LC-MS in Environmental Analysis

The two chapters that were selected for this topic one on GC-ion trap mass spectrometry, by SabUer and Fujii and the other by Schroder on LC-MS in environmental analysis give an excellent contribution to the application of GC-MS and LC-MS to environmental analysis. Both chapters include many practical aspects and examples in the environmental field and also cover the historical perspective of the techniques and show the perspective on ionisation and scanning modes. Advances achieved in GC-ion trap by the use of external ion sources and GC/MS/MS possi-bihties are discussed. The LC-MS chapter provides an overview of the first applications of LC/MS interfacing systems, such as moving belt, direct Uquid introduction (DLI) and particle beam (PB), and then on the more recent soft ionisation techniques, like thermospray and atmospheric pressure ionisation interfacing systems. 

With a certain delay, various types of interfaces that had been developed and appHed in pharmacological and pharmaceutical research during the past three decades came to be used in environmental analytical appUcations. The following survey of LC-MS in environmental analysis" will start with a description of the moving belt interface (MBI), followed by other interface types - DLI, PBI, FAB, TSP,... 

Several review papers have reported on the application of ESI in the analysis of surfactants. Di Corcia reviewed LC-MS methods for the unequivocal identification of isomers, oligomers and homologues of the technical blends of surfactants and their biodegradation intermediates in environmental samples at trace levels with particular attention to ESI and TSP apphcations [40]. Qench et al. [28] described the applications of LC-MS in environmental analysis using the interfaces PBI, TSP, APCI and ESI in use or just coming into use in th early 1990s. 

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