Shimadzu Journal Vol. 07 - Environmental Analysis and more...

Importance of the Topic

Environmental contamination by persistent pollutants such as microplastics, PFAS and SCCPs poses a global threat to ecosystems and human health. Analytical chemists require sensitive, reliable and high-throughput methods to monitor these emerging contaminants in remote and complex matrices.

Objectives and Overview

• Investigate microplastic ingestion by hadal amphipods across six deep-sea trenches.
• Develop and validate new environmental analytical methods (TOC/TN, GC-MS/MS pesticides, GCxGC-MS for SCCPs, UFMS™ for PFAS).
• Demonstrate Shimadzu collaborations and instrument capabilities across diverse environmental studies.

Methodology and Instrumentation

• Microplastic study: FTIR microscopy (IR Tracer-100 & AIM-9000), organic digestion, stereomicroscopy.
• SCCP analysis: GCxGC using 5MS/Sil phenyl + BPX-50 columns, NCI-MS (TQ-8040).
• PFAS screening: Direct injection 1:1 MeOH/water (0.1% acetic acid), UFMS™ on LCMS-8060 with optimized MRM transitions.
• New method validation: TOC/TN by high-temperature combustion and chemiluminescence (TOC-L + TNM-L), GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS routes in ASTM D7573, D8083, D7979.

Key Results and Discussion

• Microplastics were detected in 72% of amphipods from depths up to 10 890 m with both fibers and fragments, confirming the deep-ocean sink for plastic debris.
• SCCP concentrations in commercial chlorinated paraffin products ranged widely (0.16–66% w/w) with distinct congener profiles varying by manufacturer.
• UFMS™ PFAS method achieved detection limits of 0.6–5.4 ng/L (five-minute sample prep, 13 min LC run), high linearity (R²>0.99), and recoveries of 84–113%.
• New ASTM and Standard Methods consensus methods ensure inter-laboratory reproducibility and regulatory acceptance for TOC, TN and pesticide/PCB analysis.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Direct-injection PFAS workflow eliminates SPE, saving time, reducing contamination risks and lowering costs.
• GCxGC-MS yields superior resolution for complex halogenated mixtures (SCCPs, PCBs).
• High-throughput UFMS™ and triple-quad MS/MS support routine monitoring of dozens of emerging contaminants.
• Fully characterized inter-laboratory validated methods provide data comparability for compliance monitoring.

Future Trends and Potential Uses

• Expansion of target lists (GenX, novel PFAS) in comprehensive regulatory methods.
• Integration of AI, IoT and automated diagnostics for smart laboratories (e.g., Nexera UC/s, SPARQ academic partnerships).
• Wider adoption of GCxGC and UFMS™ to tackle ultra-trace analysis in challenging matrices (sediments, biota).

Conclusion

Shimadzu’s recent technical reports and collaborative developments showcase advanced instrumentation and validated consensus methods that meet the rising demands for sensitive, rapid and standardized analysis of microplastics, PFAS, SCCPs and other environmental contaminants. These tools form a robust foundation for next-generation environmental monitoring and regulatory compliance.

Instrumentation

• FTIR Microscope (IR Tracer-100 & AIM-9000)
• GCxGC-MS (TQ-8040)
• LC-MS/MS UFMS™ (LCMS-8060)
• TOC Analyzer (TOC-L + TNM-L)
• GC-MS/MS (GCMS-QP2020)

References

• Jamieson et al., R. Soc. Open Sci., 2019.
• Gao et al., Environ. Sci. Technol., 2012.
• ASTM D7979-17: Determination of PFAS in Water.
• ASTM D7573-18: TOC by Combustion-IR.
• EPA Method 537.1: PFAS in Drinking Water.