Abstract
Methane chemical ionization (CI)-selected ion monitoring (SIM) mass spectrometry was used to identify and conclusively distinguish 19 organochlorine pesticides from polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at parts-per-trillion to parts-per-billion levels in environmental water sample extracts with minimal sample cleanup. Two CI-SIM screens were developed. One set of ions scanned specifically for the presence of 4 classes of pesticides: diphenylmethane derivatives, bridged polycyclic chlorinated hydrocarbons, chlorinated benzenes, and acetanilide pesticides. The second set of ions responded exclusively to PCBs with biphenyl moieties containing from 1 to 8 chlorine atoms. Eight commercial Aroclor mixtures were analyzed and distinguished from the pesticide groups. The detection limit for pesticides and PCBs by CI-SIM screening was 0.005 and 0.1 ppb, respectively. CI-SIM can be used as an alternative method for the analysis of biological or environmental samples containing interferences that complicate the detection of PCBs and chlorinated pesticides.
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