Application of Selected Ion Monitoring-Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (SIM-GCMS) for Quantification of Poly Aromatic Hydro Carbons in Surface Water from Sarawak, Mambong River (Malaysia)

Background: Increasing activities have led to serious environmental problems due to Pullution caused by toxic materials such as poly aromatic carbons whose levels are rising in the environment.

Objective: The study presented here carried out the ultra-trace Quantification of Poly Aromatic Hydro carbons in surface water using Selected Ion Monitoring with optimization Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry parameter.

Methods: A Shimadzu QP 2010 Plus GCMS equipped with an auto-injector AOC-20i, 30 m x 0.25 mm x 0.25 um of BP-X5 capillary column (SGE, USA) was used to obtain the result of poly aromatic hydrocarbons to separate and quantify the PAH compounds as well as to identify the Polyromantic Hydrocarbon using USEPA.

Results: The amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at ultra-trace level in the surface water samples was estimated. Sixteen Poly Aromatic Hydro carbons were identified among which Naphthalene Pyrene (45.7 ng/L), Chrysene (59.38 ng/L), Benzo (g, h, i) perylene (40.35 ng/L) as the major pollutants in the water surface of Mambong River water. Total Poly Aromatic Hydro carbons (PAHs) concentrations ranged from 2.0 to 40 ng L-1 was detected in the river water.

Conclusion: The Selected Ion Monitoring -Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (SIM-GCMS) can be considered as sensitive and robust method to analyse PAHs contamination in environmental samples. Thus, help the researchers to uncover the critical areas of environmental pollution at ultra-trace level that many researchers were not able to explore.