title: Determination of tributyltin in marine sediment and waters by pressurised solvent extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.
abstract: In this study, tributyltin (TBT) was extracted from marine sediment matrix with the use of pressurised solvent extraction (PSE), which uses high-temperature and -pressure conditions to increase extraction efficiency. The analyte was chromatographically resolved using a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) system with a pentafluorophenyl (PFP) column and a methanol/aqueous formic acid mobile phase gradient, and was detected by MS/MS as product fragments after collisionally induced dissociation (CID) of the cationic parent molecule. This study represents the first application of PSE extraction combined with LC-MS/MS analysis for the determination of TBT in sediments. The method has been validated according to the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 17025:2001 and affords automated extraction of sediment samples with high-sensitivity analysis. The full method limit of detection was established as 1.25 ng Sn g(-1) with an instrument detection limit of 0.01 ng Sn g(-1). The chromatographic procedure may also be applied for the direct analysis of water matrices without the need for sample manipulation, and therefore represents a combined analytical approach for the monitoring of TBT contamination in marine or estuarine ecosystems.
authors.affiliation: Central Science Laboratory, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 74, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia, D.Nichols@utas.edu.au.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: Timothy B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kerr
mesh_terms: D005591:Chemical Fractionation / Q000379:methods*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D014220:Trialkyltin Compounds / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D014220:Trialkyltin Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C011559:tributyltin