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Liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry analysis of halogenated benzoates for characterization of the underlying degradation reaction in Thauera chlorobenzoica CB‐1 T
Author(s) -
Franke Steffi,
Kümmel Steffen,
Nijenhuis Ivonne
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
rapid communications in mass spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.528
H-Index - 136
eISSN - 1097-0231
pISSN - 0951-4198
DOI - 10.1002/rcm.8113
Subject(s) - chemistry , benzoates , benzoic acid , chromatography , mass spectrometry , fractionation , halogenation , organic chemistry
Rationale Halogenated benzoic acids occur in the environment due to their widespread agricultural and pharmaceutical use. Compound‐specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA) has developed over the last decades for investigation of in situ transformation and reaction mechanisms of environmental pollutants amenable by gas chromatography (GC). As polar compounds are unsuitable for GC analysis we developed a method to perform liquid chromatography (LC)/CSIA for halogenated benzoates. Methods LC/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) utilizing a LC‐Surveyor pump coupled to a MAT 253 isotope ratio mass spectrometer via a LC‐Isolink interface was applied. For chromatographic separation a YMC‐Triart C18 column and a potassium hydrogen phosphate buffer (150 mM, pH 7.0, 40°C, 200 μL mL −1 ) were used, followed by wet oxidation deploying 1.5 mol L −1 ortho‐ phosphoric acid and 200 g L −1 sodium peroxodisulfate at 75 μL mL −1 . Results Separation of benzoate and halogenated benzoates could be achieved in less than 40 min over a concentration range of 2 orders of magnitude. Under these conditions the dehalogenation reaction of Thauera chlorobenzoica 3CB‐1 T using 3‐chloro‐, 3‐bromo‐ and 4‐chlorobenzoic acid was investigated resulting in inverse carbon isotope fractionation for meta ‐substituted benzoic acids and minor normal fractionation for para‐ substituted benzoic acids. Together with the respective growth rates this led to the assumption that dehalogenation of para ‐halobenzoic acids follows a different mechanism from that of meta ‐halobenzoic acids. Conclusions A new LC/IRMS method for the quantitative determination of halogenated benzoates was developed and used to investigate the in vivo transformation pathways of these compounds, providing some insights into degradation and removal of these widespread compounds by T. chlorobenzoica 3CB‐1 T .