Journal of chromatography. A
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In this work, a headspace-solid-phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method for multielemental speciation of organometallic compounds of mercury, lead and tin in water samples was upgraded by the introduction of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) as detection technique. The analytical method is based on the ethylation with NaBEt(4) and simultaneous headspace-solid-phase micro-extraction of the derivative compounds followed by GC-MS/MS analysis. The main experimental parameters influencing the extraction efficiency such as derivatisation time, extraction time and extraction temperature were optimized. ⋯ The proposed method presented good linear regression coefficients (r(2)>0.9970) and repeatability (4.8-21.0%) for all the compounds under study. The accuracy of the method measured as the average percentage recovery of the compounds in spiked river water and seawater samples was higher than 80% for all the compounds studied, except for monobutyltin in the river water sample. A study of the uncertainty associated with the analytical results was also carried out.