Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry can analyse carbamate insecticides and phenyl urea herbicides - both potential endocrine disrupters - using a selection of ionisation sources
Agilent Technologies Europe has announced analyses of carbamates and phenyl ureas using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS).
The sources for these tests were electrospray ionisation (ESI), atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation (APCI) and atmospheric pressure photo ionisation (APPI).
Carbamates, a class of highly effective insecticides, are widely used to protect crops from pests.
Phenyl ureas, a class of herbicides, are highly potent chemicals for agricultural weed control.
Both are potential endochrine disrupters found in groundwater and surface-water samples.
Agilent application chemists analysed carbamates and phenyl ureas using ESI, APCI and APPI sources. Results show that the ESI source, in general, gives better signal-to-noise ratios for carbamates.
In contrast, APPI and APCI sources give better signal-to-noise ratios for phenyl ureas.
A small amount of post-column acetone was needed in the APPI source as a dopant to improve analyte response.
For further information, request application note 'Analysing phenyl ureas and carbamate pesticides using ESI-, APPI-, and APCI-LC/MSD', Agilent publication number 5988-6635EN.
This note is available without charge from any Agilent sales office or its website (link above).
