Environmental applications of mass spectrometry

Abstract

The 1976 publications reporting organic and spark source mass spectrometric studies on environmental samples were compiled. Emphasis was placed on pollutants identified rather than methods and techniques used, and reports that did not incorporate data obtained by a technique's application were not included. The 349 reports cited vary from those reporting hundreds of identified pollutants to those describing the analysis of only one sample containing one or a few pollutants. The following sample types were not considered to be environment samples: forensic samples, synthetic or 'standards' samples, and samples analyzed for drug residues.

Mass Spectrometry in Environmental Sciences

“…Numerous reviews have been published that included environmental applications of mass spectrometry. Historical examples of reviews include ones by Alford, − Freudenthal, Keith, Safe, and Schulten published in the 1970s and ones by Dougherty, , Cairns et al, , and Bursey and Hass in the early 1980s. These reviews covered general reviews of environmental mass spectrometry applications, field-ionization and field-desorption-MS, NCI-MS, and tandem mass spectrometry 36 and reviews of mass spectrometry applied to specific analytes, such as dioxins, pesticides, and industrial chemicals …”

On the photolysis of selected pesticides in the aquatic environment

“…10 Interestingly to mention that the main photodegradation breakdown product of diuron is monuron, which corresponds to its dechlorination derivative and it is rather common behaviour in photolysis experiments of phenylurea 9 and chlorine-containing pesticides. 24 ' 25 As mentioned previously, in the experimental part analysis have been carried out by direct injections of the different photodegraded solutions onto LC-DA and thermospray LC-MS. The UV spectral information together with the mass spectra allowed the characterization of the different compounds.…”

Analysis of Biological Fluids by Direct Combination of Solid Phase Extraction and Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

“…Semiquantitative methods were developed using mainly mass spectrometric methods with no or minimal chromatographic separation . The area has gotten further momentum from the development of modern HPLC-MS methods utilizing ESI and APCI ionization techniques. − The development of HT bioanalytical methods based on electrophoresis, chromatography, and mass spectrometry was the basis of modern genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics. HT analytical techniques have gained high importance in medical diagnostics and clinical chemistry.…”