Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry: The Transformation of Modern Environmental Analyses

Abstract

Unknown compounds in environmental samples are difficult to identify using standard mass spectrometric methods. Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS) has revolutionized how environmental analyses are performed. With its unsurpassed mass accuracy, high resolution and sensitivity, researchers now have a tool for difficult and complex environmental analyses. Two features of FTMS are responsible for changing the face of how complex analyses are accomplished. First is the ability to quickly and with high mass accuracy determine the presence of unknown chemical residues in samples. For years, the field has been limited by mass spectrometric methods that were based on knowing what compounds of interest were. Secondly, by utilizing the high resolution capabilities coupled with the low detection limits of FTMS, analysts also could dilute the sample sufficiently to minimize the ionization changes from varied matrices.

Desorption ionization using through‐hole alumina membrane offers higher reproducibility than 2,5‐dihydroxybenzoic acid, a widely used matrix in Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry imaging analysis

“…High mass accuracy acts as a powerful "filter" that significantly limits the number of possible molecular formulae. 19,20 Therefore, high reproducibility of accurate mass measurements is essential for characterizing small molecules. 21,22 Fourier transform MS or Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) MS facilitates the highest mass accuracy and resolving power among all the most frequently used MS techniques over a broad m/z range.…”

“…High mass accuracy acts as a powerful “filter” that significantly limits the number of possible molecular formulae 19,20 . Therefore, high reproducibility of accurate mass measurements is essential for characterizing small molecules 21,22 .…”

ftmsRanalysis: An R package for exploratory data analysis and interactive visualization of FT-MS data

“…Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FT-MS) analysis has become the preferred measurement platform for complex organic mixtures due to the high-resolution and mass accuracy that can be achieved [1][2][3]. The increasing use of FT-MS analysis resulted in over 240 publications last year in American Chemical Society journals alone, and FT-MS analyses have been used to examine a wide range of complex mixtures, including soils [4][5][6][7], plants [8], aquatic samples [9][10][11], petroleum [12] and various beverages [13][14][15].…”

High-Resolution MS and MSn Investigation of UV Oxidation Products of Phenazone-type Pharmaceuticals and Metabolites

“…This additional dimension of complexity brought to a field that was already complexseveral thousands of different pharmaceutical molecules are sold in Europehas been tackled by the tremendous improvement of analytical hardware and methods. The use of liquid chromatography (LC) in combination with high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS), such as time-of-flight (TOF) or Orbitrap MS, is becoming more and more important in environmental analysis [11]. It allows screening complicated matrices for low amounts of compounds as well as identifying unknown compounds such as degradation and transformation products [6,12,13].…”

“…Environmental contamination by pyrazolone compounds has been widely reported [11,[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23], since phenazone and propyphenazone do not adsorb onto sludge [24]. In terms of quantities, the main transformation products acetamidoantipyrine (AAA) and formyl aminoantipyrine (FAA) are typically reported in the µg/L range in wastewater treatment effluents [25].…”