Quantification of Caffeine as an Anthropogenic Marker in Western Lake Superior

Loading...
Thumbnail Image

Persistent link to this item

Statistics
View Statistics

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Title

Quantification of Caffeine as an Anthropogenic Marker in Western Lake Superior

Published Date

2016-11

Publisher

Type

Thesis or Dissertation

Abstract

Caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine) is a widely used anthropogenic marker to trace untreated wastewater in natural water samples. Understanding possible locations of wastewater inputs and the extent to which contaminants in untreated wastewater can spread is significant in maintaining and preserving Lake Superior’s ecosystems and water quality. For this study, an existing method based on solid phase extraction using hydrophilic-lipophilic-balanced (HLB) resin and electrospray mass spectrometry was revised and applied to quantify the caffeine content in western Lake Superior. Method development addressed sample preparation techniques, determinations of the limits of detection and quantification of caffeine, and quantitative analysis for analyte ion fragmentation. Once the method was optimized for analyte quantification, western Lake Superior surface water samples were collected at 5 stations, including off and near shore sites, to gain insight into possible contaminant distributions. Caffeine measurements ranged from 5-26 ng/L with higher concentrations near shore and depleted concentrations offshore.

Keywords

Description

University of Minnesota M.S. thesis. November 2016. Major: Chemistry. Advisor: Elizabeth Austin-Minor. 1 computer file (PDF); vii, 114 pages.

Related to

Replaces

License

Series/Report Number

Funding information

Isbn identifier

Doi identifier

Previously Published Citation

Other identifiers

Suggested citation

Hanson, Kaila. (2016). Quantification of Caffeine as an Anthropogenic Marker in Western Lake Superior. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/191279.

Content distributed via the University Digital Conservancy may be subject to additional license and use restrictions applied by the depositor. By using these files, users agree to the Terms of Use. Materials in the UDC may contain content that is disturbing and/or harmful. For more information, please see our statement on harmful content in digital repositories.