Occurrence of organophosphate flame retardants in feathers from predatory birds by GC-APCI-MS/MS

Abstract

The main objective of this study is the development of a quantitative method for 17 PFRs by of GC-APCI-QqQ-MS/MS. APCI characteristics, mainly the preservation of molecular ion which renders the selection of a precursor ion for MS/MS no longer a compromise between sensitivity and selectivity, will be exploited. Also, the study of different modifiers to improve the ionization step will be carried out. Analytical instrumental parameters will be studied, such as: selectivity, reproducibility, linearity, and sensitivity in terms of instrumental limit of detection (LOD). The method will be applied in real samples of feathers and serum predatory birds in order to determine the presence of phosphorus flame retardants in uninhabited areas, such as forests and mountains where predatory birds live. In the natural environment there should be no big presence of these compounds. Therefore, we should expect very low concentrations, the highest possible sensitivity should be achieved.