Characterization of scrubber water discharges from ships using comprehensive suspect screening strategies based on GC-APCI-HRMS
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2023

An extended suspect screening approach for the comprehensive chemical characterization of scrubber discharge waters from exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCSs), used to reduce atmospheric shipping emissions of sulphur oxides, was developed. The suspect screening was based on gas chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS) and focused on the identification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their alkylated derivatives (alkyl-PAHs), which are among the most frequent and potentially toxic organic contaminants detected in these matrices. Although alkyl-PAHs can be even more abundant than parent compounds, information regarding their occurrence in scrubber waters is scarce. For compound identification, an in-house compound database was built, with 26 suspect groups, including 25 parent PAHs and 23 alkyl-PAH homologues. With this approach, 7 PAHs and 12 clusters of alkyl-PAHs were tentatively identified, whose occurrence was finally confirmed by target analysis using GC coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). Finally, a retrospective analysis was performed to identify other relevant (poly)cyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) of potential concern in scrubber waters. According to it, 18 suspect groups were tentatively identified, including biphenyls, dibenzofurans, dibenzothiophenes and oxygenated PAHs derivatives. All these compounds could be used as relevant markers of scrubber water contamination in heavy traffic marine areas and be considered as potential stressors when evaluating scrubber water toxicity.

GC-HRMS

Alkyl-PAHs

Scrubber water

PAHs

Shipping emissions

Författare

Elisa García-Gómez

Universitat de Girona

FUNDACIO INSTITUT CATALA DE RECERCA DE L'AIGUA

G. Gkotsis

Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

M. C. Nika

Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Ida-Maja Hassellöv

Chalmers, Mekanik och maritima vetenskaper, Maritima studier

Kent Salo

Chalmers, Mekanik och maritima vetenskaper, Maritima studier

Anna Lunde Hermansson

Chalmers, Mekanik och maritima vetenskaper, Maritima studier

Erik Ytreberg

Chalmers, Mekanik och maritima vetenskaper, Maritima studier

N. S. Thomaidis

Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Meritxell Gros

FUNDACIO INSTITUT CATALA DE RECERCA DE L'AIGUA

Universitat de Girona

M. Petrovic

Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avancats

FUNDACIO INSTITUT CATALA DE RECERCA DE L'AIGUA

Chemosphere

0045-6535 (ISSN) 18791298 (eISSN)

Vol. 343 140296

Evaluation, control and Mitigation of the EnviRonmental impacts of shippinG Emissions (EMERGE)

Europeiska kommissionen (EU) (EC/H2020/874990), 2020-02-01 -- 2024-01-31.

Ämneskategorier

Oceanografi, hydrologi, vattenresurser

Miljövetenskap

DOI

10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140296

Mer information

Senast uppdaterat

2024-04-23