Simultaneous determination of key components of Corexit EC9500A and EC9527A in seawater and crude oil by direct injection Liquid Chromatography - Tandem Mass Spectrometry

摘要

This method provides a simple yet robust tool for the quantitation of two key indicator components of the commercial Corexit formulations in seawater and crude oil that could be employed to monitor the fate and transport of the dispersant in the months following the Deepwater Horizon incident. This is the first report of a direct injection, simultaneous detection of both tracers compounds by LC-MS/MS in two different matrices that could be quickly adopted by many laboratories with LC/MS capabilities. The method is fast, simple and requires minimum sample preparation steps and sample quantity. Moreover, it allows for the analysis of Corexit commercial formulations and crude oil, therefore proving a rapid analytical solution during all stages of response and recovery after an unintended oil release treated with dispersants. In addition, the results point out the importance of sample preservation and the difficulty of recovering DOSS from active surfaces if the samples are not "fixed" with an appropriate organic solvent during collection.