Determination of benzothiazoles and benzotriazoles in drinking water using automated solid-phase extraction combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry
- VernacularTitle:自动固相萃取液相色谱串联质谱测定饮用水中苯并噻唑类化合物及苯并三唑类化合物
- Author:
Saifeng PEI
1
;
Chaoye SHEN
1
;
Chao YU
1
;
Yun ZHANG
1
Author Information
- Publication Type:Methodology
- Keywords: benzothiazole; benzotriazole; automatic solid-phase extraction; liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry; drinking water
- From: Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2026;43(1):89-95
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
- Abstract: Background Benzothiazoles and benzotriazoles are ubiquitously detected in drinking water, posing potential health risks. Developing a reliable and sensitive analytical method is critical for assessing their exposure levels and associated risks. Objective To establish an automated solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous determination of benzothiazole, 2-aminobenzothiazole, benzotriazole, and 5-chlorobenzotriazole in drinking water. Methods Key parameters were systematically optimized. Three mobile phase systems were compared to evaluate their effects on chromatographic peak shape and separation; three SPE cartridges were tested for extraction efficiency; the influences of water pH on extraction recoveries and matrix effects were investigated; the contributions of pretreatment steps to benzothiazole blank were analyzed, and control measures were established; nitrogen evaporation temperatures were tested to ensure analyte stability. The optimized parameters were used to develop the method, validate its performance, and analyze drinking water samples. Results Drinking water samples were first adjusted to pH 6.0 with formic acid, and then extracted using HLB cartridges. After elution with 6 mL methanol, the eluate was concentrated under nitrogen evaporation at 45 °C, followed by separation on a C18 column using a gradient elution of acetonitrile-0.1% formic acid solution, and tandem mass spectrometry detection. Avoiding nitrogen blow-drying during SPE and eliminating the use of polypropylene materials during nitrogen evaporation can effectively minimize benzothiazole contamination. Good calibration linearity was obtained for the target analytes in the concentration range of 5.0-250 μg·L−1, with a correlation coefficient of r > 0.995. The method detection limits were in the range of 1.0-5.0 ng·L−1. The recoveries of the target analytes in pure water and tap water were 80.2%-119.5% and 72.2%-115.6%, respectively, with relative standard deviations of were 3.2%-12.8% and 2.3%-11.6%, respectively. When applying this method to actual water samples, benzotriazole was detected in 100% of treated and tap water samples, with median concentrations of 79.4 ng·L−1 and 114 ng·L−1, respectively. Benzothiazole was detected in 83.3% of treated water samples and 100% of tap water samples, with median concentrations of 48.3 ng·L−1 and 65.4 ng·L−1, respectively. In addition, 5-chloro-benzotriazole exhibited low detection rates and concentrations, while 2-amino-benzothiazole was undetected. Conclusion The developed method demonstrates high accuracy, reliability, and sensitivity, making it suitable for the analysis of trace levels of benzothiazoles and benzotriazoles in drinking water.
