analysis of heavy metals and halogenated compounds in reclaimed water using novel electrospray ionization combined with plasma ionization linear ion trap mass spectrometry.

Water scarcity is a global concern that needs addressing through alternative sources. One of the approaches is the use of reclaimed water for irrigation. However, the presence of halogenated compounds and heavy metals in reclaimed water poses significant food safety threats.

α-MnO catalysts with efficient ozone-catalyzed decomposition under high humidity conditions.

Ground-level ozone pollution poses significant risks to ecosystems and human health and requires effective control measures. This study focused on the monolithic ozone degradation catalyst based on powdered α-MnO and comprehensively investigated its catalytic performance, moisture resistance, and stability. The monolithic catalyst achieved the optimal catalytic activity with an ozone conversion rate of 99% after being calcined at 400 °C for 3 hours.

Microwave plasma torch desorption ionization mass spectrometry for chemical characterization of aromatic secondary organic aerosol.

Benzene and toluene, primarily emitted from vehicle exhaust, are common volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These aromatic compounds in the atmosphere undergo further photooxidation to form secondary organic aerosol (SOA), which are a primary factor in haze weather. Aromatic SOA is more difficult to detect by traditional detection methods.

Study of spatiotemporal variation and annual emission of CH in Shaoxing Yangtze River Delta, China, Using a portable CH detector on the UAV.

Methane (CH) is the second greenhouse gas and has a profound impact on global climate change due to its high global warming potential and concentration. By 2022, the CH concentration was approximately 1.9 ppm, which was 264% of the pre-industrial level.

Novel nanoliter spray enhanced microwave plasma ionization mass spectrometry for the simultaneous detection of heavy metals and organic plasticizers in soil: A case study in a lead-acid battery industrial park.

Soil pollution is predominantly attributed to the presence of heavy metal elements and organic compounds; However, current detection methodologies are restricted to the identification of only one of these two sources at a time. A novel analytical approach, known as nanoliter spray enhanced microwave plasma ionization mass spectrometry (Nano-Spray-EMPI-MS), has been developed to facilitate the simultaneous detection of both heavy metals and organic pollutants in soil samples. This technique is characterized by its requirement for minimal sample volumes, thereby allowing for efficient and rapid analysis.

EDTA-Assisted MPT-MS for Trace Analysis of Heavy Metals in Fireworks.

A novel method was developed for the rapid detection of heavy metals in firework solutions with high sensitivity and minimal pretreatment by enriching them with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) reagent and analyzing them using microwave plasma torch mass spectrometry (MPT-MS). Quantitative results showed that the limits of detection and quantification for heavy metals (Pb, Ba, Sr, and Ag) ranged from 0.05 to 0.

Wide-energy programmable microwave plasma-ionization for high-coverage mass spectrometry analysis.

Although numerous ambient ionization mass spectroscopy technologies have been developed over the past 20 years to address diverse analytical circumstances, a single-ion source technique that can handle all analyte types is still lacking. Here, a wide-energy programmable microwave plasma-ionization mass spectrometry (WPMPI-MS) system is presented, through which MS analysis can achieve high coverage of substances with various characteristics by digitally regulating the microwave energy. In addition, ionization energy can be rapidly scanned using programmable waveforms, enabling the simultaneous detection of biomolecules, heavy metals, non-polar molecules, etc.

Boosting the sensitivity of single photon ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry using a segmented focus quadrupole-ion guide.

Single photon ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SPI-TOF-MS) is a powerful analytical technique for real-time detection of trace VOCs. However, efficient ion transmission within the ionization chamber has always been a challenging issue in SPI-TOF-MS. In this study, a novel ion guide termed the Segmented Focus Quadrupole Ion Guide (SFQ-IG) was introduced for SPI-TOF-MS.

Simultaneous and on-line detection of organic and heavy metal components in water using a novel nebulization-assisted injection plasma ionization triple quadruple mass spectrometry instrument.

Background: The global release of organic and heavy metal components into natural water bodies is a major concern for the environment and human health. The assessment of water quality relies on analyzing organic and heavy metal components qualitatively and quantitatively. Real-time identification of organic and metal components in water systems requires different analytical techniques due to varying measurement requirements.

Nonderivatized Method for the Detection of Perfluoroalkane Sulfonyl Fluorides by Liquid Chromatography-Microwave Plasma Torch Ionization Mass Spectrometry.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have caused widespread environmental concern in recent years. Among them, the levels of perfluoroalkane sulfonyl fluorides (PFASFs) in the environment have rarely been reported due to the lack of sensitive analytical methods. Herein, a novel liquid chromatography-microwave plasma torch ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-MPTI-MS) technique was designed for the direct analysis of PFASFs in the environment.

Analysis and identification of degradation products in gas, particle, and liquid phases of polypropylene and polyethyleneterephthalate microplastics aging through non-thermal plasma simulation.

Plastic aging can cause alterations in the physical and chemical characteristics of plastics, as well as their behavior in the environment. Due to the extremely slow natural aging process, laboratory simulated aging methods have to be used. In this study, non-thermal plasma (NTP) was adopted to investigate the aging process of polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics.

Development of Low-Pressure He-MC-MIP-MS and Its Application for Oxygen Isotopic Analysis.

In Ar-based inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MS), Ar-related interference and the low ionization capacity of the Ar-ion source prevent facile and precise determination of certain elements. To address this problem, we investigated the application of microwave-induced plasma (MIP), and we improved its ionization capacity using He as the working gas. The MIP ion source was connected to a multicollector mass spectrometry (MC-MS) apparatus to improve the accuracy and precision of the isotopic analysis.

Rapid analysis of pharmaceutical and personal care products by soft microwave-based plasma ionization-linear ion trap mass spectrometer (SMPI-LTQ) in natural water.

In this study, a soft microwave plasma torch (SMPT) combined with a mass spectrometer (MS) was used for the first time as an analytical method to detect and analyze various pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in aquatic environments without the need for sample pretreatment. For this purpose, ambient SMPT was used to generate plasma for ionizing the analyte molecules. Accordingly, nine PPCPs were identified by the SMPT-MS, and their identification was verified by collision-induced dissociation (CID).

Online study of the plasma-accelerated aging process and toxicity of polyethylene terephthalate.

Plastic aging occurs in all environmental media and affects their environmental behavior and toxicity. In this study, non-thermal plasma was applied to simulate the aging process of plastics, with polyethylene terephthalate (PET-film) being used as a model. The surface morphology, mass defects, toxicity of aged PET-film and the generation of airborne fine particles were comprehensively characterized.

Three-dimensional spatiotemporal variability of CO in suburban and urban areas of Shaoxing City in the Yangtze River Delta, China.

Metropolitan areas are the most anthropogenically active places but there is a lack of knowledge in carbon dioxide (CO) spatial distribution in suburban and urban areas. In this study, the CO three-dimensional distributions were obtained from 92 times vertical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight observations in Shaoxing suburbs and 90 times ground mobile observations in Shaoxing urban areas from Nov. 2021 to Nov.

Catalyst-Free Oxidation Reactions in a Microwave Plasma Torch-Based Ion/Molecular Reactor: An Approach for Predicting the Atmospheric Oxidation of Pollutants.

The atmospheric oxidation of chemicals has produced many new unpredicted pollutants. A microwave plasma torch-based ion/molecular reactor (MPTIR) interfacing an online mass spectrometer has been developed for creating and monitoring rapid oxidation reactions. Oxygen in the air is activated by the plasma into highly reactive oxygen radicals, thereby achieving oxidation of thioethers, alcohols, and various environmental pollutants on a millisecond scale without the addition of external oxidants or catalysts (6 orders of magnitude faster than bulk).

A Novel Integrated APCI and MPT Ionization Technique as Online Sensor for Trace Pesticides Detection.

The misuse of pesticides poses a tremendous threat to human health. Excessive pesticide residues have been shown to cause many diseases. Many sensor detection methods have been developed, but most of them suffer from problems such as slow detection speed or narrow detection range.

Dual ambient plasma source ionization mass spectrometry for the rapid detection of trace sterols in urban water.

A direct analytical method based on dual ambient plasma ion source tandem mass spectrometry was used for the simultaneous determination of four sterols in the environment. This technology has very high sensitivity and the method detects the four sterols in methanol-water (1:3) solutions with limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ) ranging from 1.2 ng/L to 6.

Rapid Analysis of Trace Phthalates by Spray-Inlet Microwave Plasma Torch Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry in Commercial Perfumes.

Background: The less volatile fraction of perfumes is susceptible to contamination by phthalate esters (PAEs), which are endocrine-disrupting chemicals encountered during the production, bottling, and transportation processes. There is a need to establish an innovative and rapid method for the determination of trace PAEs in commercial perfumes.

Objective: Therefore, self-built spray-inlet microwave plasma torch (MPT) ionization coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) tandem MS (MS/MS) was developed for the direct analysis of PAEs in perfumes without sample pretreatment.

Direct determination of trace phthalate esters in alcoholic spirits by spray-inlet microwave plasma torch ionization tandem mass spectrometry.

A direct analytical method based on spray-inlet microwave plasma torch tandem mass spectrometry was applied to simultaneously determine 4 phthalate esters (PAEs), namely, benzyl butyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, dipentyl phthalate, and dodecyl phthalate with extremely high sensitivity in spirits without sample treatment. Among the 4 brands of spirit products, 3 kinds of PAE compounds were directly determined at very low concentrations from 1.30 to 114 ng·g .

Spray-inlet microwave plasma torch ionization tandem mass spectrometry for the direct detection of drug samples in liquid solutions.

Rationale: Drug abuse or dependence results in a series of social problems, including crime and traffic accidents. Spray-inlet microwave plasma torch tandem mass spectrometry (MPT-MS/MS) was developed and used for the direct detection of such drugs in liquid solutions.

Methods: Drug sample solutions were directly sprayed into the flame of an MPT by a sampling pump and the ions produced by Penning ionization and ion-molecule reactions were guided into a quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) tandem mass spectrometer for mass analysis.