A method for determining arsenolipids in seawater by HPLC-high resolution mass spectrometry

Arsenic-containing lipids (arsenolipids), naturally occurring arsenicals in algae, have never been detected in seawater even though they might be introduced to the water column on senescence of marine algae or by active excretion. The complex nature of seawater presents an analytical challenge to detect these compounds and to monitor their environmental fate. We developed a simple sample preparation method using liquid-liquid extraction combined with HPLC-high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) capable of measuring six standard arsenolipids in seawater at the ng As/L level (