Mass spectrometry for monitoring micropollutants in water

Surface water reservoirs and aquifers are exposed to contamination by thousands of micropollutants from industrial, pharmaceutical, agricultural and natural origins. Most developed and developing countries implement a water-quality regulation programme to prevent contamination by such chemicals at illegal concentrations. Traditionally, analytical methods based on gas chromatography–mass spectrometry or liquid chromatography with UV/fluorescence detection were used to monitor water quality. These methods require multistep sample preparation and several have low specificity. Nowadays, liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry has become a key technique for environmental analysis, allowing the detection of a wide range of polar and nonvolatile compounds. The use of this method has increased the specificity and confidence of identification, while reducing sample preparation to a minimum.