Simultaneous detection of volatile, semivolatile organic compounds, and organometallic compounds in both air and water matrices by using membrane introduction mass spectrometry

We present results for the simultaneous detection of volatile organic compounds, semivolatile organic compounds, and organometallic compounds in air and water by using membrane introduction ion trap mass spectrometry. In these experiments, a membrane composed of a microporous polypropylene hollow support fiber coated with an ultrathin (similar to0.5 mum) polydimethylsiloxane layer serves as the interface between the sample and the vacuum of the mass spectrometer. Simultaneous detection of benzene, naphthalene, and ferrocene in aqueous solution is achieved by proton transfer chemical ionization using H3O+ from membrane-diffused water. With the same membrane, we also demonstrate the simultaneous detection of methyl ethyl ketone, toluene, 1-methylnaphthalene, and ferrocene in air with chemical ionization employing membrane-diffused oxygen from air as the reagent gas. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V.