Analysis of Microcystin in Drinking Water and Environmental Water Using Triple Quadrupole LC/MS/MS

Water bloom or algal bloom is a phenomenon that occurs when certain types of phytoplankton spread widely in ponds, lakes and marshes, and standing water. Some species of phytoplankton which form algae blooms, can produce toxic substances. Microcystin is one of hepatotoxin which is contained in phytoplankton. WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality (GDWQ) set a regulatory value of 1 μg/L or less for microcystin. Many analogues of microcystin are already known. In Japan, microcystin LR is a designated study item in water quality standards for drinking water, and a target value of 0.8 μg/L has been set for drinking water. Currently, its quantification is carried out with concentration and cleanup techniques, like solid phase extractions.
This article introduces an example in which microcystin LR, RR, and YR in drinking water sample were measured with high sensitivity without complex pretreatment.