Determination of Methyl tert-Butyl Ether and tert-Butyl Alcohol in Water by Solid-Phase Microextraction/Head Space Analysis in Comparison to EPA Method 5030/8260B

Abstract

Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is now one of the most common groundwater contaminants in the United States. Groundwater contaminated with MTBE is also likely to be contaminated with tert-butyl alcohol (TBA), because TBA is a component of commercial grade MTBE, TBA can also be used as a fuel oxygenate, and TBA is a biodegradation product of MTBE. In California, MTBE is subject to reporting at concentrations greater than 3 µg/L. TBA is classified as a "contaminant of current interest" and has a drinking water action level of 12 µg/L. In this paper, we describe the development and optimization of a simple, automated solid phase microextraction (SPME) method for the analysis of MTBE and TBA in water and demonstrate the applicability of this method for monitoring MTBE and TBA contamination in groundwater, drinking water, and surface water. In this method, the headspace (HS) of a water sample is extracted with a carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane SPME fiber, the MTBE and TBA are desorbed into a gas chromatograph (GC), and detected using mass spectrometry (MS). The method is optimized for the routine analysis of MTBE and TBA with a level of quantitation of 0.3 µg/L and 4 µg/L, respectively, in water. MTBE quantitation was linear for over two orders of concentration (0.3 µg/L-80 µg/L). TBA was found to be linear within the range of 4 µg/L-7,900 µg/L. The lower level of detection for MTBE is 0.03 µg/L using this method. This SPME method using headspace extraction was found to be advantageous over SPME methods requiring immersion of the fiber into the water samples, because it prolonged the life of the fiber by up to 400 sample analyses. This is the first time headspace extraction SPME has been shown to be applicable to the

PEX and PP Water Pipes: Assimilable Carbon, Chemicals, and Odors

“…Interestingly, some of the most commonly reported PEX and PP pipe migration products in European PEX studies (i.e., 2,4-di-tertbutylphenol, 2,6-di-tert-butylbenzoquinone, methyl tert-butyl ether [MTBE]) (Lutzhoft et al 2013, Kowalska et al 2011, Lund et al 2011, Koch 2004, Skjevrak et al 2003, Hametner 1999 were not found in any of the test waters. The same analytical methods in the present study were previously shown to be capable of detecting MTBE and 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol by others (Kelley et al 2014, Durand & Dietrich 2007, Oh & Stringfellow 2003, Cassada et al 2000.…”

“…Volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations were characterized through headspace-solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) (Lutzhoft et al 2013, Koch 2004. This method was adopted from Cassada et al (2000), Oh and Stringfellow (2003), and Durand and Dietrich (2007). A GC system 4 with a 5975C inert mass selective detector (MSD) multi-purpose sampler and GC column 5 (length 30 m, diameter 0.250 mm, film 0.25 µm) were used.…”