An ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry method for the screening of cianotoxins content in drinking water samples

The incidence of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CHABs) and their potentially toxic secondary metabolites is increasing in Italy and worldwide and several studies demonstrated that the climate change may be playing a role. The method described in this work allows to detect simultaneously 21 cyanotoxins of different classes (including 12 Microcystins, 5 Microginins, 2 Cyanopeptolins, and 2 Anabaenopeptins) in water samples for human consumption by an Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with a Q-TOF mass spectrometer. Water samples were freezed, filtered, spiked with Nodularin used as internal standard (I.S.) and then extracted with a SPE Carboghaph 4 cartridge. The extracted sample were analysed injecting 10 µL into the UPLC-HRMS/MS system: the chromatographic separation was obtained using acetonitrile and water as mobile phases, both containing 10 mM formic acid, and a UPLC C18 column, acquiring the experiments in positive ionization and Sensitivity Mode. The described method allows to separate and detect all the selected analytes in short time of analysis (16 minutes) with a good resolution for all the analytes. • simultaneous determination of 21 cyanotoxins belonging to different classes in water sample; • low injection volume; • short time of analysis.