title: Performance evaluation of a rapid-scanning quadrupole mass spectrometer in the comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography analysis of pesticides in water.
abstract: The performance of a novel rapid-scanning (20,000 amu/s) quadrupole mass spectrometer (qMS) has been evaluated in the comprehensive 2-D gas chromatography (GC×GC) analysis of pesticides contained in water. Analyte extraction was performed by using direct solid-phase microextraction (SPME). The MS system was operated using a rather wide m/z 50-450 mass range and a 33 Hz spectral production rate, a frequency which was found sufficient for reliable quantification. The qMS performance was evaluated considering: (i) number of data points per peak, (ii) mass spectral quality, (iii) extent of peak skewing, and (iv) consistency of retention times. Seven-point calibration curves (external calibration) were constructed for 28 pesticides over the limit of quantification range of 100 μg/L (1, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 μg/L). The solid-phase microextraction-GC×GC-qMS method was validated by calculating limits of detection and quantification, intraday peak area precision, accuracy, and intraday retention-time precision. A series of tap water samples were subjected to analysis, fortunately giving negative results.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Farmaco-chimico, Facoltà di Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Purcaro
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Quinto Tranchida
authors.forename: Lanfranco
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Obiedzińska
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dugo
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dugo
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mondello
mesh_terms: D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010575:Pesticides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical