Environmental workflow solutions

Significance of the Topic

Environmental contaminants such as pesticides, PFAS, semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), polar pesticides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) pose increasing challenges for water quality and public health. Robust analytical workflows with high sensitivity, reproducibility, and throughput are essential for reliable detection and quantitation of trace-level analytes in diverse environmental matrices. Modern chromatography and mass spectrometry solutions streamline sample preparation, minimize manual steps, and deliver regulatory-compliant data rapidly and consistently.

Objectives and Study Overview

This document presents a collection of complete environmental workflows designed by Thermo Fisher Scientific. Each workflow targets a specific class of analytes, illustrating optimized combinations of sample preparation techniques (e.g., online SPE, purge and trap), chromatographic columns, detectors, and automation platforms. The aim is to demonstrate how integrated solutions achieve lower detection limits, improved robustness, and higher laboratory productivity across six key application areas:

• Pesticides (EPA Method 543 with online SPE)
• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by LC-MS/MS
• Semi-volatile compounds (e.g., phenols) by GC-MS
• Polar pesticides (mixed-mode LC) without derivatization
• Volatile organics (EPA Method 524.2 with purge and trap GC-MS)
• Dioxins and other POPs by dual-GC high-resolution MS

Methodology and Instrumentation

Each workflow integrates:

• Automated sample introduction systems (Vanquish Flex UHPLC with online SPE, AI/AS autosamplers, TriPlus RSH SMART autosampler, Teledyne Tekmar Atomx purge and trap system)
• Chromatographic separation using tailored columns (Accucore RP-MS, Hypersil GOLD aQ and C18, Acclaim Trinity P1, TraceGOLD GC phases, custom TRACE GC for dioxins/PCBs)
• Detection via single or triple quadrupole MS (TSQ Altis Plus, ISQ series) and high-resolution magnetic sector GC-HRMS (DFS)
• Consumables optimized for trace analysis (SureSTART vials/caps, Super Clean gas cartridges, LinerGOLD liners, GC SMART syringes)

Key Results and Discussion

• Pesticides workflow achieved automated online SPE with Hypersil GOLD aQ columns, reducing sample volume and manual variability while maintaining regulatory recovery and precision.
• PFAS analysis on Accucore RP-MS columns delivered robust separation and recoveries within required ranges across diverse water matrices, with RSDs below 20%.
• Phenolic SVOCs on TraceGOLD TG-5SilMS GC columns provided full separation of target analytes with 1 ng/µL injection sensitivity.
• Polar pesticides including glyphosate, glufosinate, ethephon, and other anionic/cationic species were resolved in a single run on Acclaim Trinity P1 mixed-mode columns without derivatization.
• VOC analysis via purge-and-trap on TraceGOLD TG-VMS columns separated critical compounds, including trihalomethanes, in under 12 minutes with minimal water interference.
• Dioxin and POP quantitation using dual-GC configuration coupled to DFS high-resolution MS enabled simultaneous analysis of multiple column chemistries, maximizing throughput and flexibility for PCDD/Fs, PCBs, and PBDEs.

Practical Benefits and Applications

• Reduced manual steps and sample volumes through online SPE and automated purge-and-trap enhance laboratory efficiency and safety.
• High sensitivity and low limits of detection support compliance with stringent regulatory standards for drinking water and environmental monitoring.
• Wide selection of columns and consumables allows method customization for complex matrices and emerging contaminants.
• Automated workflows minimize intra- and inter-assay variability, improving data quality and reproducibility.

Future Trends and Opportunities

• Greater integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning for method development and real-time data processing.
• Miniaturization and microflow chromatography to further reduce solvent consumption and waste.
• Expansion of high-resolution MS applications for non-targeted screening of unknown environmental pollutants.
• Green analytical chemistry approaches leveraging solid-phase microextraction and water-based mobile phases.
• Implementation of networked laboratory informatics for seamless data sharing, e-reporting, and regulatory submission.

Conclusion

The illustrated workflows demonstrate how state-of-the-art chromatography, sample preparation, and mass spectrometry technologies can be combined into robust, high-throughput solutions for environmental analysis. By selecting optimized columns, automated platforms, and consumables tailored to specific analyte classes, laboratories can achieve higher sensitivity, improved reproducibility, and faster time-to-result, ensuring confident, regulatory-compliant data.

Reference

• Application note: EPA Method 543 – Quantitation of organic pesticides in drinking water using online pre-concentration/SPE and tandem mass spectrometry.
• Application note: Direct analysis of selected PFAS in ground, surface, and waste water by LC-MS/MS.
• Application note: Analysis of phenols and chlorinated phenols in drinking water by GC-MS.
• Technical note: Mixed-mode chromatography on Acclaim Trinity P1 for underivatized highly polar pesticides.
• Application note: Routine analysis of volatile organic compounds in drinking water with ISQ 7000 GC-MS.
• Technical note: DualData XL DFS magnetic sector GC-HRMS high-throughput analysis of polychlorinated dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs).