On-site gas chromatographic quantification of transformation products of rocket fuel unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine in water using vacuum-assisted headspace solid-phase microextraction

On-site quantification of rocket fuel unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) transformation products (TPs) in water is important to obtain fast results, particularly after major accidental fuel spills. In this study, the method based on vacuum-assisted headspace solid-phase microextraction (Vac-HSSPME) for quantification of UDMH TPs in water was adapted for application in combination with portable gas chromatograph (GC) with a nitrogen-phosphorus detector (NPD). External standard calibration plots in distilled water demonstrated good accuracy for all analytes (except N,N-dimethylformamide) providing spike recoveries 73.3% − 90.0% from different types of water. The limits of detection (LODs) varied from 0.2 to 40 µg L⁻¹. From the on-site measurements at a fall site of the first stage of Proton-M rocket in Ulytau Region, Kazakhstan, only 1-methyl-1H-pyrazole and N-methylformamide were detected with their signal-to-noise ratios below 10. The method based on Vac-HSSPME-GC-NPD can be recommended for quick and accurate on-site quantification of UDMH TPs in water contaminated with rocket fuel and/or in water bodies near the fuel spills, particularly after major accidents.