A non-target analysis method identifying unknown substances and a screening analysis method simultaneously semi-quantifying chemical substances were studied by liquid chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC/HRMS) in order to progress the Environmental Monitoring of Chemicals. The study was carried out in the period of FY2017-FY2019 by the technical working group under the Environmental Health and Safety Division, Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan. As a study on the non-target analysis, chemical substances of environmental concern were measured by LC/HRMS, and the intact and partial structures corresponding to the precursor ions, the product ions and the neutral losses were registered to the product ion and neutral loss database (PNDB), which had been developed by a voluntary group of researchers in universities and local government institutes in Japan. Afterwards the non-target analysis method was published (https://doi.org/10.1002/jms.4695) and the analysis tools (programs and database) were freely downloadable from the website (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X3tgzPBIL1caRCsPVCd7HgaU35ZTbYPM/view?usp=sharing). As a preliminary study for the screening analysis method, (1) the measurement parameters (m/z of precursor and product ions, retention indexes and so on) of 146 target substances were achieved, (2) sample preparation method in sediment extracts was evaluated for the screening, and (3) ionic forms of molecules, ionization effects by sample matrices and compatibility in calibration were evaluated among 4 different liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometers (LC-HRMS instruments) with 25 substances. The results are presented in this article.
