Direct and sensitive determination of glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid in environmental water samples by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

• Published in: Journal of Chromatography A Vol. 1443; pp. 93 - 100
• Main Authors: Guo, Hongyue, Riter, Leah S., Wujcik, Chad E., Armstrong, Daniel W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 22.04.2016
• Subjects: AMPA; Calibration; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Direct analysis; Drinking water; Dynamic range; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental water samples; Glycine - analogs & derivatives; Glycine - analysis; Glyphosate; Groundwater; High performance liquid chromatography; Isoxazoles; Joining; Limit of Detection; Mass spectrometry; Organophosphonates - analysis; Phases; Sensitivity; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Tetrazoles; Water - chemistry; Environmental water samples; Tandem mass spectrometry; Sensitivity; AMPA; Direct analysis; Glyphosate; High performance liquid chromatography
• ISSN: 0021-9673; 1873-3778
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2016.03.020

•The analysis avoids derivatization and complex sample preparation steps.•Only 150μL of samples were needed for various types of water analysis.•Both primary and secondary quantitative limits of glyphosate and AMPA are 0.1ppb.•This method meets requirements for EU standards. A novel method based on high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was developed for the sensitive determination of glyphosate and its major degradation product, AMPA in environmental water samples. The method involves the use of MS compatible mobile phases (0.1% formic acid in water and acetonitrile) for HPLC and direct analysis of water samples without sample derivatization. The method has been validated in different types of water matrices (drinking, surface and groundwater) by accuracy and precision studies with samples spiked at 0.1, 7.5 and 90ppb. All mean accuracy values ranged from 85% to 112% for glyphosate and AMPA using both primary and secondary quantitative ion transitions (RSD≤10%). Moreover, both primary and secondary ion transitions for glyphosate and AMPA can achieve the quantitation limits at 0.1ppb. The linear dynamic range of the calibration curves were from 0.1 to 100ppb for each analyte at each ion transitions with correlation coefficient higher than 0.997.