Synthetic musks (SMs) are commonly found in everyday household items and are introduced into the ecosystem via domestic wastewater, rendering them notable contaminants in both the environment and food sources. Given the intricate nature of sample matrices and the low concentrations of these compounds, the utilization of more sensitive and reliable techniques is imperative for sample preparation. Microextraction, characterized by its high efficiency and stability for environmentally friendly analysis, has demonstrated superiority in various studies and has shown advancements in structural design and the application of novel materials in recent years. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in microextraction techniques for the analysis of SMs, focusing on different sample types from 2017 to 2023. The applications of different microextraction techniques in different samples are summarized, highlighting both the major advancements and notable limitations. The discussed techniques include directly immersion solid-phase microextraction, headspace solid-phase microextraction, stir bar sorptive microextraction, thin film microextraction, fabric phase sorptive extraction, and dispersive solid-phase microextraction. Liquid phase microextraction methods, such as hollow fiber liquid-liquid microextraction, dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction, vortex-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction, and ultrasound-assisted electronic membrane extraction, provide alternative approaches for analyzing complex samples. The utilization of modern methodologies and innovative materials underscores the growing emphasis on green chemistry and environmentally friendly practices in the sample preparation of small molecules.
The hyphenation of ion mobility separation (IMS) with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) presents a milestone in the screening of organic micropollutants (OMPs) in complex environmental matrices. Its use has become progressively more widespread in environmental analysis and has led to the development of novel analytical strategies. This work provides a comprehensive overview of the advantages of using IMS-HRMS instrumentation, with a special focus on environmental screening studies. IMS provides an additional parameter for OMP identification, a reduction of spectral background noise and the power to resolve isomeric/isobaric coeluting interferences. These advantages lead to a reduction of false positive identifications. By describing the fundamentals and rationale behind the observed advancements, we highlight areas for further development that will unlock new potential of IMS-HRMS. For example, an enhanced availability of empirical IMS data following the FAIR principles, a better standardization of IMS-HRMS data processing workflows and a higher IMS resolving power are possible ways to advance the use of IMS-HRMS instruments for the analysis of complex environmental samples.