Monitoring drinking water quality using differential mobility spectrometry

1. A method for monitoring of fluid composition using a field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometer, the method comprising:

(a) providing a first fluid sample;

(b) generating a first time-averaged ion abundance profile corresponding to the composition of the first fluid sample;

(c) providing a second fluid sample;

(d) generating a second time-averaged ion abundance profile corresponding to the composition of the second fluid sample; and

(e) detecting a change in the fluid composition by comparing the second profile to the first profile.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometer comprises:

an ionization source for ionizing the fluid sample and creating ions;

a housing defining an analytical gap;

an ion filter disposed in the analytical gap downstream from the ionization source, and including electrodes on an inside surface of the housing for creating an asymmetric electric field to filter the ions;

an ion flow generator including electrodes proximate but insulated with respect to the ion filter electrodes for creating an electric field transverse to the asymmetric electric field for propelling ions through the asymmetric electric field; and

an ion detector for sensing ions not filtered by the ion filter.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein steps (c), (d), and (e) are performed in sequence substantially immediately following step (b).

4. The method of claim 1 wherein steps (c), (d), and (e) are performed in sequence at a time interval following step (b).

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the time interval does not exceed 1 day.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the time interval does not exceed 1 hour.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the time interval does not exceed 1 minute.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the fluid comprises drinking water.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the change in the fluid composition comprises an increased concentration of at least one contaminant.