A new gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous analysis of target and non-target organic contaminants in waters

In this study we developed a GC–MS method for the analysis of priority pollutants, personal care products (PCPs) and other emerging contaminants in waters using large volume injection with backflushing. Analyses are performed in the SIM/scan mode, so that in addition to the targeted organic contaminants, this method allows the simultaneous screening of non-target compounds. The scan data are analysed using Deconvolution Reporting Software (DRS) which screens the results for 934 organic contaminants. Deconvolution helps identify contaminants that are buried in the chromatogram by co-extracted materials and significantly reduces chromatographic resolution requirements, allowing shorter analysis times. All compounds have locked retention times and we can continually update and extend the mass spectral library including new compounds. Linearity and limits of detection in SIM and full-scan mode were studied. Method detection limits (MDLs) in effluent wastewater ranged in most of the cases from 1 to 36 ng/L in SIM mode and from 4 to 66 ng/L in full-scan mode; while in river water from 0.4 to 14 and 2–29 ng/L in SIM and full-scan mode, respectively. We obtained a linearity of the calibration curves over two orders of magnitude. The method has been applied to the screening of a large number of organic contaminants – not only to a subset of targets – in urban wastewaters from different wastewater treatment plants and also in river waters. Most of the target compounds were detected at concentration levels ranging from 11 to 8697 ng/L and from 7 to 1861 ng/L in effluent wastewater and river waters, respectively. Additionally, a group of 12 new compounds were automatically identified using the AMDIS and NIST libraries. Other compounds, such as the 4-amino musk xylene, a synthetic fragrance metabolite, which was not included in the databases, but has been manually searched in the full-scan chromatograms.     

Simultaneous determination of fluoroquinolone, sulfonamide, and trimethoprim antibiotics in wastewater using tandem solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry

A robust and sensitive method for the detection of fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides and trimethoprim has been developed. Wastewater samples were acidified and extracted through an anion-exchange cartridge in tandem with a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) cartridge, a procedure that reduced interferences from wastewater organic matter. The extracted antibiotics were analyzed using liquid chromatography electrospray mass spectrometry and selected ion monitoring. Quantification of antibiotics was assessed both by internal standard and standard addition methods. Average recoveries for a range of wastewater matrices were 37 to 129% for a 1 microg/L spiking concentration. The method detection limits (MDLs) of antibiotics in deionized water, final and secondary effluent ranged from 2 to 7 ng/L, from 20 to 50 ng/L, and from 30 to 90 ng/L, respectively. Assessment of matrix interference shows that signal suppression and MDL increases with higher amounts of organic matter in the sample. Analyses of samples from two municipal wastewater treatment plants indicate that ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim are present in the secondary effluents at median concentrations of 100-160, 205-305, 395-575, and 40-705 ng/L, respectively.     

Comparison of multiple API techniques for the simultaneous detection of microconstituents in water by on‐line SPE‐LC‐MS/MS

This study described a fully automated method using on‐line solid phase extraction of large volume injections coupled with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) to simultaneously detect a group of recalcitrant microconstituents (pharmaceuticals and personal care products, steroid hormones and sterols) in aqueous matrices. Samples (1 mL to 20 mL) were loaded to the preconcentration column at 1 mL/min, and the column was washed with 1000 μL of 25% methanol in LC/MS water to remove polar and ionic interferences before LC‐MS/MS analysis. Three different atmospheric pressure ionization (API) techniques, including photoionization (APPI) with four different dopants (acetone, anisole, chlorobenzene and toluene), heated electrospray ionization (HESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), were evaluated on the basis of method detection limits (MDLs) and recoveries from different aqueous matrixes. Results indicated that APPI with toluene as dopant was the most sensitive ionization method for the majority of the analytes. When using 5 mL of sample, MDLs for pharmaceuticals and personal care products, including carbamazepine, DEET, caffeine, naproxen, acetaminophen and primidone, were between 0.3 ng/L and 15 ng/L. MDLs of hormones, including testosterone, equilenin, progesterone, equilin, 17β‐estradiol, 17α‐ethynylestradiol, estrone, androsterone, mestranol and estriol, were between 1.2 ng/L and 37 ng/L. The combination of APPI with dopant allowed the detection of two difficult to ionize fecal related sterols, such as coprostan‐3‐ol and coprostan‐3‐one with MDLs of 5.4 ng/L and 11 ng/L, respectively. Calculated MDLs are more than adequate for analysis of wastewater using 1 to 5 mL sample size and for surface waters using up to 20 mL sample size. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Use of an accurate-mass database for the systematic identification of transformation products of organic contaminants in wastewater effluents

In this article, a systematic approach is proposed to assist and simplify the identification of transformation products (TPs) of organic contaminants. This approach is based on the use of characteristic fragmentation undergone by organic contaminants during MS/MS fragmentation events, and the relationship and consistency with the transformations experimented by these chemicals in the environment or during water treatment processes. With this in mind, a database containing accurate-mass information of 147 compounds and their main fragments generated by CID MS/MS fragmentation experiments was created using an LC-QTOF-MS/MS system. The developed database was applied to the identification of tentative TPs and related unexpected compounds in eight wastewater effluent samples. The approach comprises basically three stages: (a) automatic screening, (b) identification of possible TPs and (c) confirmation by MS/MS analysis. Parameters related to the search of compounds in the database have been optimized and their dependence with the exhaustiveness of the study evaluated. Eight degradation products, from the pharmaceuticals acetaminophen, amoxicillin, carbamazepine, erythromycin and azithromycin and from the pesticide diazinon, were identified with a high grade of accuracy. Three of them were confirmed by analysis of the corresponding analytical standards.     

Pharmaceutical determination in surface and wastewaters using high-performance liquid chromatography-(electrospray)-mass spectrometry

A method was developed to determine 11 pharmaceutical compounds in water samples. The method uses SPE and HPLC coupled to MS (LC/MS) using ESI in both positive and negative modes. Three different sorbents were compared for the extraction of analytes from river and sewage treatment plant (STP) waters and OASIS HLB provided the best results. For the solid-phase extraction of 500 mL of river water samples, the recoveries were between 41 and 101% with the exception of acetaminophen, salicylic acid and naproxen. The LODs were between 3 and 5 ng/L for all the compounds, except naproxen which had an LOD of 15 ng/L. Acetaminophen, caffeine, carbamazepine, bezafibrate and ibuprofen were found in three of the tested river samples at ng/L levels and among them, the highest values were for caffeine and bezafibrate with 305 and 363 ng/L, respectively. For the influent and effluent water samples of the STP, volumes of 100 and 250 mL were used, respectively, to obtain acceptable recoveries. All the compounds showed recoveries between 33 and 91% for effluent samples and 33-72% for influent samples, with the exception of acetaminophen, salicylic acid and bezafibrate, which had lower recoveries. The method developed enabled pharmaceuticals in the influent and effluent sewage waters to be determined in five campaigns carried out between February 2004 and June 2005. Several pharmaceuticals were found in the influent samples: for instance, maximum concentrations of ibuprofen and caffeine were 6 and 40 microg/L, respectively.     

Solid-phase microextraction liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry for the analysis of chlorophenols in environmental samples

Liquid chromatography with atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation mass spectrometry (LC/APCI-MS), using negative ion detection in a triple quadrupole instrument, was used for the determination of chlorophenols (CPs) in environmental samples. In-source collision-induced dissociation (CID) was compared with MS/MS fragmentation. In general, less fragmentation was observed in MS/MS as compared with in-source CID, with the latter providing more intense fragment ions due to chemical ionisation. Under MS/MS conditions [M - H - HCl](-) was the main fragment ion observed for all compounds except for pentachlorophenol, which showed no fragmentation. For multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) acquisition mode, the transition from [M - H](-) to [M - H - HCl](-) was selected, leading to detection limits down to 0.3 ng injected. Direct and headspace-solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) were used as preconcentration procedures for the analysis of CPs in wood and in industrially contaminated soils. CPs were quantified by standard addition, which led to good reproducibility (RSD between 4 and 11%) in both SIM and MRM modes, and detection limits down to ng/g. The combination of MS/MS and in-source CID allowed confirmation of the presence of CPs in environmental samples.     

Determination of acidic drugs and caffeine in municipal wastewaters and receiving waters by gas chromatography-ion trap tandem mass spectrometry

Some aspects of both sample preparation and instrumental techniques for analysis of such acidic drugs as acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen, gemfibrozil, fenoprofen, naproxen, ketoprofen, and diclofenac, as well as caffeine in surface water and municipal wastewater have been studied and further developed. Water samples were filtered and target analytes were extracted by solid-phase extraction (SPE). Supelco LC-18 and Oasis HLB SPE cartridges were used to pre-concentrate samples for acidic drugs and caffeine, respectively. A methylation process was applied to acidic drugs prior to analysis while caffeine was analyzed directly. A method of gas chromatography-ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (IT-MS/MS) for analysis of the target acidic pharmaceuticals and caffeine is presented here in detail. Such parameters as collision-induced dissociation (CID) voltage, isolation time, excitation time, excitation storage level, and electron energy were adjusted in order to optimize the instrument analytical performance. After optimization, an instrument detection limit of 0.5-20 pg/microL with signal-to-noise (S/N) not less than 5 was achieved for all target analytes. It was shown that this method has good linearity within the range of 10-2000 pg/microL. The application of the optimized IT-MS/MS parameters conjointly with the sample preparation procedure resulted in method detection limits (MDLs) of 0.1-1.0 and 20 ng/L for the determination of acidic drugs and caffeine, respectively in such samples as surface water, effluent from municipal wastewater plants, as well as receiving waters.     

Simultaneous determination of tetracyclines and their degradation products in environmental waters by liquid chromatography–electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

A sensitive method was developed for the trace determination of six tetracyclines and ten of their degradation products in influent, effluent, and river waters using liquid chromatography–electrospray tandem mass spectrometry detection, combined with Oasis hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB) cartridge extraction and Oasis mixed-mode strong anion exchange (MAX) cartridge cleanup. Tetracyclines and their products were separated by liquid chromatography in 9.5 min, and the instrument detection limits were generally between 0.03 and 0.1 μg/L except for minocycline (0.5 μg/L). The chromatograms were improved through the MAX cleanup and no apparent matrix effect was found. The recoveries of all the target compounds except for 4-epianhydrochlortetracycline and anhydrochlortetracycline (34–52%) were 75–120% for influent, 61–103% for effluent, and 64–113% for river waters. The method detection limits (MDLs) of the analytes varied in the range of 0.8–17.5 ng/L in all studied matrices. The method was applied for the determination of tetracyclines and their products in a sewage treatment plant (STP) and surface waters in Beijing, China. Oxytetracycline (3.8–72.5 ng/L), tetracycline (1.9–16.5 ng/L), and five products including 4-epitetracycline, 4-epioxytetracycline, isochlortetracycline, anhydrotetracycline, and 4-epianhydrochlortetracycline (5.7–25.3 ng/L) were detected in wastewater, while only oxytetracycline and tetracycline (2.2 and 2.1 ng/L) were detected in surface water samples.     

Fully automated determination of N-nitrosamines in environmental waters by headspace solid-phase microextraction followed by GC-MS-MS

A fully automated method for determining nine Environmental Protection Agency N-nitrosamines in several types of environmental waters at ng/L levels is presented. The method is based on a headspace solid-phase microextraction followed by GC-MS-MS using chemical ionization. Three different fibers (carboxen/PDMS, divinylbenzene/carboxen/PDMS, and PEG) were tested. Solid-phase microextraction conditions were best when a divinylbenzene/carboxen/PDMS fiber was exposed for 60?min in the headspace of 10?mL water samples at pH 7 containing 360?g/L of NaCl, at 45°C. All compounds were analyzed by GC-MS-MS within 18?min. The method was validated using effluent from an urban wastewater treatment plant and the LODs ranged from 1 to 5?ng/L. The method was then applied to determine the N-nitrosamines in samples of different complexities, such as tap water and several influent and effluent wastewater samples from urban and industrial wastewater treatment plants and a potable water treatment plant. Although the analysis of influent industrial wastewater revealed high concentrations of some compounds (N-nitrosomorpholine and N-nitrosodimethylamine at μg/L levels), in industrial effluents and other samples, the concentrations were substantially lower (ng/L levels). The new method is suitable for the simple and reliable determination of N-nitrosamines in highly complex water samples in a completely automated procedure.     

Development of a multi-residue method for the determination of organic micropollutants in water, sediment and mussels using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

This study describes the development of a multiresidue method based on gas chromatography-electron ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-EI-MS/MS) for the detection of sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), five phthalate esters (PEs), seven polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), six polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), six alkylphenols (APs), three organochlorined pesticides and their isomers or degradation products (OCPs) and bisphenol A in seawater, river water, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents, sediments and mussels. Solid phase extraction (SPE) was used for the extraction of target analytes in aqueous samples, and ultrasound assisted extraction for solid samples. GC-EI-MS/MS acquisition conditions in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) using two transitions per compound were optimized. In this way, quantification and unequivocal identification of organic micropollutants were performed in compliance with the Decision 2002/657/EC. Good linearity responses with coefficients of determination higher than 0.99 were obtained. Methodological detection limits (MDLs) in seawater ranged from 0.1 to 6 ng L(-1); in river water from 0.1 to 4.8 ng L(-1); in WWTP effluents from 1 to 75 ng L(-1); in sediments from 1 to 150 ng g(-1) and in mussels from 1 to 125 ng g(-1). MDLs and recovery yields were compared with other published methods and similarities or even improvements were achieved. The optimized method was applied to analyze five samples from each matrix collected in coastal areas, showing its potential use for marine pollution monitoring.     

Determination of acidic pharmaceutical products and carbamazepine in roughly primary-treated wastewater by solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

A gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS) method has been developed for the determination of selected pharmaceutical residues (carbamazepine, salicylic acid, clofibric acid, ibuprofen, 2-hydroxy-ibuprofen, fenoprofen, naproxen, ketoprofen, diclofenac, and triclosan) in sewage influent and roughly primary-treated effluent. The method involved solid-phase extraction (SPE) with polymeric sorbents, and two SPE cartridges were compared for the extraction and elution of the targeted compounds in complex matrices. A successful chemical derivatization of carbamazepine and acidic compounds using N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide +10% trimethylchlorosilane is also described. The quantification limits of the analytical procedure ranged from 30 to 60?ng?L^?1 for 500?mL of wastewater. The best recovery rates (72–102%) in spiked effluent samples were obtained with Phenomenex Strata-X? cartridges. Detection limits (S/N?=?3) were estimated at between 1 and 18?ng?L^?1. The reported GC–MS/MS method significantly reduces the strong matrix effects encountered with more expensive LC-MS/MS techniques. Application of the developed method showed that most selected analytes were detected at concentrations ranging from low µg?L^?1 to trace level ng?L^?1 in Montreal's wastewater treatment plant effluent and influent, as well as in the receiving waters at more than 8?km downstream of the effluent outfall. The rugged alternative analytical method is suitable for the simultaneous analysis of carbamazepine and pharmaceutical acidic residues in wastewater samples from influents and effluents that have undergone rough primary treatment.     

Determination of beta-blockers and beta2-agonists in sewage by solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A method using solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) has been developed for the determination of 12 beta-blockers and beta(2)-agonists in wastewater samples. Extraction of the drugs was effected by an Oasis MCX cartridge with a strong cation resin adsorbent. Matrix coextractives were removed from the SPE cartridge by methanol prior to the elution of the drugs with a mixture of dichloromethane, 2-propranol, and ammonium hydroxide. The extract was analyzed by LC-MS/MS with electrospray ionization operating in the positive mode. Recovery of the 12 compounds was in most cases better than 85% at the fortification levels of 500 and 50 ng/L, with standard deviations between 3 and 7%. Based on a concentration factor of 250, the method detection limits ranged from 6 to 11 ng/L for the target compounds. No degradation of these drugs in spiked sewage effluent samples was observed over a storage period of 7 days at 4 degrees C in the dark. Many beta-blockers were detected in the 14 wastewater samples collected from seven Canadian sewage treatment plants; those occurring at the highest concentrations were atenolol, acebutolol, sotalol, and metroprolol, with overall median concentrations of 1370, 339, 282, and 257 ng/L, respectively. However, there was only a small decrease in the median concentrations of these beta-blockers between the primary and final effluent, suggesting that these drugs are not easily removed by the sewage treatment processes. As a result of selective extraction and effective removal of coextractives, no matrix effect was observed for the samples during LC-MS/MS analyses.     

Application of gas chromatography-hybrid chemical ionization mass spectrometry to the analysis of diclofenac in wastewater samples

Hybrid chemical ionization (HCI), a new and useful alternative to conventional chemical ionization mass spectrometry, has been applied to the analysis of the pharmaceutical diclofenac in wastewater samples. This technique takes advantage of the high versatility of ion trap (IT) spectrometers combined with external ionization sources. In hybrid configuration, reagent ions are generated in the external source through electron ionisation (EI) of a reagent gas. These reagent ions are then drawn into the ion trap and only those selected are allowed to react with analytes eluting from the GC column. These ion-molecule reactions create analyte ions which are held in the ion trap. In this study ion-molecule reactions between C(3)F(5)(+) cations, generated from perfluorotributylamine (FC43), and diclofenac molecules have been investigated. The observed reaction products were [M+C(3)F(5)-H(2)O](+) adduct ions, which result from the initial electrophilic addition of C(3)F(5)(+) cations to the diclofenac molecule followed by the rapid loss of H(2)O. Further fragmentation of these ions by MS/MS yielded enough daughter ions for a reliable identification of diclofenac in complex matrices. The GC-HCI-MS/MS method applied to wastewater samples provided highly enhanced selectivity and sensibility, with a detection limit in real samples of 3.0 ng/L, for a solid-phase extraction (SPE) pre-concentration factor of 400. Other performance characteristics of the method, such as linearity and precision were also satisfactory. Finally, the method was successfully applied to the analysis of wastewater samples taken from the effluent of an urban sewage treatment plant (STP).     

Gas chromatographic–mass spectrometric fragmentation study of phytoestrogens as their trimethylsilyl derivatives: Identification in soy milk and wastewater samples

An analytical method for the identification of eight plant phytoestrogens (biochanin A, coumestrol, daidzein, equol, formononetin, glycitein, genistein and prunetin) in soy products and wastewater samples was developed using gas chromatography coupled with ion trap mass spectrometry (GC/MS–MS). The phytoestrogens were derivatized as their trimethylsilyl ethers with trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) and N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA). The phytoestrogens were isolated from all samples with liquid–liquid extraction using ethyl acetate. Daidzein-d₄ and genistein-d₄ labeled standards were used as internal standards before extraction and derivatization. The fragmentation patterns of the phytoestrogens were investigated by isolating and fragmenting the precursor ions in the ion-trap and a typical fragmentation involved the loss of a methyl and a carbonyl group. Two characteristic fragment ions for each analyte were chosen for identification and confirmation. The developed methodology was applied to the identification and confirmation of phytoestrogens in soy milk, in wastewater effluent from a soy-milk processing plant, and in wastewater (influent and effluent) from a treatment plant. Detected concentrations of genistein ranged from 50,000 μg/L and 2000 μg/L in soy milk and in wastewater from a soy-plant, respectively, to 20 μg/L and <1 μg/L for influent and effluent from a wastewater treatment plant, respectively.     

Steroids contents in waters of wastewater purification plants: determination with partial-filling micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography and UV detection

Partial-filling micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (PF-MEKC) with UV detection was applied for determination of human-based steroids in water samples of Finnish wastewater treatment plants. The samples were purified with solid-phase extraction (SPE) on octadecyl substituted polymer sorbents obtaining analyte enrichment of 20,000-fold. The steroids studied were androgens, estrogens, and progesterone. Three of the steroids could be quantified with the PF-MEKC method. The detection and quantification limits were 0.05–1.06 μg/mL and 0.15–3.2 μg/mL, meaning in the SPE concentrates as 2.5–53 pg/L and 7.5–160 pg/L, respectively. In the influent waters, the total amount of testosterone glucuronide, androstenedione, and progesterone was up to 350 ng/L. In effluent water samples the total steroid quantity was maximum at 320 ng/L. Remarkably high quantity of androstenedione was quantified in both influent and effluent water samples. The cleanest effluent waters were produced in Western Finland. Correspondingly, the highest quantities were located near the largest lake and river areas in South-Eastern Finland. The concentration variation in effluent waters was explained with differences in the purification materials and processes at the plants and with steroid adsorption on soil and organic material suspended into water.     

Trace-level determination of pharmaceutical residues by LC-MS/MS in natural and treated waters. A pilot-survey study

A pilot-survey study was performed by collecting samples (influent and effluent wastewaters, rivers and tap waters) from different locations in Europe (Spain, Belgium, Germany and Slovenia). A solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method was applied for the determination of pharmaceuticals (ibuprofen, naproxen, ketoprofen, diclofenac and clofibric acid). Method detection limits and method quantification limits were at the parts-per-trillion level (7.5–75 ng/L). The recovery rates of the SPE from deionized water and effluent wastewater samples spiked at 100- and 1,000-ng/L levels ranged from 87 to 95%. Identification criteria in compliance with the EU regulation for confirmatory methods of organic residues were applied. A detailed study of signal suppression evaluation for analysis of pharmaceutical residues in effluent wastewaters is presented.     

Multi-class determination of around 50 pharmaceuticals, including 26 antibiotics, in environmental and wastewater samples by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A multi-class method for the simultaneous quantification and confirmation of 47 pharmaceuticals in environmental and wastewater samples has been developed. The target list of analytes included analgesic and anti-inflammatories, cholesterol lowering statin drugs and lipid regulators, antidepressants, anti-ulcer agents, psychiatric drugs, ansiolitics, cardiovasculars and a high number (26) of antibiotics from different chemical groups. A common pre-concentration step based on solid-phase extraction with Oasis HLB cartridges was applied, followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) measurement. All compounds were satisfactorily determined in just one single injection, with a chromatographic run time of only 10 min. The process efficiency (combination of the matrix effect and the extraction process recovery) for the 47 selected compounds was evaluated in nine effluent wastewater (EWW) samples, and the use of different isotope-labelled internal standards (ILIS) was investigated to correct unsatisfactory values. Up to 12 ILIS were evaluated in EWW and surface water (SW). As expected, the ILIS provided satisfactory correction for their own analytes. However, the use of these ILIS for the rest of pharmaceuticals was problematic in some cases. Despite this fact, the correction with analogues ILIS was found useful for most of analytes in EWW, while was not strictly required in the SW tested. The method was successfully validated in SW and EWW at low concentration levels, as expected for pharmaceuticals in these matrices (0.025, 0.1 and 0.5 μg/L in SW; 0.1 and 0.5 μg/L in EWW). With only a few exceptions, the instrumental limits of detection varied between 0.1 and 8 pg. The limits of quantification were estimated from sample chromatograms at the lowest spiked levels tested and normally were below 20 ng/L for SW and below 50 ng/L for EWW. The developed method was applied to the analysis of around forty water samples (river waters and effluent wastewaters) from the Spanish Mediterranean region. Almost all the pharmaceuticals selected in this work were detected, mainly in effluent wastewater. In both matrices, analgesics and anti-inflammatories, lipid regulators and quinolone antibiotics were the most detected groups.     

Determination of natural and synthetic estrogenic compounds in coastal lagoon waters by HPLC-electrospray-mass spectrometry

A new analytical method was developed for the simultaneous determination of estrogenic compounds of natural (estradiol, estriol, estrone) and synthetic origin, both steroidal (ethinylestradiol, mestranol) and non-steroidal (benzophenone, bisphenol-A, diethylstilbestrol, octylphenol, nonylphenol, nonylphenol monoethoxylate carboxylate), in environmental aqueous samples by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ion trap-mass spectrometry via electrospray interface (HPLC-ESI-IT-MS). Quantitative MS detection was performed in the negative mode for all compounds except mestranol and benzophenone, which were detected under positive ion conditions. Very low method detection limits (MDLs), between 0.1 and 2.6?ng/L, were achieved in coastal lagoon water samples, while the developed solid-phase-extraction (SPE) procedure permitted simultaneous recovery of all analytes from spiked water samples with yields >70% (7–11 RSD%), except estriol and benzophenone, which were recovered with 60% (9 RSD%) and 50% (11 RSD%) yields, respectively. The proposed method was applied to the analysis of Venice (Italy) lagoon waters, where average concentrations of selected compounds in the 2.8–33?ng/L concentration range were found.     

固相萃取/超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法快速测定不同水体中5种人造甜味剂、6种造影剂及咖啡因

建立了快速检测不同水样(地表水、污水处理厂进水和出水)中5种人造甜味剂、6种造影剂和咖啡因的超高效液相色谱-串联质谱(UPLC-MS/MS)方法。利用HR-X固相萃取柱对过滤后的水样进行富集净化。采用Zorbax SB-C_(18)色谱柱分离,电喷雾正模式(ESI+)和负模式(ESI-)下分别以乙腈-水(10 mmol/L乙酸铵,0.01%甲酸)和乙腈-水(5 mmol/L乙酸铵,1 mmol/L Tris)为流动相,多反应监测模式(MRM)检测。各目标化合物在5~5 000μg/L范围内线性关系良好,相关系数均大于0.998。地表水、污水处理厂进水和出水的回收率为70%~120%,相对标准偏差(RSD)为0.8%~19.0%,方法检出限(MDL)分别为0.43~13.8、1.80~34.8、2.30~134 ng/L。应用该方法对广州某污水处理厂进水和出水及受纳河流河水进行检测,除阿斯巴甜、碘他拉酸、碘普罗胺、碘美普尔外,其他物质均有检出且浓度较高。该方法准确、灵敏、操作简便,适用于多种环境水样中人造甜味剂、造影剂和咖啡因的分析检测。     

Automated determination of aliphatic primary amines in wastewater by simultaneous derivatization and headspace solid-phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

This paper presents a fully automated method for determining ten primary amines in wastewater at ng/L levels. The method is based on simultaneous derivatization with pentafluorobenzaldehyde (PFBAY) and headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) followed by gas chromatography coupled to ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (GC–IT-MS–MS). The influence of main factors on the efficiency of derivatization and of HS-SPME is described in detail and optimized by a central composite design. For all species, the highest enrichment factors were achieved using a 85 μm polyacrylate (PA) fiber exposed in the headspace of stirred water samples (750 rpm) at pH 12, containing 360 g/L of NaCl, at 40 °C for 15 min. Under optimized conditions, the proposed method achieved detection limits ranging from 10 to 100 ng/L (except for cyclohexylamine). The optimized method was then used to determine the presence of primary amines in various types of wastewater samples, such as influent and effluent wastewater from municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and a potable water treatment plant. Although the analysis of these samples revealed the presence of up to 1500 μg/L of certain primary amines in influent industrial wastewater, the concentration of these compounds in the effluent and in municipal and potable water was substantially lower, at low μg/L levels. The new derivatization–HS-SPME–GC–IT-MS–MS method is suitable for the fast, reliable and inexpensive determination of primary amines in wastewater in an automated procedure.