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A method has been developed for the sensitive and rapid analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in environmental samples using liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry as well as the selective atmospheric pressure laser ionization (APLI) process (LC-APLI-MS). Upon analyzing 34 PAHs, the limits of detection of this method were found to range from 0.008 to 1.824 pg (0.024 pg for benzo[ a]pyrene). The method therefore provides 30-fold to 5,400-fold increased sensitivity compared with the established GC-MS technique. This LC-APLI-MS method was optimized for higher molecular weight PAHs (C-C PAHs with 6-8 rings), which are difficult to detect or cannot be detected by GC-MS. Using the LC-APLI-MS method, various 6- to 8-ring PAHs were detected in environmental samples for the first time. After developing the method, it was successfully validated in ruggedness tests. The concentrations determined by the LC-APLI-MS method were in good accord with the certified concentrations in three certified reference materials (contaminated soils and sediments). Upon applying the method to environmental samples, it was found that (1) the presence of dibenzo[ a, i]pyrene and dibenzo[ a, h]pyrene in urban soil samples could only be detected using LC-APLI-MS (i.e., not GC-MS) due to its high sensitivity, (2) a bituminous coal sample yielded 211 tentative peaks from aromatic compounds in the C-C range, and (3) eleven of those compounds occurred in different environmental samples in similar patterns. Hence, 6- to 8-ring PAHs occur in solid environmental samples in which other 6-ring PAHs such as indeno[1,2,3- cd]pyrene or benzo[ ghi]perylene may also be present. Some of these numerous higher molecular weight PAH compounds could have very high carcinogenic potential, which will need to be elucidated to ensure the reliability of PAH risk assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A laser-based ionization source for the direct analysis of liquid samples in ion mobility (IM) spectrometry is presented and characterized. Ionization of aromatic substances in liquids is achieved, analogous to atmospheric pressure laser ionization (APLI) in mass spectrometry, by vaporizing the liquid and subsequently ionizing the aromatic substances by resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI). The effects of parameters, such as composition and flow rate of the solvent as well as laser wavelength and pulse energy, are systematically investigated. The characterization of the IM spectrometer is carried out by means of selected substances from diverse fields of applications, e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), pesticides, wood preservatives and drug compounds. Limits of detection (LOD) down to 10 fmol and linear ranges up to three orders of magnitude are established. In addition to direct laser ionization, indirect laser ionization via dopants (toluene) for substances with low ionization efficiencies is investigated. Ionization occurs as a result of proton transfer from toluene radical cations to substances of sufficiently high proton affinities. As a result of indirect laser ionization, LOD could be decreased by up to two orders of magnitude. Ionization products are investigated by means of a combination of IM and mass spectrometer. Depending on the substance investigated primary ions (radical cations) and secondary ions (protonated molecules) resulting from ion molecule reactions are formed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) analysis by gas chromatography coupled with atmospheric pressure laser ionization and mass spectrometry (GC-APLI-MS) to environmental samples was investigated in the study. The limit of detection for 40 PAH in a standard mixture was 5-100 fg, demonstrating GC-APLI-MS to be a highly sensitive technique and more sensitive by a factor of 100-3,500 compared to GC-MS. Acenaphthylene and cyclopenta[ cd]pyrene were not detectable <2,500 fg per injection. To make use of this very high PAH sensitivity, the technique was applied to samples of environmental interest with limited available sample amounts such as particulate matter (PM), soot and a sample from a bioaccumulation test with Lumbriculus variegatus. First, special sample preparation was necessary and ultrasonic extraction proved to be suitable, if a thorough clean-up was performed and plastic materials avoided. By GC-APLI-MS and GC-MS, 224 and 28 single PAH compounds were detected in PM, about 1,000 and 15 in birch soot, and 9 and 2 in worm tissue, respectively, revealing the enormous potential of the method. The selectivity of GC-APLI-MS was shown for a crude oil where >2,200 PAH were detected without any sample preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]