Ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry-based analytical methodology for the determination of polychlorinated biphenyls in fish and shellfish. Performance comparison against electron-capture detection and high-resolution mass spectrometry detection.
Optimization of the Varian Saturn 2200 ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry (IT-MS/MS) system and comparison of its data quality with two other detection methods [electron-capture detection (ECD) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS)] was pursued by measuring polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) levels in fish and shellfish samples. IT-MS/MS methodology provided limits of detection (LOD) comparable to those obtained by ECD but superior specificity for the detection of a selected number of 39 PCB native congeners and 9 (13)C-labelled PCB standards. The method detection limits (MDLs) established for IT-MS/MS ranged between 1.0 and 5.0 pg/g on a wet weight basis while those obtained by ECD and HRMS were 1.0-4.0 pg/g and 0.1-2.0 pg/g, respectively. Overall, the results obtained in the study demonstrate that gas chromatography (GC) combined with IT-MS/MS provide higher data quality than those achievable by GC-ECD. For this particular set of target analytes the specificity achievable with IT-MS/MS was comparable to that obtained by HRMS and both techniques provided comparable data in terms of accuracy and precision.
Verenitch
Sergei S
SS
Water and Watershed Research Program, University of Victoria, PO Box 3020 STN CSC, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 3N5, Canada. ssv@uvic.ca
DeBruyn
Adrian M H
AM
Ikonomou
Michael G
MG
Mazumder
Asit
A
D000818:Animals; D005399:Fishes; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D011786:Quality Control; D012015:Reference Standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012758:Shellfish / Q000032:analysis*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*
D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls