Electrospray Ionization–Ion Mobility Spectrometry as a Field Monitoring Method for the Detection of Atrazine in Natural Water

Electrospray ionization–ion mobility spectrometry (ESI-IMS) was used to detect atrazine in a synthetic water sample that contained and water 0.01 M KCl that was collected from a natural cranberry bog. The bog water contained humic substances and had a dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration of There 16 mg/l. was no interference from these matrices observed in ESIIMS measurements. The analytical merits of ESI-IMS for direct water sampling and detection are reported. A dynamic response range of more than 2 orders of magnitude and a limit of detection in the nanomolar range were obtained. In addition, results of the ESI-IMS method were compared with conventional spectra obtained by HPLC with UV detection. Concentration measurements for atrazine in bog water determined with ESI-IMS matched those obtained by HPLC. Successful detection of the target compound in a complex water matrix indicated that ESIIMS could be used as a fast screening technique for solution-phase environmental samples. Results from this study provide fundamental information necessary for constructing a field-monitoring device based on the ESIIMS technique. Q 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Field Analyt Chem Technol 2: 155–161, 1998