Initial Work for the Determination of Taste, Odour and Phenolic Compounds in Water Using ITSP on the New Agilent GC-QQQ 7010

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The low level at which some humans can detect compounds responsible for taste and odour results in the need for extremely sensitive analytical methods. Water quality criteria demands sensitive, high throughput methods, due to the volumes of samples that require extraction and the low levels of detection required. Manual procedures for extraction of taste and odour compounds often use large volumes of both sample and extraction solvent to enable the concentration of analytes. Solid Phase Extraction (using Instrument Top Sample Preparation- ITSP), can be fully automated using the GERSTEL MPS and provide the high enrichment factors required. The use of selective mass spectral MRM acquisition with the high sensitivity source on the Agilent GC-QQQ 7010 further enhances the limit of detection that can be achieved. A mixture of taste and odour compounds were used to evaluate method performance. These included 2-Isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, 2- and 4-Chloroanisole and Geosmin. Good linearity was obtained from 0.1 ng/L to 10 ng/L. This initial work indicated this approach could be used for a range of taste and odour compounds and further work could improve limits of detection.  Automation requires less sample and reduces both time and solvent usage, whilst the sensitivity of the instrumentation helps to maintain the method performance.

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