Analysis of Perchlorate in Tap Water Using a Triple Quadrupole LC/MS/MS

Introduction

Perchlorate is a chemical compound that may occur naturally. It can be found in minerals and is also known to be generated from photochemical reactions in the atmosphere. The compound is highly soluble in water, and after dissociation, exists as stable perchlorate ions. Ingesting large amounts of perchlorate such as from contaminated drinking water may decrease thyroid function, raising human health concerns. Furthermore, perchlorate is difficult to remove from tap water sources by regular purification processes. In Japan, perchlorate was specified in 2009 as an Item for Further Study in its water quality standards. In 2011, a water quality control criterion of 0.025 mg/L was determined. As of present in 2018, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has designated Method 331 for the analysis of perchlorate in which an LC/ESI/MS method is used. However, no method has been specified in Japan as of yet. We have already introduced an example analysis of perchlorate using a single quadrupole LC/MS system in Application News No. C85 "Analysis of Perchlorate in Water by Non-Suppressed Ion Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry". This article introduces a high-sensitivity analysis of perchlorate in tap water using the LCMS-8050, which is a triple quadrupole LC/MS/MS, and an analysis using a reversed-phase column.

November 26, 2021 GMT