Analysis of anatoxin-a in freshwaters by automated on-line derivatization-liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry

Anatoxin-a is a toxin produced from cyanobacterial blooms in freshwaters. I n order to determine trace anatoxin-a in freshwaters, an automated on-line derivatization procedure with fluorenyl methylchloroformate using liquid ch romatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry was developed. Anato xin-a was extracted using solid-phase extraction with adequate recovery (75 .7 +/- 7.2%, n = 6) at 20 ng/l. The limits of quantification and detection were calculated to be 15.2 ng/l and 2.1 ng/l, respectively, using selected ion monitoring. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.