Determination of halogenated flame retardants by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry

We present an overview of current analytical methods for selected halogenated flame retardants (HFRs), focusing on instrumental determination using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. We based the strategy for literature search on recent articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals or conference proceedings. We report on selected HFRs and some metabolites and transformation products, and on the analytical performances of different ionization modes, with emphasis on selectivity and sensitivity. Moreover, we compare these parameters with those obtained by gas chromatography.