An instrument that pairs liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) has the capability to analyze multiple compounds and their chemical structures in complex mixtures. Acquisition of such an instrument enables fundamental multidisciplinary research at Tennessee State University by researchers from environmental engineering, chemistry, food science, soil science, and biology. Key research activities include efforts to advance knowledge on: 1) degradation products of insecticides in the environment, 2) water treatment processes to remove pharmaceuticals, 3) processes that degrade toxins in water, 4) absorption of insecticides by nursery pests, and 5) pesticide residues in engineered food. The instrumentation will become a key element of TSU’s research infrastructure. The LC-MS/MS will be used in undergraduate and graduate courses and will promote partnerships and collaborative activities with surrounding universities and research centers.
This advanced LC-MS/MS instrumentation consists a triple quadrupole analyzer with a mass range up to 3,000 m/z and a detection limit of ng/l level. This capability will allow environmental engineering researchers to determine seven neonicotinoid residues and possible degradation products in soil and water, enabling discovery of the fate and transport of neonicotinoids in the environment. Researchers will monitor emerging contaminants, including perfluorinated compounds in groundwater, cyanotoxins in surface waters, and residuals of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in wastewater, improving understanding of the effect of degradation processes due to biodegradation, photolysis, and hydrolysis on the behavior of emerging contaminants. The LC-MS/MS will be used to characterize the residual analysis of insecticides in the development of effective treatment methods of soil and container media for nursery pests including Chrysobothris, Japanese beetle, and fire ants. The LC-MS/MS will allow food science researchers to characterize the structure and functionality change of bioactive polysaccharides to learn more about the stability and shelf life of engineered food. Researchers in agriculture will use the equipment to study complex pesticide residues.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
