Analysis of chlorothalonil by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry using negative-ion atmospheric pressure photoionization.

A highly sensitive and simple method for the analysis of chlorothalonil was presented using a liquid chromatograph/mass spectrometer equipped with an atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) source. Chlorothalonil is one of the most extensively used fungicides. The major degraded product of chlorothalonil, 4-hydroxy-2,5,6-trichloroisonaphthonitrile (4OH-TPN), was also quantified with sensitivity similar to that of chlorothalonil. The method was applied to the determination of chlorothalonil in aqueous environment and food samples. The method detection limits (MDLs) of chlorothalonil for aqueous samples and cucumber were determined to be 0.18 and 3.2 ng g(-1), respectively. At several estuarial locations, chlorothalonil was detected with a maximum of 1.1 ng L(-1). On the other hand, 4OH-TPN was detected not from estuaries but from rivers with a maximum of 14 ng L(-1).

Steroid hormone profiles of urban and tidal rivers using LC/MS/MS equipped with electrospray ionization and atmospheric pressure photoionization sources.

A highly sensitive and uncomplicated method of analyzing steroidal hormones in river and estuarine water samples was developed using a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometer equipped with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source and atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) source. Steroidal hormones included not only estrogen but also androgen and conjugates of these two. APPI displayed greater sensitivity than ESI for most of the unconjugated steroids examined, with very high sensitivity for testosterone and 4-androstene-3,17-dione in particular. For conjugated hormones, in contrast, ESI was more effective. The method developed was applied to the determination of hormones in the rivers of Osaka City and their estuaries, where the hormones detected were affected by the effluent from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and hormone concentration values were comparable to those reported in previous studies of such effluent. Because of the two-way flow and stagnancy of streams and watercourses, continuous input of steroidal hormones from WWTPs seems to bring about local accumulation. Levels of androgen were 1 order of magnitude lower than those of estrogen. Estrone, estrone 3-sulfate, and 4-androstene-3,17-dione were detected in almost all water samples, with maxima of 51, 5.1, and 6.4 ng L(-1), respectively.

Development of a comprehensive analytical method for phosphate metabolites in plants by ion chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry.

This paper describes the development of a practical method for the analysis of phosphorus compounds with a focus on sugar phosphates from the model higher plant Arabidopsis thaliana by ion chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (IC-ESI-MS-MS). After the analytical separation, the potassium hydroxide eluent was converted to water with an anion suppressor allowing the effluent from the IC to be connected to the mass spectrometer directly. In the optimized method, 17 phosphorous compounds (adenosine diphosphate (ADP), fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, fructose 2,6-bisphosphate, fructose 6-phosphate, galactose 1-phosphate, glucose 1-phosphate, glucose 1,6-bisphosphate, glucose 6-phosphate, mannose 6-phosphate, phosphoenol pyrvate, 3-phosphoglyceric acid, ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate, ribulose 5-phosphate, ribose 5-phosphate, sucrose 6-phosophate and uridine 5'-diphosphate-glucose (UDPG)) were determined. The linearity of response for these phosphorous compounds over the concentration range of 0 and 10 microM was better than 0.9993 in all cases. The minimum detection limit was between 0.01 and 2.50 microM for a 25 microL injection, and recovery rates for standard addition to the sample were within the range from 93% to 110%.

Simultaneous determination of 2-phenylbenzotriazole-type mutagens, PBTA-1 through -8, in river water by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

We describe a method for the simultaneous determination of eight kinds of phenylbenzotriazole-type mutagens (PBTA-1, -2, -3, -4, -5, -6, -7 and -8) in river water based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). The application of dopant-assisted atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) for the detection of the PBTAs was studied. The APPI technique provided higher PBTA signal intensities than those obtained with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source, and the APPI method was used for the determination of the PBTAs. A solid-phase extraction procedure was used for the extractions of PBTA-1 through -8 from river water. The procedure was rapid and the relative standard deviations were below 15%. The detection limits of PBTA-1 through -8 in river water using the proposed method were found to range from 0.04 to 0.5 ng L(-1) and PBTAs were successfully detected in river water at sub-ng L(-1) levels.

Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediment by liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure photoionization-mass spectrometry.

We describe a method for the simultaneous determination of 12 kinds of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediment based on liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure photoionization-mass spectrometry (LC/APPI/MS). The method consists of PAH extractions by ultrasonics, clean-up by a solid-phase extraction procedure and determination by LC/APPI/MS. The limits of the determination for PAHs in sediment using the proposed method ranged from 0.06 to 0.9 mg/kg. PAHs were detected by this method in sediment samples on the mg/kg level.