Analysis of organophosphorus flame retardants in environmental and biotic matrices using on-line turbulent flow chromatography-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.
A fast on-line analytical method based on turbulent flow chromatography (TFC) in combination with tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS) has been applied for the analysis of fourteen organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) in sediment and fish samples. Applying this technique, time-consuming sample preparation steps were eliminated. The extraction was performed by ultrasound liquid extraction for biota and by pressurized liquid extraction for sediments. After extraction, environmental and biotic extracts were directly injected to the chromatographic system and analytes were concentrated into the cleanup loading column. Thereafter, analytes were transferred into the analytical column for subsequent detection by MS-MS. Analytical parameters showed acceptable recoveries (between 47 and 112% for sediment, and between 47 and 98% for fish) with very low relative standard deviations (always below 8.8% for sediment, and below 16% for fish). Moreover, mLODs and mLOQs are similar or even lower than those reported in other works using off-line methodologies. mLODs ranged between 0.02 and 1.25ng/g dry weight (dw) and between 0.19 and 19.3ng/g lipid weight (lw) for sediments and fish samples, respectively. The applicability of the developed methodology was demonstrated by the analysis of real samples, corresponding to river sediments as well as river and marine fish samples. OPFRs were detected in all samples, with values up to 549ng/g dw, 15.8ng/g lw and 646ng/g lw for sediment, marine fish and river fish, respectively.
Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Piacenza, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29100 Piacenza, Italy.
Monica
M
Giulivo
Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Piacenza, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29100 Piacenza, Italy.
Ettore
E
Capri
Water and Soil Quality Research Group, Dep. of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: eeeqam@cid.csic.es.
Ethel
E
Eljarrat
Water and Soil Quality Research Group, Dep. of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), H(2)O Building, Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain.
Damià
D
Barceló
D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D005399:Fishes; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D057230:Limit of Detection; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D012015:Reference Standards; D045483:Rivers; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005411:Flame Retardants; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D008055:Lipids; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds
Organophosphorus flame retardants; Plasticizers; Pressurized liquid extraction; TFC-MS-MS; Ultrasound liquid extraction