Ion-exchange electrospray ionization liquid chromatography mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry of alkanolamines in wetland vegetation exposed to sour-gas contaminated groundwater

Abstract

Electrospray ionization with ion-exchange liquid chromatography mass spectrometry was used for the determination of selected alkanolamines in wetland vegetation exposed to sour-gas contaminated groundwater. Analytes were determined using filtered water extracts of the vegetation with no further cleanup, preconcentration or derivatization steps. Quantification was performed using either selected ion monitoring of the protonated molecular ions (MH+) or the loss of water transition in product ion scans. Confirmations were based on comparison of the respective product ion scans with authentic standards. Instrumental detection limits were attainable in the picogram range (20–40 pg) for diisopropanolamine (DIPA), monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, methyldiethanolamine and triethanolamine. Successful application of the procedure is demonstrated for the determination of DIPA in over 50 samples, collected from a sour-gas contaminated wetland and a control site. For roots, shoots, berries, seeds, grasses and leaves, the recovery was 90 ± 25 % relative standard deviation (RSD) with a detection limit of 20 ng/g. In general, the technique was rugged (based on a study period of 18 months in which over 175 runs were conducted), relatively fast (∼25 min per sample for a batch of 10 samples) and gave detection limits a factor of 5 lower than a conventional ion chromatography method. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.