Method development and application to sediments for multi-residue analysis of organic contaminants using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A method for the determination of four classes of potentially toxic substances (PTSs) was developed and applied in marine sediments, including (i) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), (ii) polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), (iii) polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and (iv) organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs). The method is based on ultrasonic extraction with a mixture of dichloromethane:methanol (9:1 v/v) and gas chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry analysis (GC-MS/MS) in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. A total of 89 compounds were identified using two precursor- product ion standards for each analyte. The method detection limit (MDL; 0.001-0.055 ng g(-1) dw) and method quantification limit (MQL; 0.002-0.184 ng g(-1 )dw) are below the usual thresholds of pollution adopted by international sediment quality guidelines. The method proved to be selective, sensitive, accurate, and linear, with the advantage of reducing sample handling time and consumable expenses (solvent, adsorbents). The developed method was successfully applied to surface sediments of Sepetiba Bay, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Total concentrations of PAH (29.20-209.5 ng g(-1 )dw), PCB (0.06-2.16 ng g(-1 )dw), OCP (0.03-0.33 ng g(-1 )dw), and PBDE (0.06-0.21 ng g(-1 )dw) represent a baseline for these compounds and revealed mild to low levels of contamination in comparison to other coastal bays in SE Brazil. By using the proposed method, we expect this preliminary dataset can be expanded and include other similar coastal systems from developing countries marked by scarcity of information about levels, risk assessment, and specific sediment quality guidelines encompassing multiple classes of regulated and emerging organic contaminants.