ANALYSIS OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS USING LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY PARTICLE-BEAM MASS-SPECTROMETRY

Methods employing liquid chromatography with particle beam mass spectr ometric (LC/PBMS) detection were developed to detect and quantify poly cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and oxygenated metabolites in sedim ent and water samples from the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska. PAH c ontaining four or more rings and selected hydroxy and dione derivative s gave nanogram detection limits. The mass spectra from PAH were ident ical to those in a standard electron impact library and underivatized oxygenated PAH spectra consisted of molecular and diagnostic fragment ions. Sensitivity for PBMS detection was inversely correlated with PAH volatility, suggesting that losses of the more volatile PAH occur thr ough the momentum separator interface. These results suggest that LC/P BMS is a useful companion technique to GC/MS for the analysis of PAH a nd environmental metabolites, especially for higher-molecular-weight c ongeners.