A ng/L Level LC-MS Method Using Membrane SPE as Sampling Technology: Determination of Nine Halobenzoquinones in Potable Water

Abstract

A promising method was established for the determination of nine halobenzoquinones (HBQs) in potable water by membrane solid-phase extraction (MSPE) pretreatment and the liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method. A 500 mL water sample was taken for enrichment by the SDB-RPS membrane, which was previously activated by methanol and ultrapure water. The sample was eluted with methanol and re-dissolved with the initial mobile phase after nitrogen blowing. Then, it was detected in negative ion mode using the working curve, and HBQs were quantified by the external standard method. The linearity was satisfactory in the concentration range of 4-1000 ng/L, with correlation coefficients of 0.9963~0.9994. The recoveries were 73.5~126.6% at three spiked levels, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 6.8~15.5%. The limits of detection (LOD, S/N = 3) values were 0.1~0.7 ng/L. The results demonstrate that the MSPE-LC-MS method is reliable, rapid, and sensitive for the simultaneous analysis of nine HBPs in potable water.

Keywords

• membrane solid-phase extraction (MSPE)
• halobenzoquinones (HBQs)
• liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS)
• potable water