Quantification of rocket fuel transformation products in air using sorbent tubes sampling and thermal desorption GC − high-resolution mass spectrometry (Orbitrap)
Bukenov B. Kenessov B. Baimatova N. Ulyanovskii N.V. Popov M.S. Kosyakov D.S.
February 2025Elsevier Inc.
Microchemical Journal
2025#209
Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) is a toxic rocket fuel component that creates significant environmental risks. When released into the environment, UDMH undergoes various chemical reactions and transforms into a number of compounds with mutagenic, carcinogenic, and teratogenic properties (partially occurring in the air) posing great health risks. This study proposes a method for quantification of seven UDMH transformation products: 1,1,4,4-tetramethyl-2-tetrazene (TMT), N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), 1-methyl-1H-1,2,4-triazole (MTA), dimethylaminoacetonitrile (DMAAN), 1-methyl-1H-pyrazole (MPA), and N-methylformamide (MFA) in the air using sorbent tube sampling followed by thermal desorption gas chromatography and Orbitrap mass spectrometry (TD-GC-HRMS). Optimization of sorbent tube types and sampling flow rates demonstrated that Tenax TA and Carbograph 1TD tubes provided the best performance for trapping UDMH TPs. The method provided limits of detection (LODs) as low as 0.04 to 0.5 pg/tube, allowing detection of trace-level concentrations in air samples. Method validation showed high linearity (R2 > 0.998) and good recoveries rates (76–112%) for all analytes across different concentration levels. The method was applied for the analysis of air samples collected above sand contaminated with UDMH, revealing significant variations in TP concentrations over time. While DMAAN and NDMA showed persistent trends, other TPs, such as MTA and DMF, exhibited significant declines over the 288-hour monitoring period. This sensitive and reliable method is highly suitable for environmental monitoring and risk assessment in areas contaminated with UDMH rocket fuel residues.
Air sampling , Orbitrap mass spectrometry , Sorbent tubes , Thermal desorption , Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine transformation products
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Center of Physical Chemical Methods of Research and Analysis, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, 96a Tole bi Street, Almaty, 050012, Kazakhstan
Laboratory of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, Core Facility Center ‘Arktika’, Northern (Arctic) Federal University, 17 Northern Dvina emb., Arkhangelsk, 163002, Russian Federation
Center of Physical Chemical Methods of Research and Analysis
Laboratory of Environmental Analytical Chemistry
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