Analysis of Acrylamide in Tap Water Using Triple Quadrupole LC/MS/MS

User Benefits

- Quantitative analysis of acrylamide, which is listed as an Item for Further Study in Japan’s Drinking Water Quality Standards, is possible at a concentration of 1/20 the target value of 0.5 μg/L. - LC/MS/MS enables analysis of acrylamide without a sample concentration pretreatment process. - It is possible to quantify acrylamide in drinking water with a satisfactory recovery rate.

Introduction

Polyacrylamide is a highly effective flocculating agent which is used as a chemical for water treatment, but may also contain its monomer acrylamide as a contaminant. As of August 2021, acrylamide was classified as a Class 1 Designated Chemical Substance under Japan’s Law concerning Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR Law) due to concerns regarding its harmful effect on health, and a target value of 0.0005 mg/L (0.5 μg/L) was set as an Item for Further Study in the Drinking Water Quality Standards (DWQSs). Although an acrylamide analysis method involving sample preparation by solid-phase extraction has been reported (1) , this article introduces the results of an analysis using the LCMS8060NX liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer in which the concentration process was omitted and the tap water was injected directly. A good recovery rate was obtained in the spike-and-recovery test, and analysis with high accuracy was possible at a concentration of 0.05 μg/L, which is 1/10 of the target value for acrylamide.

March 1, 2022 GMT