Direct analysis of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) on concrete by reactive-desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Analysis of organic ligands such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is today an important challenge due to their ability to increase the mobility of radionuclides and metals. Reactive desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (reactive-DESI-MS) was used for direct analysis of EDTA on concrete samples. EDTA forms complexes and those with Fe(III) ions are among the most thermodynamically favored. This complexing capacity was used to improve the specific detection of EDTA directly on a concrete matrix by doping the solvent spray of DESI with a solution of FeCl3 to selectively create the complex between EDTA and Fe(III). Thus, EDTA sensitivity was largely improved by two orders of magnitude with reactive-DESI-MS experiments thanks to the specific detection of EDTA as a [EDTA-4H+Fe(III)](-) complex. The proof of principle that reactive DESI can be applied to concrete samples to detect EDTA has been demonstrated. Its capacity for semi-quantitative determination and localization of EDTA under ambient conditions and with very little sample preparation, minimizing sample manipulations and solvent volumes, two important conditions for the development of new methodologies in the field of analytical chemistry, has been shown.