title: Optimization of congener-specific analysis of 40 polybrominated diphenyl ethers by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.
abstract: The analysis by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) of 40 different congeners of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) containing 1-7 bromine atoms is described. Two different MS approaches were used, negative chemical ionization (NCI-MS) and electron ionization (EI-MS). Operating parameters such as electron energy and source temperature were optimized in order to obtain the maximum sensitivity in the EI-MS study. For NCI-MS analyses, the effects of the moderating gas (methane or ammonia), source temperature and system pressure were studied. The quality parameters of the two approaches tested were compared. NCI-MS gave detection limits between 30 fg and 1.72 pg, whereas EI-MS gave detection limits between 0.53 and 32.09 pg. The main advantage of EI-MS is that it provides better structural information. Moreover, the use of EI-MS allowed the use of an isotope dilution method for quantification, making the analysis more reliable at trace levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Chemistry, IIQAB, CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eljarrat
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lacorte
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barceló
mesh_terms: D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D010647:Phenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005411:Flame Retardants; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D010647:Phenyl Ethers