Chromatography Research International

Review Article

New Developments in Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry for the Determination of Micropollutants

Table 3

Determination of flame retardants in environmental samples by LC coupled to mass spectrometry.
CompoundsSamplesExtractionDeterminationAnalytical parametersReference
38 HFRs WastewaterSPELC-QqQ
APCI (NI)
MRM		Recoveries 25–132%
LOQs 0.1–5.6  g·L−1		[105]
TBBPA and five PBDEs Wastewater, river, and drinking waterLLELC-LIT
APPI (NI)
MRM 		Recoveries 43–99%
RSD < 17%
LOQs: 0.2–3.3 ng·L−1		[106]
TBBPA and brominated BPA analoguesSediment and sludgeSoxhletLC-QqQ
ESI (NI)
MRM		Recoveries: 70–105%
RSD: 4.9–13.1%
LOQs 0.02–0.15 ng·g−1		[107]
HBCD isomersSuspended sediments from Detroit RiverASELC-QqQ,
ESI (NI)
MRM		—[109]
HBCD diastereoisomersMarine sedimentMAELC-IT
ESI (NI)		Recoveries: 68–91%
RSD: 2–11%
LOQs: 25–40 pg·g−1		[110]
TBBPA, BPA, Mono-BBPA, Di-BBPA, and Tri-BBPA Sewage sludge and sedimentSonication-SPELC-QqLIT
ESI (NI)
SRM		Recoveries: 39–120%
RSD < 13%
LODs: 0.6–2.7 ng·g−1		[111]
HBCDs and TBBPA Sewage sludgePLEUHPLC-MS2 
ESI, APPI, APCI
MRM		Recoveries: 65–112%
LOQs: 0.005–0.14 ng·g−1		[112]
Abbreviations: LC: liquid chromatography; UHPLC: ultrahigh pressure liquid chromatography; MS: mass spectrometry; QqQ: triple quadrupole; IT: ion trap; LIT: lineal ion trap; ESI: electrospray ionization; APCI: atmospheric pressure chemical ionization; APPI: atmospheric pressure photoionization; NI: negative ion mode of ionisation; PI: positive ion mode of ionisation; MRM: multiple reaction monitoring; SRM: selected reaction monitoring.
SPE: solid phase extraction; ASE: assisted solvent extraction; LLE: liquid-liquid extraction; PLE: pressurised liquid extraction; MAE: microwave-assisted extraction.
RSD: relative standard deviation; LOQ: limit of quantification; LOD: limit of detection.
TBBPA: tetrabromobisphenol A; PBDEs: polybrominated diphenyl ethers; BDE: decabrominated diphenyl ether; HBCD: hexabromocyclododecane; HFRs: halogenated flame retardants.