Determination of 15 N-nitrosodimethylamine precursors in different water matrices by automated on-line solid-phase extraction ultra-high-performance-liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

•An on-line method for the analytical measurement of NDMA precursors is developed.•The method is validated in WWTP influent, effluent and nanofiltration permeate.•The NDMA formation potential of the 15 target compounds is also measured.

A new methodology based on on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) ultra-high-performance-liquid chromatography coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (UHPLC–MS–MS) for the determination of 15 individual anthropogenic N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) precursors was developed.On-line SPE was performed by passing 2 mL of the water sample through a Hypersil GOLD aQ column and chromatographic separation was done using a Kinetex Biphenyl column using methanol and 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution as a mobile phase. For unequivocal identification and confirmation, two selected reaction monitoring (SRM) transitions were monitored per compound. Quantification was performed by internal standard approach and matrix match calibration. The main advantages of the developed method are high sensitivity (limits of detection in the sub ng/L range), selectivity due to the use of tandem mass spectrometry, precision and minimum sample manipulation as well as fast analytical response. Process efficiency and recovery were also evaluated for all the target compounds.As part of the validation procedure, the method was applied in a sampling campaign for the analysis of influent and secondary effluent of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Girona, Spain. Additionally, the effluent from a nanofiltration (NF) membrane system used for water recycling was monitored. The percentage of NDMA formation explained by the measured precursors was also quantified.