Characterization of Organic Micropollutants in Ship Ballast Water by LC–High Resolution Accurate Mass Spectrometry

A Wednesday morning seminar and workshop on January 17, 2018, starting at 9:00 am includes a talk by Noelle DeStefano of Duke University titled “Characterization of Organic Micropollutants in Ship Ballast Water by LC–High Resolution Accurate Mass Spectrometry.” The talk will take place at 10:15 am in Room 381 C.  

DeStefano states that globalization of commerce has led to increased reliance on shipping, and as a byproduct, the translocation of 3–10 billion tons of ballast water per year. Water taken onboard during ballasting operations is expected to resemble that of the port surface waters, the quality of which is dependent on local pollution conditions. Furthermore, organic micropollutants may be introduced into ballast waters through contamination of port water and directly from shipboard operating procedures. These compounds are discharged during the voyage into open ocean waters or within another port during de-ballasting operations. Thus, the potential exists for introduction of micropollutants to pristine waters as well as exchange and transport among global ports. To understand the chemical micropollutant burden of ship operations, ballast water and paired port water was sampled from ships in the USA, South Africa, and Singapore. The water was characterized for the presence of polar organic compounds by a high-performance liquid chromatography system coupled to an orbital trap high-resolution accurate mass spectrometer. 

DeStefano will discuss the results of this study as well as the advantages of applying high-resolution accurate-mass (LC–HRAM) spectrometry for non-targeted analysis of complex environmental matrices.