Mass Spectrometry in the Home and Garden

Abstract

Identification of active components in a variety of chemical products used directly by consumers is described at both trace and bulk levels using mass spectrometry. The combination of external ambient ionization with a portable mass spectrometer capable of tandem mass spectrometry provides high chemical specificity and sensitivity as well as allowing on-site monitoring. These experiments were done using a custom-built portable ion trap mass spectrometer in combination with the ambient ionization methods of paper spray, leaf spray, and low temperature plasma ionization. Bactericides, garden chemicals, air fresheners, and other products were examined. Herbicide applied to suburban lawns was detected in situ on single leaves 5 d after application.

Analysis of Biofluids by Paper Spray MS: Advances and Challenges

“…There are several reports on the use of paper spray with miniature and portable mass spectrometers, primarily from the Cooks research group at Purdue University. Some applications on portable instruments have included synthetic cannabinoid detection from drug samples and biofluids [77], agrichemicals [78] and household chemicals [79], and detection of corrosion inhibitors [80]. A miniature, though not portable, mass spectrometer that used paper spray for analysis of drugs in biofluids was also reported as a proof of concept demonstration of a point of care analyzer [75].…”

Miniature and Fieldable Mass Spectrometers: Recent Advances

“…To take advantage of portability, most samples should be ionized without purification, on-site, regardless of composition, phase, or complexity. 4,5 These objectives are best accomplished through the combination of ambient ionization and tandem mass spectrometry in a small MS system.…”

Biogenic aldehyde determination by reactive paper spray ionization mass spectrometry

“…A miniature portable mass spectrometer (Mini 10/12) [22][23][24] designed to be used in a field setting [25] was also used in this study. The Mini MS/paper spray ionization combination has been successfully demonstrated for the analysis of surface active tetraalkylammonium halides in an oil matrix [26] to simulate oil transmission pipeline monitoring.…”

“…The Mini MS/paper spray ionization combination has been successfully demonstrated for the analysis of surface active tetraalkylammonium halides in an oil matrix [26] to simulate oil transmission pipeline monitoring. The closely related ambient ionization method of leaf spray [27] also has been used in-situ with a miniature mass spectrometer to follow the time dependent removal of herbicides from grass leaves [25]. Because of the low pumping speed of the Mini mass spectrometer, the flow of air and ionized sample into the instrument is regulated by a discontinuous atmospheric pressure interface (DAPI) valve [28].…”