Evaluation of the reagents and analytical behaviors of water–soluble phenylarsenic compounds via LC–MS/MS and HPLC–ICP–MS

Abstract

A phenylarsenic compounds, which contain arsenic (As), are chemical warfare agents; therefore, they are detected only in specific areas. Phenylarsenic compounds have gained significant research interest owing to their historical background, toxicology, and potential risks to human metabolism. However, research progress in this field has been limited because of the lack of standard materials, which ensure the chemical species and its concentration, required for analysis. The purity of five types of water–soluble phenylarsenic compound reagents were evaluated, and their mass fractions were determined to be International System of Units (SI) traceable. This study reveals the purity of commercial phenylarsenic compound reagents based on liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) and high–performance liquid chromatography–inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC–ICP–MS), and their mass fraction was determined by estimating the total As concentration via ICP–MS and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry with graphite furnace using an As standard solution based on the Japan calibration service system. Subsequently, the analytical behaviors depending on the measurement conditions of LC–MS/MS were elucidated. The prepared SI–traceable standard solutions of phenylarsenic compounds may serve as convenient characterization sources for delineating the presence of these compounds in environmental and food samples.