Initial work for the determination of Taste, Odour and Phenolic compounds in water using ITSP on the new Agilent GC-QQQ 7010

Importance of the Topic

Detection of taste, odor and phenolic compounds at trace levels is critical to water quality management, as these substances cause consumer complaints and can be detected by human senses at extremely low concentrations. Automated micro-scale solid-phase extraction coupled with highly sensitive GC-QQQ analysis addresses stringent regulatory requirements and high-throughput laboratory demands.

Objectives and Overview

This work demonstrates a fully automated workflow for enrichment and quantification of a broad panel of taste, odour and phenolic analytes in drinking water using ITSP cartridges on a Gerstel MPS and analysis on an Agilent 7010 triple quadrupole GC-MS. Key targets include methoxypyrazines, anisoles, geosmin, MIB and chlorophenols at ng/L levels.

Methodology and Instrumentation

• Sample Preparation: 10 mL of spiked water was processed on a 20 mg Biotage ENV+ sorbent ITSP cartridge. Cartridges were conditioned with dichloromethane, methanol and water, followed by sample loading and a 15-minute nitrogen dry-down.
• Elution and Preconcentration: Analytes were eluted in 400 µL dichloromethane, providing a 25-fold concentration factor.
• Injection: 10 µL of the extract was injected via a cooled injection system (CIS4) into the GC.
• Chromatography and Detection: Agilent 7890B GC with DB-5 column (30 m × 0.25 mm × 0.25 µm) and thermal gradient to 300 °C. Agilent 7010 QQQ in high-efficiency EI mode using MRM with two transitions per analyte.
• Instrumentation List: Gerstel MPS 2 XL Dual Head, Gerstel CIS4, ITSP cartridges (ITSP Solutions), Agilent 7890B GC, Agilent 7010 Triple Quadrupole.

Key Results and Discussion

• Clear MRM responses observed for blank vs. 10 ng/L spiked water extracts.
• Calibration curves (0.1–10 ng/L) for representative compounds delivered R² > 0.999 without internal standards.
• Sensitivity at 0.1 ng/L improved further by increasing injection volume up to 50 µL.
• Comparison of Agilent 7000C vs. 7010 showed higher peak areas and signal-to-noise ratios with the 7010 model.
• The automated ITSP approach reduced solvent consumption and manual handling while enhancing reproducibility and throughput.

Benefits and Practical Applications

Automation of micro-scale SPE reduces solvent usage and glassware, minimizes variability and lifts sample throughput. The method achieves trace-level detection suitable for routine monitoring and regulatory compliance in water quality laboratories.

Future Trends and Potential Applications

• Validation of the workflow with diverse water matrices (soft, medium, hard) to evaluate matrix effects.
• Extension of calibration ranges and inclusion of additional analytes of emerging concern.
• Optimization of extract injection volumes for further sensitivity gains.
• Integration of on-line sampling and real-time water monitoring platforms.

Conclusion

The automated ITSP-GC-QQQ method on the Agilent 7010 platform offers a robust, sensitive and efficient solution for trace-level analysis of taste, odour and phenolic compounds in drinking water. High reproducibility and reduced solvent footprint support its adoption for routine water quality assessment.

References

No formal literature references were provided in the original technical note.