You are here:
ENVIRONMENTAL MASS SPECTROMETRY
Citation:
Richardson, S D. ENVIRONMENTAL MASS SPECTROMETRY. Analytical Chemistry 72(18):4477-4496, (2000).
Impact/Purpose:
(1) Use toxicity-based approach to identify DBPs that show the greatest toxic response. (2) Comprehensively identify DBPs formed by different disinfectant regimes for the 'Four Lab Study'. (3) Determine the mechanisms of formation for potentially hazardous bromonitromethane DBPs.
Description:
In many ways, environmental chemistry would appear to be a mature field, in that many of the same types of chemicals and pollutants continue to be of interest. Those most commonly measured include pesticides, surfactants, textile dyes, chlorinated alkanes, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), dioxins, nutrients, heavy metals, and other toxic inorganics, such as arsenic species. Although these types of chemicals have held the interest of the environmental community for several years, the types of methods and measurements have advanced. Improved low- or no-solvent extraction techniques, such as solid-phase microextraction (SPME), have become more important as researchers and regulators seek environmentally friendly and more rapid methods. There has also been an increase in the use of on-line separation techniques with mass spectrometry, including liquid chromatography (LC)/MS, supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC)/MS, ion chromatography (IC)/inductively coupled plasma (ICP)-MS, IC/electrospray ionization (ESI)-MS, capillary electrophoresis (CE)/MS, and CE/ICP-MS. ESI-MS and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI)-MS have also been extremely beneficial for the measurement of highly polar pesticides, such as diquat and paraquat. Before the advent of LC/MS techniques, these types of polar compounds were difficult, and sometimes impossible, to measure. Now, they can be measured at very low detection levels. ESI-MS has also enabled the identification of DNA and protein adducts, and other biomarkers of human exposure to chemical pollutants, which has enabled researchers to begin to understand some of the mechanisms involved in the toxicity of the pollutants. In addition, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI)-MS and ESI-MS have enabled pathogenic microorganisms to be measured and identified. This is an important advance because pathogenic microorganisms have entered drinking water supplies and have caused several outbreaks of illness in recent years. Toxin-producing microorganisms have also adversely impacted ecosystems and have been responsible for illness in swimmers. There is also increased field-portable/mobile mass spectrometry instrumentation, which allows samples to be analyzed quickly at the site of contamination, enabling more thorough site characterizations and enabling environmental processes to be studied in real-time. Therefore, although many of the environmental pollutants of interest have not changed much through the years, the type and amount of information that can be obtained has changed and is enabling a better understanding of environmental processes.