detection or mass spectrometric detection. The mass spectrometric detection is most
favorable, because it not only has strong qualitative ability but also has very high
sensitivity, but for accurate quantification, isotope or deuterated internal standards
are needed.
15.3.1 Gas Chromatography
Gas chromatography has the characteristics of high resolution, high selectivity, and
rapidity, and there is almost no plastic parts used in the instrument, so its background
contamination can be ignored. Most phthalates are weak polar chemicals; with the
boiling point below 400
C, it is suitable for analyzing them without derivatization.
Flame ionization detector and mass spectrometer especially tandem mass spectrometer have been often used for detection of phthalates. The different brands and
specifications of capillary columns with weak or non-polarity, such as HP-5
(30 m  0.32 mm, 0.25 μm)(Li et al. 2006), DB-17 (30 m  0.25 mm, 0.25 μm)
(He et al. 2010), HP-1 (30 m  0.32 mm, 1 μm) (Mousa et al. 2013), and SPB-1
(30 m  0.25 mm, 0.25 μm) (Farajzadeh and Khoshmaram 2015), have been used
for separation of phthalates in water samples.
A head-space solid-phase microextraction has been applied to the extraction of
six phthalates from water samples, and then the target phthalates were separated on
an HP-5 capillary column (50 m  0.32 mm, 0.52 μm) and detected by a flame
ionization detector. The method had the linear ranges of 1–100 μg/L, and the limits
of detection were 0.032–0.451 μg/L with the relative standard deviations less than
9.73% (Guo et al. 2019b). Liu et al. (2010) used an HP-5 column to separate
13 phthalates from water samples and detected by a flame ionization detector.
OV-1701 column (Jia et al. 2005) and SE-54 column (Li and Liao, 2016) have
been reported too as the separation column for the phthalates in water samples.
Compared with flame ionization detector, mass spectrometric detector not only
has high sensitivity, but also can provide rich chemical structure information of the
target analytes, so it can identify partially separated or even unseparated analytes,
based on the library of National Institute of Standards and Technology of the United
States or other databases.
Zhang et al. (2017) applied solid-phase microextraction to absorb 16 phthalates in
sea water and determined the phthalates by gas chromatography–tandem mass
spectrometry. They used DB-1MS column (30 m  0.25 mm, 0.25 μm) as separation
column. The recovery rates of the method were 55.4–114%. The limits of detection
were 0.005–0.32 μg/L, and the relative standard deviations were 0.24–8.8%. Ye
et al. (2014) used gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry to determine
seven phthalates in environmental water samples. The phthalates were separated
by HP-5MS column, and selective ion monitoring was applied for quantification.
The recoveries were in the range of 88–110% with the relative standard deviations
less than 8.5%.
556
C. Sun et al.
favorable, because it not only has strong qualitative ability but also has very high
sensitivity, but for accurate quantification, isotope or deuterated internal standards
are needed.
15.3.1 Gas Chromatography
Gas chromatography has the characteristics of high resolution, high selectivity, and
rapidity, and there is almost no plastic parts used in the instrument, so its background
contamination can be ignored. Most phthalates are weak polar chemicals; with the
boiling point below 400
C, it is suitable for analyzing them without derivatization.
Flame ionization detector and mass spectrometer especially tandem mass spectrometer have been often used for detection of phthalates. The different brands and
specifications of capillary columns with weak or non-polarity, such as HP-5
(30 m  0.32 mm, 0.25 μm)(Li et al. 2006), DB-17 (30 m  0.25 mm, 0.25 μm)
(He et al. 2010), HP-1 (30 m  0.32 mm, 1 μm) (Mousa et al. 2013), and SPB-1
(30 m  0.25 mm, 0.25 μm) (Farajzadeh and Khoshmaram 2015), have been used
for separation of phthalates in water samples.
A head-space solid-phase microextraction has been applied to the extraction of
six phthalates from water samples, and then the target phthalates were separated on
an HP-5 capillary column (50 m  0.32 mm, 0.52 μm) and detected by a flame
ionization detector. The method had the linear ranges of 1–100 μg/L, and the limits
of detection were 0.032–0.451 μg/L with the relative standard deviations less than
9.73% (Guo et al. 2019b). Liu et al. (2010) used an HP-5 column to separate
13 phthalates from water samples and detected by a flame ionization detector.
OV-1701 column (Jia et al. 2005) and SE-54 column (Li and Liao, 2016) have
been reported too as the separation column for the phthalates in water samples.
Compared with flame ionization detector, mass spectrometric detector not only
has high sensitivity, but also can provide rich chemical structure information of the
target analytes, so it can identify partially separated or even unseparated analytes,
based on the library of National Institute of Standards and Technology of the United
States or other databases.
Zhang et al. (2017) applied solid-phase microextraction to absorb 16 phthalates in
sea water and determined the phthalates by gas chromatography–tandem mass
spectrometry. They used DB-1MS column (30 m  0.25 mm, 0.25 μm) as separation
column. The recovery rates of the method were 55.4–114%. The limits of detection
were 0.005–0.32 μg/L, and the relative standard deviations were 0.24–8.8%. Ye
et al. (2014) used gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry to determine
seven phthalates in environmental water samples. The phthalates were separated
by HP-5MS column, and selective ion monitoring was applied for quantification.
The recoveries were in the range of 88–110% with the relative standard deviations
less than 8.5%.
556
C. Sun et al.