Simultaneous determination of trace oxyhalides and haloacetic acids using suppressed ion chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry

A new analytical procedure for the simultaneous determination of trace oxyhalides and haloacetic acids (HAs) in drinking water and aqueous soil extracts is described. The method uses micro-bore ion chromatography (IC) coupled with suppressed conductivity (SC) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometric detection (ESI-MS). The IC–SC–ESI-MS system included a secondary flow of 100% MeOH, which was added to the column eluate (post-suppressor) and resulted in a significant increase in sensitivity for all analytes. All ESI-MS parameters were optimized for HA analysis and sensitivity quantitatively compared to suppressed conductivity. Full analytical performance characteristics for the developed method are presented for monochloro-, monobromo-, dichloro-, dibromo-, trichloro-, bromochloro, chlorodifluoro-, trifluoro-, dichlorobromo- and dibromochloroacetic acid, as well as the oxyhalides iodate, bromate, chlorate and perchlorate. In the case of the HAs, an optimised 25-fold SPE preconcentration method meant all analytes could be readily detected well below the USEPA 60 μg/L regulatory limit using conductivity and/or ESI-MS. The IC–ESI-MS method was applied to the determination of oxyhalides and HAs in both soil extracts and drinking water samples. Soil samples were extracted using ultra pure water with subsequent determination of perchlorate at 1.68 μg/g of soil. A drinking water sample containing HAs was preconcentrated using LiChrolut EN solid phase extraction cartridges with subsequent sulphate and chloride removal. Total HAs were determined at 13 μg/L.