPLC-MS/MS)方法。黄瓜和土壤样品分别经1%甲酸的甲醇、0.5%甲酸水提取后,采用MCX固相萃取柱净化,以Waters Xbridge BEH Amide色谱柱分离,0.2%甲酸水-乙腈溶液进行梯度洗脱,电喷雾正离子(ESI+)模式电离,多反应监测(MRM)模式检测,基质匹配标准曲线外标法定量。该方法灵敏、准确、简单快速、重复性好,在2~250μg/L浓度范围内,不同基质中春雷霉素的线性相关系数均大于0.999,检出限为0.002 mg/kg,定量下限为0.008 mg/kg;在0.008、0.040、0.200、0.400 mg/kg 4个加标水平下,春雷霉素在黄瓜和土壤样品中的平均回收率为77.5%~97.0%,相对标准偏差为2.6%~10.7%,能够满足黄瓜及土壤中春雷霉素残留的检测需求。应用该法对田间样品进行检测,结果表明,春雷霉素在黄瓜中的残留量不超过0.053 mg/kg,小于我国规定的黄瓜中最大残留限量(0.2 mg/kg);土壤中春雷霉素的残留量不超过0.013 mg/kg。