Application of single drop microextraction for analysis of chemical warfare agents and related compounds in water by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Retrospective detection and identification of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) is important from the verification point of view of the Chemical Weapons Convention. In the present work, a novel method for determination of CWAs and their markers in water has been described. It is based on a single drop micro extraction (SDME) of analytes and gas chromatography/mass spectrometric identification. Extraction conditions, such as solvent selection, agitation, extraction time, and salt content, were found to have significant influence on SDME. The conditions optimized for extraction of CWAs were 1 muL CH2Cl2/CCl4 (3:1 v/v), 30-min extraction time, 300-rpm stirring rate, and with or without NaCl addition. Under optimized conditions, comparison of SDME, solid-phase microextraction, and liquid-liquid extraction was also made. The limit of detection by SDME ranged from 75 to 10 mug L-1 at a signal-to-noise ratio of 10:1.