Trace analysis of tributyltin and triphenyltin compounds in sea water by gas chromatography-negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry.

An analytical gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method using negative ion chemical ionization (NICI) has been investigated for the determination of trace tributyltin (TBT) and triphenyltin (TPhT) compounds in sea water. TBT and TPhT were extracted from samples as chloride under the acidic condition of HCl. Doping of the GC system with a dilute HBr-methanolic solution resulted in direct detection of the chlorides of TBT, TPhT and tripentyltin (TPenT, internal standard). As the result of HBr doping, a sharp peak of the respective organotin bromides appeared: during GC analysis, halogen exchange from the chloride to the bromide occurred. NICI-MS was highly selective and sensitive for the detection of TBT. TPhT and TPenT bromides. In the selected ion monitoring mode of NICI-MS, the minimum detectable amounts defined as the signal equal to three times the standard deviation (3 sigma) of the baseline noise were 20 and 25 pg ml-1 for TBT and TPhT, respectively. These amounts are approximately 250-400 times better than those in electron impact mode. The combination of GC using an apolar capillary column doped with a dilute HBr-methanolic solution and NICI-MS made it possible to determine TBT and TPhT at less than the ng l-1 level in sea water.