Pyrolysis mass spectrometry for distinguishing potential hoax materials from bioterror agents

Pyrolysis mass spectrometry (PyMS) was investigated as a rapid tool to distinguish potential bioterror hoax materials from samples containing pathogenic bacteria. A pyrolysis time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer equipped with an alternative ionization technique, metastable atom bombardment (MAB), was used to produce sample spectra. These spectra were analyzed by principal component and discriminant analysis for pattern recognition. Materials investigated were two strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, one of which produced the tdh toxin, two Salmonella enterica serotypes, a biological mosquito control product containing spores of Bacillus thuringiensis, and several white to off-white powders (which could be used as hoax materials), such as flour, corn starch, methyl cellulose, and xanthan gum. PyMS distinguished bacterial samples from hoax materials. Furthermore, pattern analysis differentiated Vibrios from Salmonellae, Salmonella enterica Anatum from S. enterica Heidelberg, and the two V. parahaemolyticus strains from each other. The B. thuringiensis mixture was distinguished from other bacteria and powders, suggesting that PyMS with pattern recognition may differentiate samples containing pathogens, including Bacillus spp., from nonbiological agents and that it can be a rapid method for detection of bacteria. MS data acquisition took only 7 min for each sample.