Liquid Chromatography with Dual Mass Spectrometry Detection: An Approach to the Determination of Br-Containing Disinfection By-Products in Drinking Water

Detecting and quantifying disinfection by-products (DBPs), especially brominated species (Br-DBPs), is analytically challenging, often necessitating multiple techniques and specific standards for each target. This complexity hinders comprehensive assessment. To overcome these limitations, we present a powerful, integrated approach combining liquid chromatography with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LC-ICP-MS) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). This method enables rapid, non-targeted group screening of Br-DBPs: LC-ICP-MS selectively identifies bromine-containing compounds, while LC-HRMS provides tentative structural identification. Crucially, this synergistic combination allows for the quantification of any Br-DBP without requiring individual reference standards. This study successfully demonstrates the application of this combined LC-ICP-MS and LC-HRMS strategy for the non-targeted detection, identification, and subsequent quantification of Br-DBPs in real drinking water samples, offering a significant advancement for DBP monitoring and risk assessment.