Haloacetic acids (HAAs) are among the disinfection byproducts produced during chlorination of
water containing natural organic matter and bromide. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Methods 552.1 and 552.2 used to
determine HAAs require tedious derivatization and multiple extraction steps followed by gas
chromatography (GC) with electron capture detection (ECD) and mass spectrometry (MS). Ion
chromatography-mass spectrometry (IC-MS and IC-MS/MS) offers a sensitive and selective
alternative that does not require sample pretreatment. Water samples are directly injected into an
ion chromatograph coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The separation of all 9 HAAs
addressed in USEPA methods is achieved on either a 2?250 mm or 1?250 mm high-capacity ion exchange
column using simple hydroxide gradients.
Excellent peak resolution and linearity are achieved between 0.4 µg/L and 100 µg/L in a
matrix containing up to 250 mg/L each of chloride and sulfate and 30 mg/L of nitrate. Using
13CClH2COOH as an internal standard, the detection limit is less than 0.4 µg/L for each of the
five regulated haloacetic acids (HAA5) and less than 1 µg/L for the other four. No significant
matrix effects are observed. Recoveries of all nine HAAs are greater than 90% in a simulated
matrix of the above concentrations.