Development and validation of a rapid and wide-scope qualitative screening method for detection and identification of organic pollutants in natural water and wastewater by gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Rapid screening of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in water by solid-phase microextraction coupled with ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are considered emerging organic contaminants that attract more attention in the environment. Herein, online coupling of solid-phase microextraction and ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry was developed for rapid screening of eight PBDEs in water samples. This procedure was completed in 22 min, about 6 times faster than the routine workflow such as solid-phase extraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Thermal desorption and solvent-assisted atmospheric pressure chemical ionization were developed for the effective coupling of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry (UHRMS), which contributed to the signal enhancement and made the methodology feasible for environmental screening. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.01-0.50 ng/mL and 0.05-4.00 ng/mL, respectively. The recoveries were 57.2-75.2% for quality control samples at spiking levels of 0.8-10 ng/mL (4-50 ng/mL for BDE209), with relative standard deviation less than 19.0%. Twelve water samples from different river sites near industrial areas were screened using the developed method. The results showed that BDE-209 was the dominant PBDE (1.02-1.28 ng/mL in positive samples), but its amount was lower than the human health ambient water quality criteria. Consequently, the developed method provides a rapid and reliable way of evaluating contamination status and risks of PBDEs in aqueous environment.

Ultra-Sensitive Si-Based Optical Sensor for Nanoparticle-Size Traditional Water Pollutant Detection

A low-cost Si-based optical nano-sensor that monitors traditional water pollutants is introduced in this paper. The introduced sensor works in the near-infrared region, 900 nm to 2500 nm spectral range. The proposed structure consists of a Si layer with an optimized thickness of 300 nm on the top of the Al layer acting as a back reflector. On the top of the Si layer, the water pollutants are modeled as nanoparticle materials of different sizes. The finite difference time domain method is utilized to optimize the thicknesses of the Si layer by analyzing the optical light absorption considering different Si layer thicknesses and different pollutant nanoparticles’ sizes. Different interpolation techniques, including polynomials with various degrees and locally weighted smoothing quadratic regression, are used to find the best fitting model representing the simulated data points with goodness of fit analysis. Three features are proposed to identify the water pollutant with its size, peak absorption wavelength, relative amplitude, and a full width at half maximum. The device’s performance in detecting six different pollutants, silver, aluminum, copper, chromium, selenium, and ammonia, is evaluated. Sensitivity, a figure of merit, and a quality factor are used to evaluate the proposed sensor. The obtained maximum sensitivity is 11,300 nm/RIU, FOM of 740, and quality factor of 670.

Ionic Liquid Modified Porous Polymer as a Dispersive Filter Extraction Adsorbent for Simple, Sensitive, and Efficient Determination of Chlorotriazine Herbicides in Irrigation Water

Triazine herbicides (TRZHs) are widely used in agricultural production, but their improper use can threaten the environment and organisms. Herein, rapid extraction of four chlorotriazine herbicides (Cl-TRZHs) in irrigation water was achieved using an ionic liquid modified porous m-aminophenol formaldehyde resin (IL-MAPFR) as a dispersive filter extraction (DFE) adsorbent. The IL-MAPFR shows excellent adsorption performance for four Cl-TRZHs (simazine, cyanazine, atrazine, and terbuthylazine), with a large specific surface area (158.1 m² g^-1) and fast mass transfer (2 min). The adsorption process conforms to the pseudo-second-order kinetics and Freundlich isotherm models. The four Cl-TRZHs were concentrated 12-16-fold after the IL-MAPFR-DFE method. Coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography, an accurate and sensitive determination method for four Cl-TRZHs in irrigation water was established, with low detection limit (0.11-0.20 ng mL^-1), high recoveries (91.5-110%), and excellent precision (relative standard deviations (RSDs) ≤ 8.4%). This method provides technical support for agricultural irrigation water quality monitoring and has great application potential in water safety, especially pesticide residues.

Development and validation of qualitative screening, quantitative determination and post-targeted pesticide analysis in tropical fruits and vegetables by LC-HRMS

The following qualitative screening and quantitative determination of 201 pesticides present a detailed optimization making use of design of experiments (DoE). The post-targeted screening took advantage of an upgradeable database to extend the survey further to perform a standard-free novel quantitation by liquid chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). The fine tuning of instrumental parameters allowed the best method selectivity, sensitivity and reproducibility for the compounds under study. Among the factors considered, the heated electrospray source (HESI), the sample composition and the MS/MS acquisition modes were assessed, including the all-ion fragmentation (AIF) mode and different versions of the variable data independent acquisition (vDIA). The results of the optimization showed that selected HESI conditions, a methanol/water (1:1) sample composition and a vDIA acquisition method increased the signal for most compounds with a remarkable benefit on signal shape and intensity. The method showed adequate analytical performance when assessed in local produce.

Limitations of GC-QTOF-MS Technique in Identification of Odorous Compounds from Wastewater: The Application of GC-IMS as Supplement for Odor Profiling

Odorous emissions from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) cause negative impacts on the surrounding areas and possible health risks on nearby residents. However, the efficient and reliable identification of WWTPs’ odorants is still challenging. In this study, odorous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from domestic wastewater at different processing units were profiled and identified using gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) and gas chromatography quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-QTOF-MS). The GC-QTOF-MS results confirmed the odor contribution of sulfur organic compounds in wastewater before primary sedimentation and ruled out the significance of most of the hydrocarbons in wastewater odor. The problems in odorous compounds analysis using GC-QTOF-MS were discussed. GC-IMS was developed for visualized analysis on composition characteristics of odorants. Varied volatile compounds were detected by GC-IMS, mainly oxygen-containing VOCs including alcohols, fatty acids, aldehydes and ketones with low odor threshold values. The fingerprint plot of IMS spectra showed the variation in VOCs’ composition, indicating the changes of wastewater quality during treatment process. The GC-IMS technique may provide an efficient profiling method for the changes of inlet water and performance of treatment process at WWTPs.

Towards Simazine Monitoring in Agro-Zootechnical Productions: A Yeast Cell Bioprobe for Real Samples Screening

Simazine is an herbicide that is able to contaminate surface waters, ground waters, and milk/dairy products, thus posing concerns in both environmental health and food safety. A yeast-based bioprobe was utilized to detect simazine in spiked real samples of livestock drinking water and raw cow's milk. Yeast aerobic respiration was taken as short-term toxicological endpoint. We carried out comparative measures of yeast oxygen consumption between simazine-spiked samples and blank samples. Percentage interference (%ρ) on yeast aerobic respiration was calculated through the comparison of aerobic respiration of simazine-exposed and non-exposed yeast cells. The method was optimized for raw cow's milk samples by using boric acid as fungistatic agent in order to avoid cellular proliferation. Overall, the results have shown that simazine can be detected up to concentrations five times below the EU legal concentration limits for drinking water (0.02 ppb) and cow's milk (2 ppb) (%ρ values of 18.53% and 20.43% respectively; %RSD ≤ 15%). Dose-effect relationships of simazine were assessed. The findings of the bioassays match reasonably well with known mechanisms of toxicity and intracellular detoxification in yeast. A correlation between fat content in milk samples and analytical performance of the bioprobe was established. Results suggest the involvement of a matrix effect, presumably due to lipid sequestration of simazine. The yeast-based bioprobe has proved to be sensitive and suitable for the detection of simazine in real samples in concentrations of interest.

Método cualitativo rápido (screening) para la detección de residuos de plaguicidas en frutas y hortalizas

Debido a la importancia de desarrollar metodologías que permitan el análisis de los residuos agrícolas, el presente trabajo validó un método cualitativo rápido (screening) para el análisis de residuos de plaguicidas en frutas y hortalizas. La metodología se basó en el método de extracción QuEChERS, versión europea, con un paso adicional de limpieza por cromatografía de permeación por gel (GPC), lo cual permitió reducir la cantidad de componentes de la matriz en el extracto final. El análisis fue realizado por cromatografía de gases/espectrometría de masas con un analizador cuadrupolo simple. La metodología resultó adecuada para el análisis cualitativo de 31 plaguicidas a su respectivo límite máximo de residuos. Los resultados en muestras reales fueron consistentes respecto a una metodología cuantitativa de rutina, por ende, la metodología resultó ser una buena alternativa para el análisis rápido de estos contaminantes.

Critical assessment of the ubiquitous occurrence and fate of the insect repellent N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide in water

The insect repellent diethyltoluamide (DEET) is among the most frequently detected organic chemical contaminants in water across a wide range of geographies from around the world. These observations are raising critical questions and increasing concerns regarding potential environmental relevance, particularly when the emergence of severe neurological conditions attributed to the Zika virus has increased the use of insect repellents. After dermal application, DEET is washed from the skin when bathing and enters the municipal sewer system before discharge into the environment. Mainly measured by gas chromatography or liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS or LC-MS), more than 200 peer-reviewed publications have already reported concentrations of DEET ranging ng/L to mg/L in several water matrices from North America, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and more recently Africa and South America. While conventional wastewater treatment technology has limited capacity of removal, advanced technologies are capable of better attenuation and could lower the environmental discharge of organic contaminants, including DEET. For instance, adsorption on activated carbon, desalinating membrane processes (nanofiltration and reverse osmosis), ozonation, and advanced oxidation processes can achieve 50% to essentially 100% DEET attenuation. Despite the abundant literature on the topic, the ubiquity of DEET in the environment still raises questions due to the apparent lack of obvious spatio-temporal trends in concentrations measured in surface water, which does not fit the expected usage pattern of insect repellents. Moreover, two recent studies showed discrepancies between the concentrations obtained by GC-MS and LC-MS analyses. While the occurrence of DEET in the environment is well established, the concentrations reported should be interpreted cautiously, considering the disparities in methodologies applied and occurrence patterns observed. Therefore, this manuscript provides a critical overview of the origin of DEET in the environment, the relevant analytical methods, the occurrence reported in peer-reviewed literature, and the attenuation efficacy of water treatment processes.

Spatial and seasonal variation of organic pollutants in surface water using multivariate statistical techniques

In this study, analysis of variance (ANOVA), cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were employed in order to evaluate the concentration profile of organic contaminants found in three main river from central Transylvania, Romania. Samples were collected from nine sampling stations, in two different sampling campaigns (wet season and dry season). Water samples were extracted using solid-phase extraction and analyzed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Twelve organic pollutants belonging to different classes were used for further interpretations. ANOVA highlighted compounds which distinguished Olt River from Mures River, and compounds that are influenced by increased river flow from the wet season. CA was applied to group the sampling stations. Three clusters were obtained, according to their organic load. PCA extracted five principal components explaining 87.330% from data set variability. Based on these results, a future monitoring study may be optimized by reducing the sampling points and compounds to those that are representative for each river, thereby reducing costs, without any information loss.

Comprehensive monitoring of organic micro-pollutants in surface and groundwater in the surrounding of a solid-waste treatment plant of Castellón, Spain

The solid-waste treatment plant of RECIPLASA is located in the municipality of Onda (Castellón province), which is an important agricultural area of Spain, with predominance of citrus crops. In this plant, all urban solid wastes from the town of Castellón (around 200,000 inhabitants) and other smaller towns as Almassora, Benicàssim, Betxí, Borriana, L'Alcora, Onda and Vila-Real are treated. In order to evaluate the potential impact of this plant on the surrounding water, both surface and groundwater, a comprehensive monitoring of organic pollutants has been carried out along 2011, 2012 and 2013. To this aim, an advanced analytical strategy was applied for wide-scope screening, consisting on the complementary use of liquid chromatography (LC) and gas chromatography (GC) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) with quadrupole (Q)-time of flight analyser (TOF). A generic solid-phase extraction with Oasis HLB cartridges was applied prior to the chromatographic analysis. The screening included more than 1500 organic pollutants as target compounds, such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals, veterinary drugs, drugs of abuse, UV-filters, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), among others. Pesticides, mainly herbicides, were the compounds more frequently detected. Other compounds as antioxidants, cosmetics, drugs of abuse, PAHs, pharmaceuticals and UV filters, were also identified in the screening though at much lower frequency. Once the screening was made, quantitative analysis focused on the compounds more frequently detected was subsequently applied using LC coupled to tandem MS with triple quadrupole analyser. In this way, up to 24 pesticides and transformation products (TPs), 7 pharmaceuticals, one drug of abuse and its metabolite could be quantified at sub-ppb concentrations. Along the three years of study, ten compounds were found at concentrations higher than 0.1μg/L. Most of them were pesticides and TPs, a fact that illustrates that the main source of pollution seems to be the agricultural activities in this area.

Simultaneous and direct analysis of multiple types of organic contaminants in water based on a MOF decorated with a suitable quantity of Au nanoparticles, using SALDI-TOF MS

Simultaneous, fast and sensitive analysis of multiple types of organic contaminants using SALDI-TOF MS was realized for the first time.

An environmentally friendly method for the determination of triazine herbicides in estuarine seawater samples by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction

A fast, simple, sensitive and green chemistry method using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) for the simultaneous determination of seven triazine herbicides (ametryn, atrazine, cyanazine, propazine, simazine, simetryn and terbuthylazine) in estuarine seawater samples has been developed. DLLME was carried out using a small volume of seawater (25 mL) and 300 μL of 1-octanol. Herbicide concentrations were determined by liquid chromatography-diode array detection, and results were confirmed by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation tandem spectrometry analysis. The analytical features of the proposed method were satisfactory with repeatability < ±5% and intermediate precision < ±10%, and recoveries ranged from 81-102% for all compounds. All the triazines exhibited linear matrix calibration curves with coefficients of determination >0.999 for all the analytes except for simazine (0.9975). Limits of quantification ranged between 0.19 and 1.12 μg L(-1). The method was applied to the analysis of seawater samples from ten points susceptible to contamination by triazines from estuary of A Coruña (Galicia, NW of Spain). The levels of the seven triazines were below the LODs in the analysed samples. Use of proposed method will allow for monitoring of triazines at levels below the regulatory limits set by the European Directive 2008/105/EC of 2 and 4 μg L(-1) for atrazine and simazine, respectively.

Assessment of gas chromatography time-of-flight accurate mass spectrometry for identification of volatile and semi-volatile compounds in honey

The performance of gas chromatography (GC) combined with a hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) mass spectrometry (MS) system for the determination of volatile and semi-volatile compounds in honey samples is evaluated. After headspace (HS) solid-phase microextraction (SPME) of samples, the accurate mass capabilities of the above system were evaluated for compounds identification. Accurate scan electron impact (EI) MS spectra allowed discriminating compounds displaying the same nominal masses, but having different empirical formulae. Moreover, the use of a mass window with a width of 0.005 Da provided highly specific chromatograms for selected ions, avoiding the contribution of interferences to their peak areas. Additional information derived from positive chemical ionization (PCI) MS spectra and ion product scan MS/MS spectra permitted confirming the identity of novel compounds. The above possibilities are illustrated with examples of honey aroma compounds, belonging to different chemical classes and containing different elements in their molecules. Examples of compounds whose structures could not be described are also provided. Overall, 84 compounds, from a total of 89 species, could be identified in 19 honey samples from 3 different geographic areas in the world. The suitability of responses measured for selected ions, corresponding to above species, for authentication purposes is assessed through principal components analysis.

Screening and quantification of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables making use of gas chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization

An atmospheric pressure chemical ionization source has been used to enhance the potential of gas chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) mass spectrometry (MS) for screening and quantification purposes in pesticide residue analysis. A screening method developed in our laboratory for around 130 pesticides has been applied to fruit and vegetable samples, including strawberries, oranges, apples, carrots, lettuces, courgettes, red peppers, and tomatoes. Samples were analyzed together with quality control samples (at 0.05 mg/kg) for each matrix and for matrix-matched calibration standards. The screening strategy consisted in first rapid searching and detection, and then a refined identification step using the QTOF capabilities (MS(E) and accurate mass). Identification was based on the presence of one characteristic m/z ion (Q) obtained with the low collision energy function and at least one fragment ion (q) obtained with the high collision energy function, both with mass errors of less than 5 ppm, and an ion intensity ratio (q/Q) within the tolerances permitted. Following this strategy, 15 of 130 pesticides were identified in the samples. Afterwards, the quantitation capabilities were tested by performing a quantitative validation for those pesticides detected in the samples. To this aim, five matrices were selected (orange, apple, tomato, lettuce, and carrot) and spiked at two concentrations (0.01 and 0.1 mg/kg), and quantification was done using matrix-matched calibration standards (relative responses versus triphenyl phosphate used as an internal standard). Acceptable average recoveries and relative standard deviations were obtained for many but not all pesticide-matrix combinations. These figures allowed us to perform a retrospective quantification of positives found in the screening without the need for additional analysis. Taking advantage of the accurate-mass full-spectrum data provided by QTOF MS, we searched for a higher number of compounds (up to 416 pesticides) in a second stage by performing extra data processing without any new sample injection. Several more pesticides were detected, confirmed, and/or tentatively identified when the reference standard was unavailable, illustrating in this way the potential of gas chromatography-QTOF MS to detect pesticides in addition to the ones targeted in quantitative analysis of pesticides in food matrices.

Use of electron ionization and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization in gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry for screening and identification of organic pollutants in waters

A new approach has been developed for multiclass screening of organic contaminants in water based on the use of gas chromatography coupled to hybrid quadrupole high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (GC-(APCI)QTOF MS). The soft ionization promoted by the APCI source allows effective and wide-scope screening based on the investigation of the molecular ion and/or protonated molecule. This is in contrast to electron ionization (EI) where ionization typically results in extensive fragmentation, and diagnostic ions and/or spectra need to be known a priori to facilitate detection of the analytes in the raw data. Around 170 organic contaminants from different chemical families were initially investigated by both approaches, i.e. GC-(EI)TOF and GC-(APCI)QTOF, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and a notable number of pesticides and relevant metabolites. The new GC-(APCI)QTOF MS approach easily allowed widening the number of compounds investigated (85 additional compounds), with more pesticides, personal care products (UV filters, musks), polychloronaphthalenes (PCNs), antimicrobials, insect repellents, etc., most of them considered as emerging contaminants. Both GC-(EI)TOF and GC-(APCI)QTOF methodologies have been applied, evaluating their potential for a wide-scope screening in the environmental field.

Improvements on bar adsorptive microextraction (BAμE) technique--application for the determination of insecticide repellents in environmental water matrices

Bar adsorptive microextraction combined with micro-liquid desorption followed by large volume injection-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry operating in the selected-ion monitoring acquisition mode (BAµE-µLD/LVI-GC-MS(SIM)), is proposed for the determination of trace levels of three insecticide repellents (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET), cis and trans permethrin (PERM)) in environmental water matrices. By comparing different sorbent coatings (five activated carbons and six polymers) through BAµE, an activated carbon (AC2) proved to be the best compromise between selectivity and efficiency, even against polydimethylsiloxane through stir bar sorptive extraction. The novel improvement proposed on the back-extraction stage performed in a single step, by reducing the desorption solvent volume at the microliter level, demonstrated remarkable performance turning possible to save time, making easier the practical manipulation and more environmentally friendly. Assays performed by BAµE(AC2)-µLD/LVI-GC-MS(SIM) on 25 mL of ultrapure water samples spiked at the 1.0 μg/L level, yielded recoveries ranging from 73.8±8.8% (trans-PERM) to 96.4±9.9% (DEET), under optimised experimental conditions. The analytical performance showed convenient detection limits (8-20 ng/L) and good linear dynamic ranges (0.04-4.0 µg/L) with suitable determination coefficients (r(2)>0.9963, DEET). Excellent repeatability were also achieved through intraday (RSD<14.9%) and interday (RSD<11.9%) experiments. The novel improvement on downsizing the BAµE device to half-size proved to be either a promising option in forthcoming to reduce still more the desorption solvent volume without losing microextraction efficiency. By using the standard addition methodology, the application of the present analytical approach on tap, ground, river, swimming-pool and estuary water samples revealed good sensitivity at trace level and absence of matrix effects.

Application of a developed method for the extraction of triazines in surface waters and storage prior to analysis to seawaters of Galicia (northwest Spain)

A simple method based on solid-phase extraction combined with liquid chromatography for simultaneous determination of nine triazine herbicides (ametryn, atrazine, cyanazine, prometryn, propazine, simazine, simetryn, terbuthylazine, and terbutryn) in surface water samples was developed and validated. Under optimized conditions, 50 mL of water sample was pumped through the Oasis HLB cartridge, and triazines were eluted with 3 mL acetone. Finally the extract was concentrated to dryness, reconstituted with 1 mL methanol : water (1 : 1) and injected into the HPLC-DAD system. The stability of the herbicides on the cartridges at −18 and 4°C was also evaluated, and the recoveries obtained after three weeks of storage were satisfactory for all compounds. The analytical features of the proposed method were satisfactory: repeatability and intermediate precision were <10% and recoveries in spiked river water and seawater samples were higher than 93% for all compounds studied. Limits of quantification (varied from 0.46 to 0.98 µg L⁻¹) were adequately allowing the determination of these compounds at the levels requested by the 2008/105/EC Directive. Finally, this method was applied to the analysis of 50 seawater samples from Galicia (northwest Spain).

Improvements in the analytical methodology for the residue determination of the herbicide glyphosate in soils by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry

The determination of glyphosate (GLY) in soils is of great interest due to the widespread use of this herbicide and the need of assessing its impact on the soil/water environment. However, its residue determination is very problematic especially in soils with high organic matter content, where strong interferences are normally observed, and because of the particular physico-chemical characteristics of this polar/ionic herbicide. In the present work, we have improved previous LC-MS/MS analytical methodology reported for GLY and its main metabolite AMPA in order to be applied to "difficult" soils, like those commonly found in South-America, where this herbicide is extensively used in large areas devoted to soya or maize, among other crops. The method is based on derivatization with FMOC followed by LC-MS/MS analysis, using triple quadrupole. After extraction with potassium hydroxide, a combination of extract dilution, adjustment to appropriate pH, and solid phase extraction (SPE) clean-up was applied to minimize the strong interferences observed. Despite the clean-up performed, the use of isotope labelled glyphosate as internal standard (ILIS) was necessary for the correction of matrix effects and to compensate for any error occurring during sample processing. The analytical methodology was satisfactorily validated in four soils from Colombia and Argentina fortified at 0.5 and 5mg/kg. In contrast to most LC-MS/MS methods, where the acquisition of two transitions is recommended, monitoring all available transitions was required for confirmation of positive samples, as some of them were interfered by unknown soil components. This was observed not only for GLY and AMPA but also for the ILIS. Analysis by QTOF MS was useful to confirm the presence of interferent compounds that shared the same nominal mass of analytes as well as some of their main product ions. Therefore, the selection of specific transitions was crucial to avoid interferences. The methodology developed was applied to the analysis of 26 soils from different areas of Colombia and Argentina, and the method robustness was demonstrated by analysis of quality control samples along 4 months.

Identification of organic xenobiotics in urban aquatic environments using time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Qualitative non-target and post-target analysis methods using gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry were applied for analysing neutral and acidic organic xenobiotics in urban and suburban water samples. Ten water samples representing wastewater, stormwater and surface water matrices were collected and concentrated using solid phase extraction. Compound identification was performed using a spectral deconvolution program, accurate mass measurements and comparisons with library spectra. The non-target and post-target analyses identified 36 and 18 compounds, respectively. The identification of 10 compounds was afterwards confirmed with standard compounds. Organophosphate esters were the most abundant compound group detected. The combination of non-target and post-target analyses proved a useful tool in the tentative identification of xenobiotics in water samples. Post-target analysis can complement non-target analysis results at low analyte concentrations. Results showed that several organic xenobiotics originate in urban areas and accumulate in the environment. The wastewater sample produced the highest number of identified compounds, but most of these compounds were also found in stormwater samples from the city centre. Nearly all the compounds present in wastewater were additionally detected in the surface water sample taken 3 km downstream from the wastewater effluent discharge point. Only a few xenobiotics were otherwise detected in the surface water samples.

Use of time-of-flight mass spectrometry for large screening of organic pollutants in surface waters and soils from a rice production area in Colombia

The irrigate district of Usosaldaña, an important agricultural area in Colombia mainly devoted to rice crop production, is subjected to an intensive use of pesticides. Monitoring these compounds is necessary to know the impact of phytosanitary products in the different environmental compartments. In this work, surface water and soil samples from different sites of this area have been analyzed by applying an analytical methodology for large screening based on the use of time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF MS) hyphenated to liquid chromatography (LC) and gas chromatography (GC). Several pesticides were detected and unequivocally identified, such as the herbicides atrazine, diuron or clomazone. Some of their main metabolites and/or transformation products (TPs) like deethylatrazine (DEA), deisopropylatrazine (DIA) and 3,4-dichloroaniline were also identified in the samples. Among fungicides, carbendazim, azoxystrobin, propiconazole and epoxiconazole were the most frequently detected. Insecticides such as thiacloprid, or p,p'-DDT metabolites (p,p'-DDD and p,p'-DDE) were also found. Thanks to the accurate-mass full-spectrum acquisition in TOF MS it was feasible to widen the number of compounds to be investigated to other families of contaminants. This allowed the detection of emerging contaminants, such as the antioxidant 3,5-di-tertbutyl-4-hydroxy-toluene (BHT), its metabolite 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxy-benzaldehyde (BHT-CHO), or the solar filter benzophenone, among others.

Comparison of the selectivity of different sorbent phases for bar adsorptive microextraction--application to trace level analysis of fungicides in real matrices

Bar adsorptive micro-extraction combined with liquid desorption followed by large volume injection-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry operating in the selected-ion monitoring acquisition mode (BAμE-LD/LVI-GC-MS(SIM)) was developed for the determination of trace levels of ten fungicides (azoxystrobin, difenoconazole, metalaxyl-M, myclobutanil, penconazole, tebuconazole, flusilazole, cyprodinil, procymidone and benalaxyl) in aqueous matrices. By comparing different sorbent coatings (two activated carbons, two styrene-divinylbenzene and one modified pyrrolidone polymers) through BAμE, the latter phase showed much higher selectivity and capacity offering multiple mechanisms of interaction, even against polydimethylsiloxane by stir bar sorptive extraction. Assays performed on 25 mL of water samples spiked at the 0.8 μg/L level, yielded recoveries ranging from 100.0 to 107.8%, under optimized experimental conditions; BAμE(modified pyrrolidone) - equilibrium time: 4h (1000 rpm), pH 5.5; LD - solvent:methanol/acetonitrile (1/1), 15 min with sonification. The analytical performance showed convenient detection limits (4.0-30.0 ng/L) and excellent linear dynamic ranges (0.04-1.60 μg/L) with remarkable correlation coefficients (r(2)>0.9980). Excellent repeatability was also achieved through intraday (RSD<13.7%) and interday (RSD<9.9%) assays. By using the standard addition methodology, the application of the present analytical approach on tap and ground water, as well as, wine samples revealed good sensitivity and absence of matrix effects. The proposed method operating under floating sampling technology proved to be a suitable sorption-based static microextraction alternative to monitor fungicides in real matrices, showing to be easy to implement, reliable, sensitive, requiring low sample volume and the possibility to choose the most selective sorbent coating according to the targets of interest.

Characterization of the organic contamination pattern of a hyper-saline ecosystem by rapid screening using gas chromatography coupled to high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry

In this paper, gas chromatography coupled to high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF MS) has been applied to evaluate organic pollution in a hyper-saline aquatic environment. Firstly, a target screening was made for a list of 150 GC-amenable organic micro-contaminants, including PAHs, octyl/nonyl phenols, PCBs, PBDEs, and a notable number of pesticides, such us insecticides (organochlorines, organophosphorus, carbamates and pyrethroids), herbicides (triazines and chloroacetanilides), fungicides and several transformation products. This methodology was applied to brine samples, with a salt content from 112 g/L to saturation, and to samples from Artemia populations (crustacean Anostraca) collected during 1 year from three sampling stations in saltworks bodies sited in the Ebro river delta. Around 50 target contaminants, belong to chemical families included in the list of priority substances within the framework on European water policy. Additionally, a non-target analysis was performed in both types of samples with the objective of investigating the presence of other non-selected organic compounds taking advantage of the potential of GC-TOF MS (high sensitivity in full-spectrum acquisition mode, accurate mass measurements) for searching unknowns. Organophosphorus pesticides were the contaminants more frequently detected in brine samples. Other compounds usually present in urban and industrial wastewaters, like caffeine, methylparaben, butylated-hydroxytoluene and N-butylbenzenesulfonamide were also detected in brines. The herbicide simazine and the insecticide chlorpyrifos were among the contaminants detected in Artemia samples. Results of this work reveal a potential threat to vulnerable populations inhabiting the hyper-saline ecosystem. The valuable contribution of GC-TOF MS in environmental analysis, allowing the rapid screening of a large number of organic contaminants, is also demonstrated in this paper.

The power of hyphenated chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry in public health laboratories

Laboratories devoted to the public health field have to face the analysis of a large number of organic contaminants/residues in many different types of samples. Analytical techniques applied in this field are normally focused on quantification of a limited number of analytes. At present, most of these techniques are based on gas chromatography (GC) or liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Using these techniques only analyte-specific information is acquired, and many other compounds that might be present in the samples would be ignored. In this paper, we explore the potential of time-of-flight (TOF) MS hyphenated to GC or LC to provide additional information, highly useful in this field. Thus, all positives reported by standard reference targeted LC-MS/MS methods were unequivocally confirmed by LC-QTOF MS. Only 61% of positives reported by targeted GC-MS/MS could be confirmed by GC-TOF MS, which was due to its lower sensitivity as nonconfirmations corresponded to analytes that were present at very low concentrations. In addition, the use of TOF MS allowed searching for additional compounds in large-scope screening methodologies. In this way, different contaminants/residues not included in either LC or GC tandem MS analyses were detected. This was the case of the insecticide thiacloprid, the plant growth regulator paclobutrazol, the fungicide prochloraz, or the UV filter benzophenone, among others. Finally, elucidation of unknowns was another of the possibilities offered by TOF MS thanks to the accurate-mass full-acquisition data available when using this technique.

Spatio-temporal evaluation of organic contaminants and their transformation products along a river basin affected by urban, agricultural and industrial pollution

This study aims to assess the occurrence, fate and temporal and spatial distribution of anthropogenic contaminants in a river subjected to different pressures (industrial, agricultural, wastewater discharges). For this purpose, the Henares River basin (central Spain) can be considered a representative basin within a continental Mediterranean climate. As the studied river runs through several residential, industrial and agricultural areas, it would be expected that the chemical water quality is modified along its course. Thereby the selection of sampling points and timing of sample collection are critical factors in the monitoring of a river basin. In this study, six different monitoring campaigns were performed in 2010 and contaminants were measured at the effluent point of the main wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in the river basin and at five different points upstream and downstream from the WWTP emission point. The target compounds evaluated were personal care products (PCPs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and pesticides. Results show that the river is clearly influenced by wastewater discharges and also by its proximity to agricultural areas. The contaminants detected at higher concentrations were the PCPs. The spatial distribution of the contaminants indicates that the studied contaminants persist along the river. In the time period studied no great seasonal variations of PCPs at the river collection points were observed. In contrast, a temporal trend of pesticides and PAHs was observed. Besides the target compounds, other new contaminants were identified and evaluated in the water samples, some of them being investigated for the first time in the aquatic environment. The behaviour of three important transformation products was also evaluated: 9,10-anthracenodione, galaxolide-lactone and 4-amino-musk xylene. These were found at higher concentrations than their parent compounds, indicating the significance of including the study of transformation products in the monitoring programmes.