Analyzing haloacetic acids using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.
Haloacetic acids (HAAs) are a group of disinfection by-products formed in chlorinated water. Due to their potential health effects and widespread occurrences, HAAs are regulated in drinking water in the United States under a promulgated regulation. To better control the formation of HAAs in drinking water, a reliable and accurate analytical method is needed for HAA monitoring. In the present study, a liquid-liquid microextraction, acidic methanol derivatization, and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) detection method was developed for determining HAAs and dalapon in drinking water. The newly developed method is capable of analyzing all nine HAAs and dalapon at microgram/l levels. The method performance, including the method detection limit (MDL) and spiking recovery, was evaluated. In comparison to EPA Method 552.2, which uses gas chromatography/electron capture detection (GC/ECD), this GC/MS method gave cleaner baselines and had few interfering peaks. For each of all nine HAAs and dalapon, the MDL was less than 1 microgram/l and the spiking recovery ranged from 73 to 165%. Using the GC/MS method, the run time could also be significantly reduced without compromising the analytical results. Further study is needed to fine-tune this GC/MS based analytical method, especially in the detection of brominated trihaloacetic acids and monochloroacetic acid.
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Environmental Engineering Program, Penn State Harrisburg, 777 West Harrisburg Pike, Middletown, PA 17057, USA. yxx4@psu.edu
D000085:Acetates / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D006219:Halogens / Q000737:chemistry*; D008722:Methods; D011422:Propionates / Q000032:analysis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis
D000085:Acetates; D006219:Halogens; D011422:Propionates; C004743:dalapon