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Determination of 25 quaternary ammonium compounds in sludge by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

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Abstract

With the pandemic of COVID-19, the application of quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), which can be used in SARS-CoV-2 disinfection products, has increased substantially. QACs cumulated in sewer system are ultimately deposited and enriched in sludge. QACs in the environment can adversely affect human health and the environment. In this study, a liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry method was established for the simultaneous determination of 25 QACs in sludge samples. Ultrasonic extraction and filtration of the samples was performed using a 50 mM hydrochloric acid–methanol solution. The samples were separated by liquid chromatography and detected in multiple reaction monitoring mode. The matrix effects of the sludge on the 25 QACs ranged from − 25.5% to 7.2%. All substances showed good linearity in the range of 0.5–100 ng/mL, with all determination coefficients (R2) greater than 0.999. The method detection limits (MDLs) were 9.0 ng/g for alkyltrimethylammonium chloride (ATMAC), 3.0 ng/g for benzylalkyldimethylammonium chloride (BAC), and 3.0 ng/g for dialkyldimethylammonium chloride (DADMAC). The spiked recovery rates were in the range of 74–107%, while the relative standard deviations were in the range of 0.8–20.6%. Considering its sensitivity, accuracy, and easy operation, the proposed method in this study was used to determine 22 sludge samples collected from a comprehensive wastewater treatment plant. The results showed that the concentrations of ΣATMACs, ΣBACs, and ΣDADMACs were 19.684, 3.199, and 8.344 μg/g, respectively. The main components included ATMAC-C16, ATMAC-C18, ATMAC-C20, ATMAC-C22, BAC-C12, and DADMAC-C18:C18, with concentrations exceeding 1.0 μg/g. The concentration relationships of different components in the congeners showed that some components were of similar origin.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the Municipal Financial Research Project of Beijing Academy of Science and Technology, grant number 11000022T000000445296, the Municipal Financial Research Project of Beijing Academy of Science and Technology, Grant No. 11000022T000000468149 and National Natural Science Foundation of China, Grant No. 72061137007.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Urban Safety and Environmental Science, Beijing Academy of Science and Technology, Beijing, 100054, China

    Mushui Shu, Ding Ding, Zhizhen Xu, Yan Dou, Ling Guo, Mo Dan & Yu Wang

  2. Department of Child, Adolescent Health and Maternal Care, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China

    Yeerlin Asihaer & Yifei Hu

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  1. Mushui Shu
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Correspondence to Yu Wang or Yifei Hu.

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Shu, M., Ding, D., Asihaer, Y. et al. Determination of 25 quaternary ammonium compounds in sludge by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. ANAL. SCI. 39, 1435–1444 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44211-023-00354-0

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