AWWA WQTC62560

AWWA WQTC62560 Analysis of Less Volatile Compounds Using Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry Coupled with Modified Purge-Trap Technique
Conference Proceeding by American Water Works Association, 11/01/2005

Yoo, Lee J.; Fitzsimmons, Steve; Wehner, Mike

More info

Full Description

The monitoring of volatile and semi-volatile compounds could demand extralaboratory facility, labor, and instrumentations to meet the up-coming State andFederal requirements. The proposed extraction and determination technique is anautomated solvent less extraction and less expensive ion trap mass spectrometry forsub part per trillion level detection of less volatile contaminants found in many urbanwell systems.The future monitoring direction recommended by the environmental agenciesrequires sub part per trillion concentrations of 1,2,3-trichloropropane (1,2,3- TCP),1,2-dibromo-3-chloro-propane (DBCP), 1,2-dibromomethane (EDB), which currentlydetermined by the micro-extraction and an electron capture detector (ECD). Theinterference of chlorinated species including trihalomethanes caused improperidentification and quantitation of sub ppt levels of 1,2, 3-TCP, DBCP and EDB by theconventional gas chromatography detector such as an ECD. Also the purity of theextracting solvent; hexane was the source of contamination for the trace analysis ofthese compounds.Orange County Water District (OCWD) has developed the modified purge-trap andion trap mass spectrometry technique for the analysis of 1,4-dioxane due to theincreased importance of monitoring 1,4-dioxane in the treated wastewater and thegroundwater recharge facilities. The modified purge-trap technique was successfullyapplied to extract the additional compounds and ion trap mass spectrometry wasoptimized to detect sub part per trillion levels of these compounds and 1,4-dioxanesimultaneously.The modified purge-trap and ion trap mass spectrometry could be utilized to improvesensitivity and selectivity of these compounds without any organic solvent involved inthe extraction process. The solvent less and automated purge-trap techniquereduced labor and increased productivity of the sample analysis. Recently, theestablished method provided tremendous productivity to monitor less volatile organiccompounds from the reverse osmosis (RO) and micro-membrane effluent of thesecondary treated wastewater, which could not easily determined by the current US Environmental Protection Agency method 524.2 and 504.1. Includes 12 references, tables,.