Electrothermal Vaporization Sample Introduction for Spaceflight Water Quality Monitoring via Gas Chromatography-Differential Mobility Spectrometry

In the history of manned spaceflight, environmental monitoring has relied heavily on archival sampling. However, with the construction of the International Space Station (ISS) and the subsequent extension in mission duration up to one year, an enhanced, real-time method for environmental monitoring is necessary. The station air is currently monitored for trace volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using gas chromatography-differential mobility spectrometry (GC-DMS) via the Air Quality Monitor (AQM), while water is analyzed to measure total organic carbon and biocide concentrations using the Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) and the Colorimetric Water Quality Monitoring Kit (CWQMK), respectively. As mission scenarios extend beyond low Earth orbit, a convergence in analytical instrumentation to analyze both air and water samples is highly desirable. Since the AQM currently provides quantitative, compound-specific information for air samples and many of the targets in air are also common to water, this platform is a logical starting point for developing a multimatrix monitor. Here, we report on the interfacing of an electrothermal vaporization (ETV) sample introduction unit with a ground-based AQM for monitoring target analytes in water. The results show that each of the compounds tested from water have similar GC-DMS parameters as the compounds tested in air. Moreover, the ETV enabled AQM detection of dimethlsilanediol (DMSD), a compound whose analysis had proven challenging using other sample introduction methods. Analysis of authentic ISS water samples using the ETV-AQM showed that DMSD could be successfully quantified, while the concentrations obtained for the other compounds also agreed well with laboratory results.