Non-target Screening Analysis of Volatile Organic Compounds in Drinking Water by Headspace-Solid Phase Microextraction Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

A non-target screening analytical method for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in drinking water by headspace-solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was established. The operating parameters of HS-SPME were optimized by the number of peaks and peak area of the extract. The optimum working conditions of four different extracted fibers (100 mu m PDMS, 65 mu m PDMS/DVB, 85 mu m PA and 75 mu m CAR/PDMS) were investigated, including incubation time, extraction time, extraction temperature, NaCl concentration and desorption time. Comparing the species extracted by the four fibers with the oil. water partition ratio coefficient, it was found that the number of substances extracted by 100 mu m PDMS was the least, and the extracted substances overlaped was repeated with other fibers. Therefore, it could be replaced by the three other extraction fibers. The three kinds of extracted fibers were selected for non. target screening of two kinds of tap water samples in Wuhan (the source water came from the Yangtze river and the Hanjiang river), and the substances with matching degree greater than 70% were selected for analysis. The results showed that 35 substances were identified from the tap water samples from the Han River, and 34 substances were identified from the tap water samples from the Yangtze River. The two had 18 common substances. By comparing the types of substances screened in the two water samples, it was found that the esters were the most abundant substances, followed by the aldehydes and phenols. Organic solvents was not used in the whole process, and the pollution caused by the solvent could avoided. The method was friendly to the environment, and could be used for screening and analysis of VOCs in tap water.