Rapid determination of ultra-trace levels of atrazine in surface water by on line solid phase extraction coupled with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Abstract

A method for the determination of ultra-trace atrazine in surface water was developed based on on line solid phase extraction-ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (on line SPE-UPLC-MS/MS). The water sample was directly injected into an on line SPE system after filtering using a 0.22 μm filter membrane. An HLB Direct Connect HP column was used for the enrichment and purification of the water sample and eluted using a methanol solution. The analyte was separated on an Acquity BEH 130 column, and then detected by tandem mass spectrometry. The analyte was quantified with external standard method. There was a good linear relationship in the range of 1.0-5000 ng/L. The correlation coefficient (r) was 0.9989. The method detection limit was 0.2 ng/L. The recoveries of atrazine ranged from 83.0% to 105.1%. The relative standard deviation was 1.6%-5.3% (n=7), which met the requirements of trace analysis. The method is sensitive, fast and effective, and it is suitable for the determination of atrazine in surface water. It is important to ensure the safety of the water environment, provide timely pollution information, and effectively respond to environmental emergencies.