title: Ultra-trace determination of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Arctic ice using stir bar sorptive extraction and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry.
abstract: This study presents the optimization and application of an analytical method based on the use of stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for the ultra-trace analysis of POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants) in Arctic ice. In a first step, the mass-spectrometry conditions were optimized to quantify 48 compounds (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, brominated diphenyl ethers, chlorinated biphenyls, and organochlorinated pesticides) at the low pg/L level. In a second step, the performance of this analytical method was evaluated to determine POPs in Arctic cores collected during an oceanographic campaign. Using a calibration range from 1 to 1800 pg/L and by adjusting acquisition parameters, limits of detection at the 0.1-99 and 102-891 pg/L for organohalogenated compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, respectively, were obtained by extracting 200 mL of unfiltered ice water. alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane, DDTs, chlorinated biphenyl congeners 28, 101 and 118 and brominated diphenyl ethers congeners 47 and 99 were detected in ice cores at levels between 0.5 to 258 pg/L. We emphasise the advantages and disadvantages of in situ SBSE in comparison with traditional extraction techniques used to analyze POPs in ice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. slbqam@cid.csic.es
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lacorte
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Quintana
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tauler
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ventura
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tovar-Sánchez
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Duarte
mesh_terms: D001110:Arctic Regions; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D007053:Ice / Q000032:analysis*; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis*; D052616:Solid Phase Extraction / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D007053:Ice; D009930:Organic Chemicals