| Summary: | Degree: Master of Science Abstract: An enantioselective heart-cut two-dimensional liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure photoionization-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed for the analysis of 25 methylsulfonyl polychlorinated biphenyl metabolites in tissue extracts. Enantioseparation was achieved for 9 out of the 10 chiral analytes in less than 91 minutes, improving upon previous gas chromatography-based methods. Use of a pyrenyl-ethyl silica column in the first dimension enabled separation of all but two pairs of isobaric analytes. Limits of detection of 0.01 to 1.73 ng on-column were achieved. The precision and accuracy were within acceptable limits, but poor sensitivity was achieved for several meta-methylsulfonyl-substituted congeners. Despite this limitation, the method was successfully applied to the analysis of Greenland sledge dog (Canis familiaris) plasma and adipose tissue extracts. Concentration and enantiomer fraction data are presented. None of the target analytes were detected in Norwegian glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus) plasma extracts.
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