System Monitors Pollutants in Drinking Water

A comprehensive system has been specifically developed to monitor trace levels of pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, pharmaceuticals, and veterinary products in drinking water.

Thermo Electron's (Waltham, MA, USA) Equan significantly reduces sample analysis time as it allows samples to be directly injected and enriched followed by immediate liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. Limits of detection (LODs) are up to a 100 times better than conventional injection techniques with detection limits of 10 ppt (parts per trillion) easily achieved. This novel solution was showcased at the 11th International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) International Congress of Pesticide Chemistry, in August 2006 in Kobe (Japan).

Equan consists of the TSQ quantum series mass spectrometer, two surveyor high-
performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) pumps with a pre-concentration column, an analytical column, a CTC autosampler, and a kit consisting of columns and HPLC accessories. Equan can use any of Thermo's TSQ quantum series instruments depending on the specific application, including the TSQ quantum access, TSQ quantum discovery max, and TSQ quantum ultra.

Achieving low LODs of pesticides, antibiotics, and veterinary residues in drinking water is necessary in order to monitor the regulatory levels as stated by the U.S., Japanese, and European environmental and water directives. These substances pose a significant health threat and therefore need to be accurately detected. Traditionally, LC-MS/MS has been used by the environmental industry for the identification and quantification of these residues. However, this methodology requires extensive offline sample preparation, which can be particularly time-consuming and expensive.



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