Analytical Sciences


Abstract − Analytical Sciences, 20(10), 1459 (2004).

Analysis of Aliphatic and Aromatic Carbonyl Compounds in Ambient Air by LC/MS/MS
Michiko UEBORI and Kiyoshi IMAMURA
Environmental Pollution Control Center, Osaka Prefecture, 1-3-62 Nakamichi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka 537-0025, Japan
A sensitive liquid chromatograph/tandem mass spectrometric technique (LC/MS/MS) was applied to determine aliphatic and aromatic carbonyl compounds in ambient air. Traces of the carbonyl compounds were sampled by passing through a Sep-Pak® DNPH-silica cartridge. Their derivatives were thus eluted with acetonitrile, separated by reversed-phase liquid chromatography and determined by quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry in an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) mode with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). The detection limits (DL) of the carbonyl compounds were 0.8 - 15 ng/m3. A number of the carbonyl compounds were detected at n.d. - 14 µg/m3 levels. The precursor ion scanning analysis was applied to identify the unknown compounds.