Determination of Ten Haloacetic Acids in Drinking Water Using High-Performance and Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Haloacetic acids (HAAs) are a class of byproducts resulting from the reaction of chlorinated disinfectants with natural organic matter. These chemicals have been found in animal studies to possibly influence hepatic, reproductive, and developmental functions, and they may be mutagenic and carcinogenic. Because HAAs are hydrophilic and strongly acidic, it is a challenge to measure them at low levels. In this study, nine traditional HAAs and monoiodoacetic acid, an emerging disinfection byproduct, are analyzed in water directly. HAAs were separated on a BetaMax Acid column or a HILIC UPLC column, and they were detected by negative electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. Although the on-column limits of detection of HAAs were lower when using an HILIC UPLC column (0.08-2.73 microg/L) than when using a BetaMax Acid column (0.18 to 71.5 microg/L), to use an HILIC UPLC column, it was required to dissolve water samples in 90% acetonitrile before injection and result in sample dilution. BetaMax Acid column was found to be more suitable for the analysis of HAAs in drinking water because there was no need of sample preparation. Major species of HAAs, such as dichloroacetic acid and trichloroacetic acid, and other primary species (e.g., dibromoacetic acid, bromochloroacetic acid and bromodichloroacetic acid) can be detected using the BetaMax Acid column at concentrations higher than 1-3 microg/L.