Characterization of groundwater samples from superfund sites by gas chromatography mass spectrometry and liquid chromatagraphy mass spectrometry

Groundwater at or near Superfund sites often contains much organic matter, as indicated by total organic carbon (TOC) measurements. Analyses by standard GC and GC/MS methodology often miss the more polar or nonvolatile of these organic compounds. The identification of the highly polar or ionic compounds may be needed to assess toxicity more reliably, to plan remediation, and to establish the possible source of a waste and the responsible party. This study characterized water samples from two Superfund sites for organic components where routine methods had failed to account for a majority of the TOC. Carboxylic acids, alcohols, and ketones were detected by GC/MS using a new capillary column designed for polar organic compounds. Particle beam LC/MS allowed for identifying several additional compounds. Finally, thermospray LC/MS was shown to be an excellent means of detecting ionic constituents, such as aromatic sulfonic acids, in the water samples.