Identification of sulfur mustard in complex environmental samples based on derivatization and LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis

Abstract

A new analytical method to identify sulfur mustard (HD) using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC‒ESI‒MS/MS) after derivatization with diethanolamine was developed. The method has been successfully applied to identify HD spiked into both soil and asphalt extracts containing diesel, which resembles a diesel exhaust environment that may be encountered in battlefield conditions or in terror attacks. The LC-ESI-MS/MS method enables the sensitivity enhancement compared with conventional GC-EI-MS analysis and in addition, identifies HD in a complex hydrocarbon matrix. The calibration curve for the derivatization product was linear in the range of 50–5000 pg/mL with correlation coefficients (R2) greater than 0.99 and a LOI of 50 pg/mL. The recoveries (n = 3) were observed at >90% with soil and asphalt containing ∼10 mg/ml diesel. Thus, this method provides a robust evidence of HD use.