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Multi-component analysis of polar water pollutants using sequential solid-phase extraction followed by LC-ESI-MS
Robert Loos1, Georg Hanke, Steven J Eisenreich
1Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Inland and Marine Waters Unit, Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, TP 290, 1-21020 Ispra, Italy. robert.loos@jrc.it
Journal of Environmental Monitoring : JEM
|July 2, 2003
Summary
A new method efficiently screens polar and medium-polar water pollutants using sequential solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. This analysis identified various industrial and urban contaminants in Italian water bodies.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Chemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
- Water Quality Analysis
Background:
- Polar and medium-polar water pollutants pose significant environmental and health risks.
- Existing analytical methods may lack the comprehensive scope for multi-class pollutant detection.
- Effective screening is crucial for monitoring urban and industrial wastewater impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a multi-component screening analysis method for polar to medium-polar water pollutants.
- To assess the effectiveness of sequential solid-phase extraction (SSPE) coupled with LC-ESI-MS for pollutant separation and detection.
- To identify and quantify priority environmental contaminants in wastewater effluents and receiving waters.
Main Methods:
- Developed a sequential solid-phase extraction (SSPE) method using C18 and polymeric sorbents for sample clean-up and group separation.
- Employed liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) with a single-quadrupole instrument for analysis.
- Selected over 90 priority compounds across various chemical classes, including phenols, surfactants, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals.
Main Results:
- The SSPE procedure effectively divided compounds into 3 distinct polarity classes.
- Extraction recoveries for most analytes ranged from 50-100%.
- Analysis of wastewater effluents and receiving waters near Milan, Italy, revealed the presence of phenols, surfactants, dyes, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals, indicating urban and industrial pollution.
Conclusions:
- The developed SSPE-LC-ESI-MS method is effective for the simultaneous screening of a wide range of polar to medium-polar water pollutants.
- The method successfully identified various contaminants, including endocrine disruptors and their metabolites, in real-world water samples.
- This approach provides a valuable tool for environmental monitoring and risk assessment of water quality.