SPE-GC-MS analysis of chloroform in drinking water

In this paper we report a method based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) and subsequent analysis by gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry for determination of chloroform in potable water. The affinity of chloroform for the resin enables almost complete recovery of the analyte. The analytical method proposed enables evaluation of chloroform levels down to 0.295 μg L−1. The procedure is characterized by lack of interferences, in fact the GC–MS analysis reveals the presence of only one peak, that of chloroform. Use of CDCl3 as labelled internal standard also makes the procedure suitable for use as a reference analytical method for quantification of chloroform in drinking water.