Development of ultrasensitive methods for determination of nitramines in drinking water and soil for assessment of possible environmental impact of amine emissions from a CO2 capture plant

The project aims to develop highly sensitive analytical methods for determination of selected nitramines in water and soil samples. Nitramines can result from atmospheric photo-oxidation of possible amine emissions from CO2 capture plants. The proposed limit of nitramines in drinking water is in the ng/L range and to be able to measure such low concentrations, a highly sensitive detection method is needed. We will develop methods for analysis of nitramines using a mass spectrometer as the detector in combination with liquid chromatography, i.e. LC-MS. Since the concentration of possible nitramines in the sample will be low a pre-concentration step is necessary; it is planned to use solid phase extraction (SPE) techniques. To automate the method and to decrease sampling handling we will develop online SPE-LC-MS methods. In the initial phase of the project, focus will be on developing the online SPE-LC-MS method evaluating different kinds of SPE sorbents, LC columns and MS ion sources using quantified nitramine standards. Once the highly sensitive method has been developed it will be applied to real water and soil samples collected in the vicinity of the CO2 capture plant at Mongstad and from areas near large animal farming.

Publications:

Lindahl S., Gundersen C. B. and Lundanes E. A review of available analytical technologies for qualitative and quantitative determination of nitramines. Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts. http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2014/em/c4em00095a#!divAbstract

Brecke Gundersen, C., Andersen, T., Lindahl, S., Linke, D., and D. Vogt, R., Bacterial response from exposure to selected aliphatic nitramines, conference paper/abstract,  International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Technologies (GHGT)-12, 5-9th of October 2014, Austin, Texas, USA