Developing a Method of Detecting Cyanamide and Monitoring Its Concentrations in Rivers in Osaka

Abstract

The concentrations of cyanamide in environmental water have not been reported owing to a lack of its analytical method. We have developed an analytical method for detecting cyanamide in river water and sea water, which includes the derivatization of cyanamide into dansyl-cyanamide, clean-up with a silica gel solid-phase extraction cartridge, and measurement by liquid chromatography/tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) . The method was applied to the determination of cyanamide concentration in river water at nine different locations in Osaka Prefecture. Cyanamide was detected at all locations, and its concentration ranged from a value below the method detection limit (MDL) to 4.2 ng mL^-1. The concentrations were much lower than the registration standards of agricultural chemicals concerning prevention of damage to aquatic flora and fauna (670 ng mL^-1) , and thus, the risk of cyanamide pollution to aquatic flora and fauna in the rivers was assumed to be negligible.