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Application of liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry to the identification of acetamiprid transformation products generated under oxidative processes in different water matrices

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Abstract

This work allowed the identification of major transformation products (TPs) of acetamiprid (ACTM) during Fenton process. Acetamiprid is a chloronicotinoid insecticide widely used around the world for its characteristics (high insecticidal activity, good systemic properties, suitable field stability, etc.). The degradation of the parent molecule and the identification of the main TPs were evaluated in different water matrices (demineralized water and real agro-food industrial wastewater). TPs of acetamiprid generated by Fenton experiments were monitored and identified by liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (LC–QTOF–MS/MS). Up to 14 TPs were characterized based on the accurate mass of the molecular ion and fragment ions obtained in both full-scan and MS/MS modes. Most of them were eliminated after 75 min of treatment time in demineralized water. However, in real agro-food industrial wastewater, most of them were eliminated at 90 min of treatment time, demonstrating the influence of the matrix composition on the studied compound degradation.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (FOTOREG, CTQ 2010-20740-C03-01/PPQ and CTQ 2010-20740-C03-03/PPQ) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Irene Carra would like to acknowledge the Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte for her FPU scholarship (AP2010-3218).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UFRGS, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Bairro: Agronomia, Porto Alegre, RS, 91509-900, Brazil

    Carla Sirtori

  2. Department of Chemistry and Physics, University of Almería, La Cañada de San Urbano, 04120, Almería, Spain

    Ana Agüera

  3. CIESOL, Joint Centre of the University of Almería-CIEMAT, La Cañada de San Urbano, 04120, Almería, Spain

    Ana Agüera, Irene Carra & José A. Sanchéz Pérez

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  1. Carla Sirtori
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  2. Ana Agüera
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  3. Irene Carra
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  4. José A. Sanchéz Pérez
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Correspondence to Carla Sirtori.

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Sirtori, C., Agüera, A., Carra, I. et al. Application of liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry to the identification of acetamiprid transformation products generated under oxidative processes in different water matrices. Anal Bioanal Chem 406, 2549–2558 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-014-7678-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-014-7678-y

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