Performance Testing of a Method for Acrylamide Monomer in Drinking Water
DWI0834

February 2004

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.

An analytical method has been developed to allow low concentrations of acrylamide monomer to be determined in treated water samples. The limit of detection of the method has been demonstrated to be 0.027 µg 1-1, and it has been shown that the performance of the method is satisfactory over the range 0.00 - 0.50 µg 1-1.

This method was developed from one originally produced by the Central Science Laboratory (CSL) for the determination of acrylamide monomer in foods. It is based on derivatisation of acrylamide monomer to form a dibromo- derivative, which is extracted from water samples using solvent extraction with ethyl acetate. Following concentration of the solvent extract, an aliquot is analysed using gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (GCMS). The mass spectrometer is operated in positive ion electron impact mode with selected ion recording, which provides high sensitivity and specificity. A related compound, methacrylamide, is used as an internal standard.

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