Chinese Academy of Sciences mass spectrometer to achieve rapid online detection of six types of VOCs in water

【Chinese instrument network instrument research and development】 Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) designed and manufactured a highly efficient extraction device for waterborne VOCs (SI), and it was developed in conjunction with a self-developed proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS) to rapidly implement six types of VOCs in water. The test was supported by projects supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

SI-PTR-MS detection of VOCs in water

Recently, Prof. Shen Chengyin, a researcher at the Institute of Spectroscopy and Mass Spectrometry at the Center of Medical Physics, has made progress in real-time online monitoring of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in water: the development of a spray injection proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (SI-PTR-MS) technique. Rapid/high sensitivity on-line detection of six types of VOCs in water can be achieved. This work was published on the Chemosphere under the title Rapid and sensitive on-line monitoring 6 different kinds of volatile organic compounds in aqueous samples by spray inlet proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (SI-PTR-MS). (DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.02.141)

The detection of VOCs in water by on-line mass spectrometry is usually difficult and fast. For example, membrane injection or headspace sampling mass spectrometry has high sensitivity but slow response; capillary injection mass spectrometry has fast response but limited sensitivity. Spectral-Mass Spectrometry Research Institute researchers designed and manufactured a high-efficiency extraction spray injection (SI) device for VOCs in water based on Henry's principle, and used it with a self-developed Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometer (PTR-MS) to perform rapid VOCs in water. High sensitivity online detection. Based on previous studies on benzene detection (Analytical. Chemistry, 2016, 88(6): 3144-3148), six types of VOCs such as acetaldehyde, ethanol, acetone, xylene, ethyl ether and acetonitrile were systematically developed. The measurement studies have achieved rapid/high sensitivity on-line detection. The research provides a new mass spectrometry solution for the automatic monitoring of VOCs in water, which can promote the application of PTR-MS in the monitoring of water environment quality.

The research was supported by projects supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The devices and methods used have been granted national invention patents.

(Original title: SI-PTR-MS method of Chinese Academy of Sciences realizes rapid on-line detection of six kinds of VOCs in water)