Speciation of Non-Pesticidal Organotin Compounds Using Gas Chromatography with Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry
Poster presentation:
Introduction
Organotins are used as stabilizers in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes and are broadly classified as endocrine disrupters. The use of PVC pipes within drinking water distribution systems is growing as old pipes are replaced and new service mains are installed. The installation of these pipes has generated a growing concern with respect to organotin exposures produced by the slow release of the stabilizer from the PVC pipe. In response to this the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW) placed monomethyl tin (MMT), dimethyl tin (DMT), monobutyl tin (MBT) and dibutyl tin (DBT) on the 1998 Contaminant Candidate List (CCL). The CCL is used by the OGWDW to identify Contaminant which may possess potential health risks to the public. Organotins are listed in the occurrence and research priority part of the CCL. This means occurrence, health, and treatment data and analytical methods are required prior to any regulatory decision making. The OGWDW is
planning to collect occurrence data on organotins under a future Unregulated
Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR). This data collection process requires the analytical capability to determine organotin compounds in drinking water matrices. GC-ICP-MS is a promising approach to analyzing organotins at the low to sub-ppt concentration range. This evaluation is being conducted through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between Agilent Technologies, Inc. and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL). The initial focus of the CRADA is to evaluate the sensitivity and
stability of the GC-ICP-MS interface and to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing this
interface in a more routine laboratory setting.
This poster presents data on:
- Reliability of Utilizing Xenon as an Instrument Tuning Gas
- Can Xenon be used as an Internal Standard for Tin?
- Day to Day Reproducibility
- Detection Limit Evaluation
- Isotope Ratio Precision