Solid-phase extraction-stepwise elution (SPE-SE) procedure for isolation of dissolved organic matter prior to ESI-FT-ICR-MS analysis

Characterization of dissolved organic matter (DOM) at the molecular level will greatly improve our understanding of its bio-geochemical role in controlling the fate of contaminants in the environment, and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) is the most powerful analytical technique for this purpose. Before FT-ICR-MS analysis, isolation, desalination and concentration of DOM are necessary, and solid-phase extraction (SPE) is the most widely applied pretreatment procedure. However, some molecular information is lost using conventional SPE methods. Here, we propose a novel strategy of SPE enrichment using stepwise elution (SPE-SE). Compounds in DOM were divided into three fractions by this SPE-SE procedure according to their polarity and ionization efficiency. The diversity of DOM molecules identified by ESI-FT-ICR-MS using SPE-SE exceeded those using conventional SPE methods by more than 50%. This method is feasible and has the potential to be used as a pretreatment strategy for complex DOM matrixes prior to ESI-FT-ICR-MS analysis, especially for those rich in nitrogenous molecules, carbohydrates, lipids and/or aromatic compounds.     

Fractionation of Dissolved Organic Matter on Coupled Reversed-Phase Monolithic Columns and Characterisation Using Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Eleven Onyx monolithic C₁₈ columns (100 x 3 mm) were connected in series to obtain a high-capacity reversed-phase HPLC column providing 110,000 theoretical plates. The column was used to fractionate a complex mixture of semi-polar and apolar components within marine dissolved organic matter (DOM), isolated using solid-phase extraction (SPE) on poly(styrene–divinylbenzene) cartridges, and Suwannee River natural organic matter, isolated by reverse osmosis. In each case, 15 isolated fractions were further separated using a second-dimension reversed-phase HPLC coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry. Successful fractionation of the major compositional materials within DOM (i.e. carboxylic-rich alicyclic molecules, CRAM) in order of decreasing polarity was confirmed. Upon formulae assignment, homologous series of compounds were fractionated according to decreasing O/C ratio and increasing H/C ratio. Different compounds with the same exact masses were separated across six fractions, highlighting the immensely complex nature of the material, with the presence of potentially hundreds of molecules for each molecular formula. Both samples showed clear compositional differences not only related to source (seawater or freshwater), but also to the extraction method applied (SPE or reverse osmosis).     

On-line solid-phase extraction coupled to hydrophilic interaction chromatography-mass spectrometry for the determination of polar drugs

The present study describes the first fully automated method based on on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupled to hydrophilic interaction chromatography-electrospray-mass spectrometry (HILIC-(ESI)MS) to determine a group of polar drugs that includes illicit drugs (such as cocaine, morphine, codeine and metabolites) and pharmaceuticals in environmental water samples. The SPE was performed using a highly retentive polymeric sorbent. The HILIC separation was optimised and the initial high organic content of the chromatographic mobile phase, was also suitable for the proper on-line elution of the analytes retained in the SPE column and for enhancing the ESI ionisation efficiency. This method allows the loading of samples of up to 250ml of ultrapure water or 10ml of environmental water samples spiked at low ngl(-1) levels of the analytes. The method yields near 100% recoveries for all the analytes. The method was also validated with environmental water samples with linear ranges from 5 to 1000ngl(-1) and limits of detection ≤2ngl(-1) for most of the compounds.     

龙口页岩油中含氧化合物的分析与鉴定

用酸碱分离和萃取色谱分离相结合的方法将龙口页岩油分离为酸性组分、碱性组分和五个中性组分(饱和烃、芳香烃、含氮化合物、含氧化合物1、含氧化合物2)。采用GC-MS和负离子ESI FT-ICR MS鉴定了龙口页岩油中酸性组分、中性组分4和中性组分5中含氧化合物的组成。GC-MS分析结果表明,龙口页岩油酸性组分含氧化合物主要包括苯酚类、茚满酚类、萘酚类、联苯酚类、芴酚类、菲酚类,以及C_5～16烷酸;龙口页岩油中性组分4和中性组分5中含氧化合物主要包括C_9～32脂肪酮和酯类化合物。FT-ICR MS分析结果表明,龙口页岩油中含氧化合物主要有O₁、O₂、O₃、N₁O₁、N₁O₂类化合物,其中,O₁和O₂类化合物种类较多。龙口页岩油重均相对分子质量集中在150～600 Da,说明龙口页岩油是由小分子化合物组成的。其表现出来的某些大分子化合物的性质,是由小分子化合物通过范德华力或氢键聚合在一起而形成的。龙口页岩油中O₁、O₂、O₃类化合物中DBE主要分布在1和4,说明龙口页岩油中O₁、O₂、O₃类化合物不饱和度和缩合度较低,因此,龙口页岩油是生物降解程度较低的油。     

Analysis of 29 per- and polyfluorinated compounds in water,sediment, soil and sludge by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Several analytical methods were optimised for the analysis of 29 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), including perfluorocarboxylic acids, perfluoroalkyl sulphonic acids and fluorotelomers (FTs), such as sulphonate, saturated carboxylic acid, unsaturated carboxylic acid, sulphonamide and sulphonamide betaine (FTAB), in environmental samples in order to assess pollution by PFASs around heavily contaminated sites. Non-filtered water samples were extracted, purified and pre-concentrated by a solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure. Solid samples (sediments, soils and sludges) were extracted through solvent extraction under acidic conditions and thereafter purified and pre-concentrated using the same SPE procedure as for the water samples. An ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry in negative electrospray ionisation mode was employed to separate and detect targeted compounds. Twelve labelled internal standards were used to provide an adequate correction compensating for matrix effects. The limits of quantification (LOQs) were between 4 and 10 ng/L in water depending on the analytes. For solid samples, the LOQs were 2 ng/g dry weight (dw) in sediments and soils, and 20 ng/g dw in sludges for all analytes. A surrogate parameter method based on the carboxylation of perfluoroalkyl acid precursors under basic pH conditions was furthermore implemented to estimate the occurrence of non-targeted PFAS compounds. In order to evaluate the reliability of these analytical methods, environmental samples collected around a training area in France, where aqueous fire-fighting foam is used, were analysed. Of all the compounds detected in these environmental samples, 6:2 FTAB was found in the highest concentrations.     

Strategies for the extraction of free and bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in run-off waters rich in organic matter

The objective of this study was to optimize and characterise extraction methods to examine the effects of wood ash application on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentrations in run-off waters for the evaluation of their distribution by storage in the different compartments (free and bound to dissolved organic matter, DOM), what influence their stability and persistence. The feasibility of solid phase extraction (SPE) and stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) for the determination of eight PAHs in run-off water samples has been evaluated. Both are appropriate to determine PAHs in run-off waters, but SPE is suitable for the determination of overall PAHs, while SBSE is used for the determination of free PAHs. The combination of both extraction techniques can then be used to estimate PAHs bound to DOM. Another approach based in the only use of SBSE is proposed for the estimation of all PAHs fractions (free, bound to DOM, and overall), once we are able to estimate the fraction percentage the free concentration represents. The percentage of free fraction was variable in the run-off waters with medium levels of DOM depending on the number of aromatic rings, molecular weight and water solubility of PAHs.     

Comparison of solid-phase extraction and micro-solid-phase extraction for liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of pesticides in water samples

Our recent on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) device for micro-liquid chromatography, known as micro-solid-phase extraction (microSPE), was compared with traditional SPE for the analysis, from aqueous samples, of 4 pesticides belonging to different classes. Two different kinds of adsorbents, C18 and graphitized carbon black, were tested. A 2-stage ion trap mass spectrometer, equipped with homemade microflow electrospray ion (ESI) source, was used. Detection limits with a signal-to-noise ratio of 3:1 for both extraction methods were in the range of 0.1 microg/L for all compounds. However, better recoveries were obtained when microSPE traps were used.     

Highly sensitive determination of tetrabromobisphenol A and bisphenol A in environmental water samples by solid‐phase extraction and liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry

Using bamboo‐activated charcoal as SPE adsorbent, a novel SPE method was developed for the sensitive determination of tetrabromobisphenol A and bisphenol A in environmental water samples by rapid‐resolution LC‐ESI‐MS/MS. Important parameters influencing extraction efficiency, including type of eluent, eluent volume, sample pH, volume and flow rate, were investigated and optimized. Under the optimal extraction conditions (eluent: 8 mL methanol, pH: 7; flow rate: 4 mL/min; sample volume: 100 mL), low LODs (0.01–0.02 ng/mL), good repeatability (6.2–8.3%) and wide linearity range (0.10–10 ng/mL) were obtained. Satisfied results were achieved when the proposed method was applied to determine the two target compounds in real‐world environmental water samples with spiked recoveries over the range of 80.5–119.8%. All these facts indicate that trace determination of tetrabromobisphenol A and bisphenol A in real‐world environmental water samples can be realized by bamboo‐activated charcoal SPE‐rapid resolution‐LC‐ESI‐MS/MS.     

固相萃取高效液相色谱质谱法测定海水中烷基酚和烷基酚聚氧乙烯醚

建立了固相萃取-高效液相色谱-电喷雾质谱分析海水中辛基酚、壬基酚、辛基酚聚氧乙烯醚和壬基酚聚氧乙烯醚的方法。海水样品经C18固相萃取柱富集净化后,以甲醇-水为流动相,在Hypersil GOLD色谱柱上分离,电喷雾质谱在选择离子监测模式下分析目标化合物,采用外标法定量。结果表明,4种化合物的平均加标回收率为59.6%～104.4%,相对标准偏差(RSD, n=3)为1.0%～13.5%;仪器检出限为0.08～3 μg/L。将本方法用于大连海岸6个采样点海水中辛基酚、壬基酚、辛基酚聚氧乙烯醚和壬基酚聚氧乙烯醚的检测发现,样品中壬基酚和壬基酚聚氧乙烯醚均有检出,且油港和海港附近海水中的含量较高。     

Determination of Sulfophenyl Carboxylic Acids in Agricultural Groundwater Samples by Liquid Chromatography with Fluorescence Detection

Abstract

We have developed an analytical method to determine six sulfophenyl carboxylic acids (SPC) in agricultural groundwater samples. It involves a solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure and subsequent separation and determination using liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (LC–FD).The quantification limits ranged between 0.7 and 1.2 ng ml^?1. The proposed method was proved satisfactorily for the detection and determination of these compounds in groundwater samples during a study into the biodegradation of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) in an agricultural soil sampled from the irrigated plain to the west of Granada (Spain).     

Comparison between DAX-8 and C-18 solid phase extraction of rainwater dissolved organic matter

Rainwater is a very low concentrated matrix and, for dissolved organic matter (DOM) characterization, an efficient extraction procedure is essential. Isolation procedures based on the adsorption onto XAD-8 and C-18 sorbents have been used in the literature for rainwater DOM isolation, but a comparison between these procedures is lacking. In this work, UV-visible and molecular fluorescence spectroscopies highlighted differences between rainwater DOM isolated by DAX-8 (replacement for XAD-8) and by C-18. It was possible to recover higher rainwater DOM percentage by the C-18 based procedure than by the DAX-8 one. Rainwater protein-like compounds were better concentrated by the C-18 procedure than by the DAX-8 one, while humic-like compounds were similarly concentrated by both procedures. Furthermore, rainwater DOM extracted by the C-18 procedure was more representative of the global matrix, while DAX-8 preferentially extracted humic-like compounds.     

Extraction of alkyl methylphosphonic acids from aqueous samples using a conventional polymeric solid-phase extraction sorbent and a molecularly imprinted polymer

The analysis of alkyl methylphosphonic acids (AMPAs) constitutes an important subject for verifying the compliance to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Indeed, alkyl methylphosphonic acids are the degradation products of V and G nerve agents such as VX, sarin or soman. Lowering the limits of detection of analytical methods for complex aqueous matrices implies the introduction of concentration and clean-up steps in the whole analytical process. Therefore a molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) has been previously developed for the selective extraction and the concentration of the alkyl methylphosphonic acids. Unfortunately, the selective retention process on this MIP has involved the development of hydrogen bonds and so does not allow the direct percolation of aqueous samples. A change of solvent is then necessary and can be performed using solid-phase extraction (SPE) with conventional non selective hydrophobic sorbents. Two polymeric sorbents, Oasis HLB and HR-P resins, were selected for their high specific surface area. The extraction recoveries obtained on both sorbents were compared and the Oasis HLB sorbent was further selected and used for the percolation of acidified aqueous samples. An optimised SPE procedure was then applied to concentrate an aqueous soil extract spiked with isobutyl methylphosphonic acid (iBMPA) and cyclopentyl methylphosphonic acid (cPMPA) that was further cleaned-up by passing through the MIP. The resulting LC-MS full scan chromatograms highlight the clean-up effect of the SPE-MIP association by the removal of the matrix substances and the preservation of 95% of the compounds of interest.     

Chromium(VI) oxide oxidation of non‐ethoxylated and ethoxylated alcohols for determination by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

A new derivatization procedure to increase the sensitivity of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS) to non‐ethoxylated and ethoxylated alcohols was investigated. The analytes were oxidized with chromium(VI) oxide and the resulting carboxylic and ethoxy‐carboxylic acids were isolated by extraction with ethyl acetate; the extracts were alkalinized and infused into the ESI‐MS system working in the negative‐ion mode. The yields of the combined oxidation‐extraction were ca. 100% for non‐ethoxylated fatty alcohols dissolved in acetone and they decreased moderately in samples containing increasing amounts of water (e.g., a 75% yield was obtained with 50% water). Ethoxylated alcohols with more than two ethylene oxide units resulted in yields of ca. 60%. Low limits of detection (LODs) were obtained when the procedure was applied to the analysis of body‐care products and cosmetics containing fatty alcohols, e.g., in a varicose‐vein cream, the LODs were 25 µg cetyl alcohol and 7.5 µg stearyl alcohol (detected as palmitic acid and stearic acid, respectively) per gram of sample. High molecular mass alcohols were also detected in seawater after pre‐concentration by solid‐phase extraction. Thus, the proposed method is particularly valuable for use in industrial samples having complex matrices and in environmental samples and it is competitive with other methods for the analysis of trace amounts of fatty alcohols. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

固相萃取-超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法同时测定保健食品中21种非法添加化合物

建立了固相萃取-超高效液相色谱-串联质谱同时测定保健食品中21种非法添加化合物的方法。样品用乙腈超声提取后，采用HLB固相萃取小柱净化，经Waters BEH C18色谱柱（100 mm×2.1 mm，1.7 μm）分离，以10 mmol/L乙酸铵和甲醇为流动相进行梯度洗脱，采用电喷雾电离（ESI）源，在多反应监测模式下检测。结果表明，21种非法添加化合物均呈良好的线性关系，相关系数均≥0.995，不同基质的检出限为3~160 μg/kg，回收率为61.8%~109.3%，相对标准偏差为1.6%~14.7%。该方法可用于减肥类、降脂类、降糖类、降压类保健食品中21种非法添加药物的同时测定。     

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry studies of cyclodextrin‐carboxylate ion inclusion complexes

Aqueous solutions containing simple model aliphatic and alicyclic carboxylic acids (surrogates 1–4) were studied using negative ion electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS) in the presence and absence of α‐, β‐, and γ‐cyclodextrin. Molecular ions were detected corresponding to the parent carboxylic acids and complexed forms of the carboxylic acids; the latter corresponding to non‐covalent inclusion complexes formed between carboxylic acid and cyclodextrin compounds (e.g., β‐CD, α‐CD, and γ‐CD). The formation of 1:1 non‐covalent inclusion cyclodextrin‐carboxylic complexes and non‐inclusion forms of the cellobiose‐carboxylic acid compounds was also observed. Aqueous solutions of Syncrude‐derived mixtures of aliphatic and alicyclic carboxylic acids (i.e. naphthenic acids; NAs) were similarly studied using ESI‐MS, as outlined above. Molecular ions corresponding to the formation of CD‐NAs inclusion complexes were observed whereas 1:1 non‐inclusion forms of the cellobiose‐NAs complexes were not detected. The ESI‐MS results provide evidence for some measure of inclusion selectivity according to the 'size‐fit' of the host and guest molecules (according to carbon number) and the hydrogen deficiency (z‐series) of the naphthenic acid compounds. The relative abundances of the molecular ions of the CD‐carboxylate anion adducts provide strong support for differing complex stability in aqueous solution. In general, the 1:1 complex stability according to hydrogen deficiency (z‐series) of naphthenic acids may be attributed to the nature of the cavity size of the cyclodextrin host compounds and the relative lipophilicity of the guest. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Selectivity of solid-phase extraction phases in the determination of biodegradation products

The extraction techniques connected with gas chromatography were used to describe quantitatively and qualitatively the biodegradation process. We investigated the biodegradation of hydrocarbons and non-ionic surfactants. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid-liquid extraction were used for the isolation of the non-degraded compounds and their degradation products. The selectivity of SPE has a significant influence on the isolation and preconcentration of organic compounds from water.     

Determination of five nitrobenzoic acids in groundwater by solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

A method involving solid-phase extraction (SPE) and reversed-phase liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) has been developed for determination, in groundwater, of nitrobenzoic acids associated with 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene production. Pre-concentration on a co-polymer-based SPE cartridge enabled quantitative extraction of the analytes from water. Investigation of negative ion electrospray and atmospheric-pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry indicated the sensitivity of APCI was more than twice that of ESI. An ¹⁵N-labeled internal standard was used to achieve more accurate quantitation and mass assignment. Recovery was better than 80% when 10 mL water was extracted with the SPE cartridge. Combination of SPE with LC–MS analysis resulted in method detection limits of less than 5 μg L⁻¹. The method has been used for analysis of groundwater samples collected from a site of a former ammunition plant. Contamination with nitrobenzoic acids was determined at μg L⁻¹ levels.     

Determination of phenoxyalkanoic acids and other herbicides at the ng/ml level in water by solid-phase extraction with poly(divinylbenzene-co-N-vinylpyrrolidone) sorbent and high-performance liquid chromatography--diode-array detection

A method for the determination of phenoxyalkanoic acids and other polar compounds in environmental water samples without pH adjustment before extraction has been developed. Recoveries were calculated from 500 ml of milliQ water spiked at the level of 0.5 ng/ml using solid-phase extraction (SPE) and HPLC-DAD. Different SPE materials (RP-C18, ENV+, ENV+-C8, SAX and Oasis HLB) were tested. After method optimization, 15 of the 16 compounds studied could be extracted with recoveries better than 70% on the most suitable copolymeric poly(divinylbenzene-co-N-vinylpyrrolidone) material (Oasis HLB cartridges).     

Rapid tool for distinction of wines based on the global volatile signature

A new methodology capable of performing the simultaneous analysis of the main surfactants--linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS), alkyl ethoxysulfates (AES), alkyl sulfates (AS), nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NPEOs) and alcohol polyethoxylates (AEOs)--and their carboxylated metabolites--sulfophenyl carboxylic acids (SPCs) and alkylphenol ethoxycarboxylates (APECs)--in environmental samples has been developed for the first time. Extraction is carried out by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) from water and sediment, respectively. Identification and quantification of the target compounds is performed using a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) system equipped with an electrospray interface (ESI) operating in mixed-mode. Optimization of parameters such as pH, ionic strength, temperature and solvents has been carried out in order to obtain recoveries in the range from 70 to 107% for most homologs, while the limits of detection are 0.05-0.5 ng mL(-1) in water and 1-10 ng g(-1) in sediment. The proposed methodology has been applied for the simultaneous determination of all the target compounds in samples taken from aquatic ecosystems in the SW of Spain. Values for LAS, AS, AES, NPEOs and AEOs are up to 38.7, 3.0, 2.9, 5.0 and 1.2 microg L(-1) in waters, and in the ranges of 1.73-12.80, 0.11-0.24, 0.02-0.59, 1.94-2.70 and 0.64-3.64 mg kg(-1) in sediments, respectively. The highest concentrations of metabolites found in water are 149.6 microg L(-1) of SPCs and 3.9 microg L(-1) of APECs.