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Evaluation of HPLC reagent water purity via LC-MS and total organic carbon analysis

Author	B. Stewart and B. L. Williamson
Citation Information	American Biotechnology Laboratory, 0749-3223 2001, Vol. 19, No. 13, pp. 16-18 [2 page(s) (article)] (7 ref.), 19:16-18 (2001)
Keywords	WaterlineClubReference, HPLC reagent water, HPLC, LC-MS, TOC, Elix, Milli-Q
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An important factor in optimizing LC-MS analysis is the use of solvents and chemical reagents of high purity. When converting from HPLC with UV detection to LCMS, the purity of water used for the mobile phase becomes critical. In addition to column blinding, ghost peaks, and other problems caused by excess organics in HPLC, organic contamination creates high background and causes a loss of sensitivity in LC-MS. Although confirmation via MS-MS, for example, would be required for precise identification of species detected in the water,2 the presence and magnitude of the selected spectra reasonably indicate the relative purity of these waters. This was particularly visible when using bottled HPLC-reagent waters. Analysis of HPLC-grade water using UV detection at 214 and 254 nm is not a suitable quality control for LC-MS applications. On-line measurement of organics as TOC appears to provide a rapid and timely indication of the organic purity of water suitable to successfully perform LC-MS. Additionally, ion exchange combined with UV photooxidation offers a benefit to LC-MS users over conventional water systems that use ion-exchange media alone. The observations and methods used may provide a screening method to monitor the quality of reagent waters used in HPLC and LC-MS in order to obtain optimal results.