Targeted analysis of organic acids with GC-MS/MS: Challenges and prospects

GC-MS/MS combines the superior chromatographic resolution of GC with the specific and sensitive detection of tandem MS. On paper, it is an ideal system for the routine analyses of organic acids, yet very few studies have used and published such methods. This is likely due to several challenges highlighted in this communication. Briefly, the combination of EI ionization with MRM detection provides arguably insufficient specificity when targeting organic acids. Moreover, the narrow peaks generally produced by GC can lead to inaccurate quantification when the mass spectrometer's cycle time is too long. Potential solutions to these problems are discussed.