Sample preparation for the chromatographic determination of ecdysteroids using solid-phase extraction methods

The ecdysteroids are hormones widely distributed in insects and crustaceans, where they are involved in the regulation of moulting. Methods of sample preparation based on solid-phase extraction of the ecdysteroids from biological samples for subsequent chromatographic analysis are reviewed. Most methods use an initial partition of the sample (or extract) between water or aqueous methanol with a non-polar solvent to remove lipids. The aqueous portion is applied to a cartridge containing C₁₈-bonded silica gel. Removal of polar impurities is then effected, followed by recovery of the ecdysteroids from the cartridge and chromatographic analysis. Results are given for the use of phenylboronic acid (PBA) bonded to silica gel as a means of obtaining a much more specific method of extraction. The PBA phase was shown to have a high affinity for ecdysteroids containing a 20,22-cis-diol but not for compounds possessing only a 2,3-cis-diol.     

无筛板型固相萃取柱的制备及其在食品中苯甲酸的测定研究

结合固相萃取(SPE)盘与含支撑物的SPE柱技术,制备了一种新型的无筛板型固相萃取柱.以C18填料为例,以话梅样品为介质对其中的苯甲酸进行分析,并用传统固相萃取小柱平行比较;将SPE与HPLC-UV结合,考察了填料对简单介质中苯甲酸的最大吸附量及洗脱曲线,研究了新型SPE柱在实际应用中的分离纯化效果.结果表明,新型SPE柱对样品的吸附效果更好,规格为200 mg/3 mL的SPE柱对苯甲酸的吸附量达到0.951 mg,超过了传统柱的吸附量0.908 mg;其洗脱曲线与传统柱几乎重合;苯甲酸在1～100 mg/L浓度范围内线性关系良好, r=0.9999,用此SPE柱纯化后的样品加标回收率和相对误差分别在88.4%～102.3%和1.4%～2.9%之间.     

Analysis of chemical warfare agents in water by solid phase extraction and two-channel capillary gas chromatography

Solid phase extraction with commercial C-18 cartridges has been applied to the analysis of some well known chemical warfare agents in water samples. Different sample pretreatment and cartridge conditioning procedures, and different extraction solvents were tested to study the optimum conditions for efficient extraction and recovery of the compounds of interest. The eluates were analyzed with a two-channel gas chromatograph equipped with an autosampler and a retention index monitoring system. The suitability of this technique for real samples is discussed: the rapid hydrolysis of many of the compounds studied and the poor recoveries of the polar degradation products are practical limitations of the method.     

Simultaneous preconcentration of polar and non‐polar organophosphorus pesticides from water samples by using a new sorbent based on mesoporous silica

A new mesoporous silica based on the sol–gel material cyanopropyltriethoxysilane (CNPrTEOS) was successfully synthesized by the hydrolysis and condensation of CNPrTEOS in the presence of ammonium solution as catalyst and methanol as solvent. It was used as a solid‐phase extraction sorbent for the simultaneous extraction of three organophosphorus pesticides, namely, polar dicrotophos and non‐polar diazinon and chlorpyrifos. Analysis was performed using high‐performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. CNPrTEOS was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, field‐emission scanning electron microscopy and nitrogen gas adsorption. The surface area and average pore diameter of the optimum sol–gel CNPrTEOS are 379 m²/g and 4.7 nm (mesoporous), respectively. The proposed solid‐phase extraction based on CNPrTEOS exhibited good linearity in the range of 0.8–100 μg/L, satisfactory precision (1.15–3.82%), high enrichment factor (800) and low limit of detection (0.072–0.091 μg/L). The limits of detection obtained using the proposed solid‐phase extraction method are well below the maximum residue limit set by European Union and are also lower (13.6–48.5×) than that obtained by using a commercial CN‐SPE cartridge (0.98–4.41 μg/L). The new mesoporous sol–gel CNPrTEOS showed promising alternative as SPE sorbent material for the simultaneous extraction of polar and non‐polar organophosphorus pesticides.     

Capillary GC Determination of Amines in Aqueous Samples Using Sorptive Preconcentration on Polydimethylsiloxane and Polyacrylate Phases

The use of sorptive extraction/thermal desorption (SE/TD) for the enrichment of amines from aqueous samples was investigated. The amines were derivatized in situ in the water sample by pentafluorobenzoyl chloride and subsequently enriched onto the SE cartridge. Two SE/TD cartridges were used, a commercially available polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) packed cartridge and a similar cartridge prepared with newly synthesized poly(butyl acrylate) (PBA). Blank profiles of PBA were not as good as those obtained from the PDMS phase. A complex chromatogram was obtained using mass spectrometric detection. Fortunately, the use of a nitrogen-phosphorus detector (NPD) resulted in clean blanks. The PBA phase showed superior performance for the enrichment of the polar amine derivatives from water samples compared to the PDMS material. Using a CGC-NPD set-up and only 1 mL samples, detection limits are in the sub-ppb range.     

Rapid and sensitive determination of phenylurea herbicides in water in the presence of their anilines by extraction with a Carbopack cartridge followed by liquid chromatography

A rapid and sensitive method for determining phenylurea herbicides in environmental aqueous samples in the presence of their anilines is described. The water sample is preconcentrated by passage at a flow-rate of ca. 150 ml/min through a 250-mg graphitized carbon black (Carbopack B) cartridge. After washing with 0.6 ml of methanol, the Carbopack B trap is connected with a cartridge containing a strong cation exchanger. Organics trapped by the Carbopack cartridge are eluted by passage of 6 ml of methylene chloride-methanol (95:5, v/v). Anilines and other basic compounds are quantitatively subtracted from the solvent system while flowing through the cation-exchange cartridge. After evaporation and redissolution, the sample is subjected to reversed-phase gradient elution high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection at 250 nm. Recoveries of phenylureas added to water at levels between 30 and 3000 ng/l were higher than 92%. The limit of detection was about 1 ng/l, for a 2-1 sample. With respect to an octadecyl (C18)-bonded silica cartridge, the Carbopack B cartridge had a far better extraction efficiency for polar phenylureas.     

Solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of flumequine and oxolinic acid in salmon plasma

Two methods for determination of oxolinic acid and flumequine in salmon plasma are described. The first method applies sample pretreatment on C2 disposable solid-phase extraction columns. The second method is based on direct plasma injection and on-line sample clean-up on a polystyrene-divinylbenzene precolumn. After column-switching, the analytes are separated on a polystyrene-divinylbenzene analytical column and detected with a fluorescence detector. Validation of the methods showed good sensitivity, precision and reproducibility. Both methods are well suited for determination of plasma levels of the drugs in pharmacokinetic studies in Atlantic salmon.     

The evaluation of different sorbents for the preconcentration of phenoxyacetic acid herbicides and their metabolites from soils

A procedure using alkaline extraction, solid-phase extraction (SPE) and HPLC is developed to analyze the polar herbicides 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) together with their main metabolites in soils. An ion-pairing HPLC method is used for the determination as it permits the baseline separation of these highly polar herbicides and their main metabolites. The use of a highly cross-linked polystyrene-divinylbenzene sorbent (PS-DVB) gives the best results for the analysis of these compounds. This sorbent allows the direct preconcentration of the analytes at the high pH values obtained after quantitative alkaline extraction of the herbicides from soil samples. Different parameters are evaluated for the SPE preconcentration step. The high polarity of the main analytes of interest (2,4-D and MCPA) makes it necessary to work at low flow rates (< or =0.5 mL min(-1)) in order for these compounds to be retained by the PS-DVB sorbent. A two stage desorption from the SPE sorbent is required to obtain the analytes in solvents that are appropriate for HPLC determination. A first desorption with a 50:50 methanol:water mixture elutes the most polar analytes (2,4-D, MCPA and 2CP). The second elution step with methanol permits the analysis of the other phenol derivatives. The humic and fulvic substances present in the soil are not efficiently retained by PS-DVB sorbents at alkaline pH's and so do not interfere in the analysis. This method has been successfully applied in the analysis of soil samples from a golf course treated with a commercial product containing esters of 2,4-D and MCPA as the active components.     

Analysis of mono- and diesters of o-phthalic acid by solid-phase extractions with polystyrene-divinylbenzene-based polymers

Retention mechanisms of an unmodified and a hydroxylated polystyrene-divinylbenzene polymer were studied by solid-phase extraction of o-phthalic acid and some of its mono- and diesters from purified water and then analysing by GC-MS. The monoesters and phthalic acid were retained only when protonated (i.e. acidified with HCI to pH 0.9). Of all elution solvents tested, ethyl acetate gave the best overall recoveries (61-89%) with both polymers. Applicability to complex matrixes (e.g. acidogenic landfill leachates) was examined by introducing a washing step with acetone in acidified water (pH 0.9) to eliminate volatile fatty acids (C2-C6) from the cartridge. Finally, the method was tested on real samples.     

Signal processing to evaluate parameters affecting SPE for multi‐residue analysis of personal care products

This paper discusses the development of a comprehensive method for the simultaneous analysis of personal care products (PCPs) based on SPE and GC‐MS. The method was developed on 29 target compounds to represent PCPs belonging to different chemical classes: surfactants in detergents (alkyl benzenes), fragrances in cosmetics (nitro and polycyclic musks), antioxidants and preservatives (phenols), plasticizers (phthalates) displaying a wide range of volatility, polarity, water solubility. In addition to the conventional C₁₈ stationary phase, a surface modified styrene divinylbenzene polymeric phase (Strata^TM X SPE cartridge) has been investigated as suitable for the simultaneous extraction of several PCPs with polar and non‐polar characteristics. For both sorbents different solvent compositions and eluting conditions were tested and compared in order to achieve high extraction efficiency for as many sample components as possible. Comparison of the behavior of the two cartridges reveals that, overall, Strata‐X provides better efficiency with extraction recovery higher than 70% for most of the PCPs investigated. The best results were obtained under the following operative conditions: an evaporation temperature of 40°C, elution on Strata‐X cartridge using a volume of 15 mL of ethyl acetate (EA) as solvent and operating with slow flow rate (–10 KPa). In addition to the conventional method based on peak integration, a chemometric approach based on the computation of the experimental autocovariance function (EACVF_tot) was applied to the complex GC‐MS signal: the percentage recovery and information on peak abundance distribution can be evaluated for each procedure step. The PC‐based signal processing proved very helpful in assisting the development of the analytical procedure, since it saves labor and time and increases result reliability in handling GC complex signals.     

Speciation Analysis of Mercury in Water and Human Urine Using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry after Solid Phase Disk Extraction

In recent years, there has been growing interest in the field of mercury speciation analysis. Mercury speciation analysis of water or urine matrices are necessary for solving various environmental, biological or clinical problems. Due to the complexity of sample matrices and the low levels of mercury species, an extraction step, such as liquid-liquid extraction or solid phase cartridge extraction, is required for Hg speciation analysis to isolate and enrich analyte species from sample matrices. As a new experimental configuration, disks or membranes for solid phase extraction (SPE) have been utilized in recent years for the preparation of many different organic and environmental samples. However,the literature survey revealed that solid-phase disk extraction has received little attention in the field of elemental speciation analysis.     

The evaluation of carbon nanotubes as a sorbent for dicamba herbicide

The potential of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a novel sorbent for extraction of dicamba, a highly polar acidic herbicide, from aqueous samples was evaluated. The sorption capacity of CNTs increases remarkably with decreasing sample pH. The solution of ACN and ammonia (80:20 v/v) was found to be the most effective as the eluent for desorption from a 0.2 g CNT cartridge. The method was tested for river water samples with the LOD of 2 microg/L (for 100 mL sample) and compared with C18 bonded silica.     

Use of a Drying Cartridge in On-Line Solid-Phase Extraction–Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

A drying cartridge was used and optimized for the in-line elimination of water from the desorption eluent in on-line solid phase extraction–gas chromatography (SPE–GC). The cartridge is essentially a small stainless-steel precolumn packed with a drying agent which can be regenerated by simultaneous heating and purging with a moisture-free gas. The drying cartridge was mounted on an additional valve instead of between the SPE–GC transfer valve and the on-column injector to enable regeneration of the cartridge during the GC run and, thus, to increase sample throughput. Three drying agents were tested, viz. sodium sulfate, silica, and molecular sieves. Although molecular sieves have the highest capacity, silica was preferred because of practical considerations. Large-volume injections were performed through the in-line drying cartridge using a mixture of 23 microcontaminants ranging widely in polarity and volatility. Four solvents were tested. With pentane and hexane, the more polar analytes were retained by the drying cartridge. Ethyl acetate and methyl acetate gave much better (and closely similar) recoveries for all analytes. Because water elimination on the silica cartridge proved to be less critical than with ethyl acetate, this solvent was finally selected. The entire SPE–drying cartridge–GC set-up was combined with mass spectrometric (MS) detection for the determination of a mixture of micropollutants in real-life water samples. With 10-ml tap water samples spiked at the 0.5 μg/l level, for the majority of the test compounds the analyte recoveries generally were 60–106%, and (full-scan) detection limits typically were 0.01–0.03 μg/l. Some very polar analytes such as, e.g. dimethoate, were (partially) sorbed onto the silica packing of the drying cartridge.     

Enhancing the sensitivity of capillary electrophoresis using a microcolumn solid phase extraction setup

In this paper, a setup called micro‐column solid phase extraction (MicroSPE) was developed to enhance the sensitivity of capillary electrophoresis. The setup consists of a manual pump, several insulin syringes, and a Teflon extraction cartridge. The cartridge was made of 2–4 mm irregular C₁₈ solid phase materials in a Teflon tube (375 μm ID) with glass fiber frits. Two pieces of capillary tubing were connected to both the ends of the cartridge. Using sulindac‐spiked urine as the test sample, the extraction and analytical conditions were investigated in detail. When 1 μL 70/30 methanol/water was applied as the elution solvent, satisfactory results could be obtained. The internal standard method was used to quantitatively determine the compound in urine. The detection limit for sulindac was 2.9 ng/mL and the enrichment factor reaches more than 260. The result illustrates that the MicroSPE setup has a significant concentrating effect and is suitable for preconcentrating and cleaning‐up samples with complex matrices.     

Chemically modified resins for solid-phase extraction

The packings most widely used for solid-phase extraction are hydrophobic and make poor surface contact with aqueous samples unless the resins are first treated with an activating organic solvent such as methanol. Insertion of an acetyl- or hydroxymethyl group into a porous polystyrene-divinylbenzene resin provides a more hydrophilic surface that is easily wetted by water alone. Small columns of the chemically modified resins were found to be very efficient for the solid-phase extraction of many types of organic solutes from aqueous samples. Comparative recovery studies showed that the modified resins are superior to both silica packings and unmodified organic resins for the solid-phase extraction of organic compounds, and especially for polar organics such as phenols.     

Development and evaluation of analytical methodology for the determination of aflatoxins in palm kernels.

A rapid, simple and reproducible method for the simultaneous estimation of aflatoxins AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2 in palm kernel samples has been developed by optimizing the sample preparation, solvent extraction, sample clean-up and quantification procedures. The aflatoxins are extracted from a slurried palm kernel sample with an acetone-water (80 + 20, v/v) mixture and the crude extract is cleaned up by solid-phase extraction using a phenyl bonded phase cartridge. The extract is passed through the cartridge with a water-methanol (93 + 7) mixture. Subsequent elution of the aflatoxins retained on the cartridge is achieved with a 3 ml aliquot of chloroform. The aflatoxin content of the eluate is quantified using a bi-directional high-performance thin-layer chromatography procedure. A critical evaluation of the proposed method was carried out by statistical comparison with the British Standard Method. The proposed procedure was shown to be more efficient and precise. Consistent recoveries of over 90% were achieved from spiked palm kernel extracts and detection limits were found to be 3.7, 2.5, 3.0 and 1.3 micrograms kg-1 for AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2 aflatoxins, respectively.     

Bag-SPE—a convenient extraction method for screening of pharmaceutical residues in influent and effluent water from sewage treatment plants

Bag-SPE is a solid-phase extraction (SPE) technique here applied to sample pharmaceutical residues in wastewater. The device, consisting of 20 mg polystyrene-divinylbenzene (PS-DVB) enclosed in a woven polyester fabric was immersed into a 20-mL sample. Extraction of the analytes was performed under gentle rotation (25 rpm) until distribution equilibrium was achieved (4 h). The extraction efficiency for thirteen pharmaceuticals was evaluated for the bag-SPE sampler compared to a conventional SPE cartridge (Oasis HLB). All analyses were determined on an ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled to a quadrupole time-of-flight (QToF) mass spectrometer. The detection limit of the bag-SPE technique for the analytes in wastewater ranged from 15–100 ng/L with recoveries between 20.7% and 58.2% and ion suppressions between 2.2% and 53.2%. Although the extraction efficiencies were lower with the bag-SPE sampler compared to the SPE technique, the two methods showed similar detection limits due to the lower ion suppression experienced with the bag-SPE. The results demonstrate that bag-SPE is an attractive alternative to the more, in terms of manual handling, demanding SPE technique.     

An improved method for steroid profile analysis using capillary gas chromatography

Summary Steroid conjugates are hydrolysed enzymatically using β-glucuronidase after extraction from urine using a solid phase extraction cartridge. After hydrolysis the free steroids are removed from the matrix, again utilising solid phase extraction. Derivatisation of the free hydroxyl groups using Hydrox-Sil AQ produces the respective TMS ethers which are extracted into hexane, in which solvent they are stable for many days. Capillary GC analysis with flame ionisation detection produces a profile of the steroids present in the sample. This technique is suitable for following changes in the urinary excretion profiles of patients undergoing investigation for a variety of steroid production-related diseases.     

Influence of chemical modification of polymeric resin on retention of polar compounds in solid-phase extraction

Summary Three polymeric adsorbents, two of which had been chemically modified with different hydrophilic functional moieties and the third, which was the corresponding unmodified polystyrene-divinylbenzene (PSDVB) resin, were compared for solid-phase extraction (SPE) of several polar pesticides and phenolic compounds from water samples. The SPE system was online coupled to a liquid chromatograph with UV detector. Chemical modification of the PS-DVB resin with either 2-carboxy-3/4-nitrobenzoyl or 2,4-dicarboxybenzoyl, improved the efficiency of the SPE process by increasing polar interactions with the analytes. The adsorbent with the nitro group gave higher recoveries, mainly for the most polar analytes. This adsorbent enabled 100 mL river water to be preconcentrated to determine the target analytes in this matrix.     

Application of silica-based monolith as solid phase extraction cartridge for extracting polar compounds from urine

The silica monolith with ionizable silanol groups and large surface area was found able to function as an offline cation exchange solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridge for extracting polar analytes. The prepared cartridge was housed in a 2-mL syringe fixed over a SPE vacuum manifold. The unique property of this silica monolithic cartridge was demonstrated by extracting epinephrine, normetanephrine and metanephrine from urine samples. These analytes were chosen as model compounds for testing because of their high hydrophilicity, and being candidates monitored for clinical diagnosis. The extracted analytes, after concentration and reconstitution were then quantitated by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometer (HPLC/ESI/MS). Multiple reactions monitoring was carried out with transitions: 184 → 107, 184 → 134 and 198 → 148 for analyzing epinephrine, normetanephrine and metanephrine, respectively. The limit of detection was 3 ng/mL for metanephrine and 5 ng/mL for normetanephrine and epinephrine. The relative standard deviations of measurements ranged from 2 to 10%. The sorbent offered good linearity with coefficient of determination (r²) > 0.99, over a concentration range of 20-200 ng/mL. The relative recoveries ranged from 60 to 67%, 55 to 59% and 99 to 105% for epinephrine, normetanephrine and metanephrine, respectively. The prepared cartridge had shown potential and was found robust in extracting the polar analytes repeatedly without any significant loss in efficiency.