Application of matrix solid phase dispersion to the determination of imidacloprid, carbaryl, aldicarb, and their main metabolites in honeybees by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry detection

A method based on matrix solid phase dispersion (MSPD) using C18 as dispersant and dichloromethane-methanol as eluent and liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-APCI-MS) has been developed for the simultaneous determination of imidacloprid, 6-chloronicotinic acid, carbaryl, aldicarb, aldicarb sulfoxide, and aldicarb sulfone in honeybees.The proposed method was compared with liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) combined with LC-APCI-MS analysis. Spiked blank samples were used as standards to counteract the matrix effect observed in the chromatographic determination. Recovery studies were performed at different fortification levels. Average recoveries by MSPD varied from 61% of 6-chloronicotinic acid to 99% of aldicarb sulfoxide and relative standard deviations were equal or lower than 14%. Limit of detections ranged from 0.004 mg kg⁻¹ for imidacloprid to 0.09 mg kg⁻¹ for 6-chloronicotinic acid. Results obtained by both methods were compared, MSPD showed higher recoveries and sensitivity than LLE for most pesticides, except for carbaryl. As MSPD is easier to perform, faster, consumes less sample and organic solvents than LLE, its application for pesticide analysis in honeybees is suggested.     

Solid Phase Extraction and Determination of Trace Amounts of Lead(II) Using Octadecyl Membrane Disks Modified by a New Schiff's Base and Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

A highly selective, facile and reliable method for separation and preconcentration of the trace amounts of lead present in aqueous samples is introduced. By passing the solutions through an octadecyl silica membrane disk modified by a novel Schiff's base, Pb²⁺ ions are adsorbed quantitatively while almost all interfering ions pass through the disk. The retained lead(II) ions are then eluted from the disk surface by a minimal amount of organic eluents. The influences of pH, sample flow‐rates and interfering ions are also investigated. The proposed method permits an enrichment factor of about 500 or higher and a detection limit of 0.0065 ng mL^?;1.     

Microcolumn liquid chromatography/Fourier transform infrared spectrometry interface using a potassium bromide disk

Summary A redesigned interface is reported for use in the detection of microcolumn liquid chromatographic effluents with a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The solutes eluting from the column are continuously deposited onto a 50mm diameter KBr disk as a “buffer-memory”. The disk is rotated by a stepper motor with a controlling electronics. After the chromatographic run, the disk is simply transferred to the spectrometer and the transmission spectra are measured as the disk rotates. The use of such a large KBr disk as a substrate permits to obtain spectra of the components having a large capacity factor.     

Selective Separation of Lithium,Magnesium and Calcium using 4-Phosphoryl Pyrazolones as pH-Regulated Receptors

Ensuring continuous and sustainable lithium supply requires the development of highly efficient separation processes such as LLE (liquid-liquid extraction) for both primary sources and certain waste streams. In this work, 4-phosphoryl pyrazolones are used in an efficient pH-controlled stepwise separation of Li⁺ from Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺ and K⁺. The factors affecting LLE process, such as the substitution pattern of the extractant, diluent/water distribution, co-ligand, pH, and speciation of the metal complexes involved, were systematically investigated. The maximum extraction efficiency of Li⁺ at pH 6.0 was 94 % when Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ were previously separated at pH<5.0, proving that the separation of these ions is possible by simply modulating the pH of the aqueous phase. Our study points a way to separation of lithium from acid brine or from spent lithium ion battery leaching solutions, which supports the future supply of lithium in a more environmentally friendly and sustainable manner.     

Preconcentration of trace amounts of silver ion in aqueous samples on octadecyl silica membrane disks modified with hexathia-18-crown-6 and its determination by atomic absorption spectrometry

A simple and reliable method has been developed to selectively separate and concentrate trace amounts of silver ion from aqueous samples for the subsequent measurement by atomic absorption spectrometry. Ag⁺ ions are absorbed quantitatively during passage of aqueous samples through an octadecyl-bonded silica membrane disk modified by hexathia-18-crown-6. Almost all matrix elements will pass through the disk to drain. The retained Ag⁺ ions are then stripped from the disk with a minimal amount of thiosulfate solution as eluent. The proposed method permitted large enrichment factors of about 200 and higher. The limit of detection of the proposed method is 50 ng Ag⁺ per 1000 mL. The effects of various cationic interferences on the recovery of silver in binary mixtures were studied. The method was applied to the recovery of Ag⁺ ions from different synthetic and water samples. Received: 28 September 1999 / Revised: 2 December 1999 / Accepted: 8 December 1999     

Flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination of μg amounts of Fe (III) ions after solid phase extraction using modified octadecyl silica membrane disks

A simple, rapid and reliable method has been developed to selectively separate and concentrate ultra trace amounts of Fe (III) ions from aqueous samples for the measurement by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). By the passage of aqueous samples through an octadecyl silica membrane disk modified by a recently synthesized Schiff base (Bis-(4-nitro phenyl azo) salisilidine-1,3-diamino propane), Fe(III) ions adsorb quantitatively and most of matrix elements will pass through the disk to drain. The retained iron ions are then stripped from the disk by minimal amount of 0.1 mol l^− 1 sulfuric acid as eluent. Extraction efficiency and the influence of pH, flow rates, amount of ligand, type and least amount of stripping acid as eluent were evaluated. The recovery of the iron from aqueous solution on the membrane disk modified with 3 mg Schiff's base was quantitative over pH 2–4.5.     

Effect of several variables in the polymer toys additive migration to saliva

Capacity to migrate of a representative group of polymeric additives, dyes, antioxidants, hindered amine light stabilizers (HALS) or antistatics, from plastic toys to saliva was analyzed to protect children in their habits of sucking and biting. Most of target additives appear no-regulated in toys normative but adverse effects on human health of some of them have been demonstrated and their presence in others commercial articles normative has been included.In order to offer an effective and easy tool to perform these controls, migration tests by dynamic and static contact, followed by a preconcentration step by liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and ultra performance liquid chromatographic analysis with ultraviolet-visible and evaporative light scattering detections (UPLC-UV/Vis-ELSD) have been optimized to evaluate the migrated amounts of the additives in saliva simulant. The detection limits of the migration methodologies were ranged from 8.68 × 10⁻² to 1.30 × 10⁻³ mg migrated (L simulant)⁻¹.Influence of several variables on this mass transport, as time, temperature and friction, was also analyzed to achieve the most aggressive methodology to protect consumers.Migration of several studied additives, whose presence has been demonstrated in several purchased commercial toys, has been observed.     

Liquid–liquid extraction combined with differential isotope dimethylaminophenacyl labeling for improved metabolomic profiling of organic acids

A large fraction of the known human metabolome belong to organic acids. However, comprehensive profiling of the organic acid sub-metabolome is a major analytical challenge. In this work, we report an improved method for detecting organic acid metabolites. This method is based on the use of liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) to selectively extract the organic acids, followed by using differential isotope p-dimethylaminophenacyl (DmPA) labeling of the acid metabolites. The ¹²C-/¹³C-labeled samples are analyzed by liquid chromatography Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (LC–FTICR–MS). It is shown that this LLE DmPA labeling method offers superior performance over the method of direct DmPA labeling of biofluids such as human urine. LLE of organic acids reduces the interference of amine-containing metabolites that may also react with DmPA. It can also remove water in a biofluid that can reduce the labeling efficiency. Using human urine as an example, it is demonstrated that about 2500 peak pairs or putative metabolites could be detected in a 30-min gradient LC–MS run, which is about 3 times more than that detected in a sample prepared using direct DmPA labeling. About 95% of the 1000 or so matched metabolites to the Human Metabolome Database (HMDB) are organic acids. It is further shown that this method can be used to handle as small as 10 μL of urine. We believe that this method opens the possibility of generating a very comprehensive profile of the organic acid sub-metabolome that will be useful for comparative metabolomics applications for biological studies and disease biomarker discovery.     

Supercoiled plasmid DNA purification by integrating membrane technology with a monolithic chromatography

The present study describes the integration of membrane technology with monolithic chromatography to obtain plasmid DNA with high quality. Isolation and clarification of plasmid DNA lysate were first conducted by a microfiltration step, by using a hydrophilic nylon microfiltration membrane, avoiding the need of centrifugation. For the total elimination of the remaining impurities, a suitable purification step is required. Monolithic stationary phases have been successfully applied as an alternative to conventional supports. Thus, the sample recovered from the membrane process was applied into a nongrafted CarbonylDiImidazole disk. Throughout the global procedure, a reduced level of impurities such as proteins and RNA was obtained, and no genomic DNA was detectable in the plasmid DNA sample. The chromatographic process demonstrated an efficient performance on supercoiled plasmid DNA purity and recovery (100 and 84.44%, respectively). Thereby, combining the membrane technology to eliminate some impurities from lysate sample with an efficient chromatographic strategy to purify the supercoiled plasmid DNA arises as a powerful approach for industrial‐scale systems aiming at plasmid DNA purification.     

Influence of the nature of membrane ionogenic groups on water dissociation and electrolyte ion transport: A rotating membrane disk study

Polarization properties of electromembrane systems (EMS) consisting of a heterogeneous membrane, either the MK-41 phosphonic acid membrane or the MK-40 sulfonic acid membrane, and dilute sodium chloride solutions are investigated with the rotating membrane disk method. For the MK-41/0.01 M NaCl and MK-41/0.001 M NaCl EMS, effective ion transport numbers and partial current-voltage curves (CVC) are measured for sodium and hydrogen ions, and limiting-current densities and the diffusion-layer thickness are calculated as functions of the rotation rate of the membrane disk. With the theory of the overlimiting state of EMS, internal parameters of the systems under investigation—the diffusion-layer thickness, the space-charge distribution, and electric-field strengths in the diffusion layer and in the membrane—are calculated from experimentally obtained CVC and the dependence of effective transport numbers on current density. The catalytic influence of ionogenic groups on the dissociation rate of water is analyzed quantitatively. Partial CVC for H⁺ ions are calculated for the space-charge region in MK-40 and MK-41 membranes. Analogous CVC for bipolar membranes containing sulfonic acid and phosphonic acid groups are compared. The dissociation mechanism of water is the same in all EMS and is independent of the membrane type and the nature of the functional groups.     

New extraction procedures for isolation of famotidine from aqueous samples

Liquid-liquid and solid-phase extraction procedures are proposed for famotidine isolation from aqueous samples. The isolation and spectrophotometric determination of famotidine is based on its complexation reaction with thymol blue. The composition of a complex between drug and reagent (1?:?1) was established. Dichloromethane and methanol were used as extraction solvents for LLE and SPE processes. Quantification of famotidine was done spectrophotometrically at 544?nm for dichloromethane or at 434?nm for methanolic extracts. The Beer law is obeyed in the famotidine concentration range 3?·?10^?5?mol?L^?1–2.0?·?10^?4?mol?L^?1 for LLE procedure and 2.0?·?10^?6?mol?L^?1–8.0?·?10^?5?mol?L^?1 for SPE.     

Use of a keeper to enhance the recovery of volatile polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in HPLC analysis

Summary The recorveries of volatile polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in HPLC analysis may be enhanced if a long-chain alcohol, e.g. 1-hexanol or 1-octanol, is used as keeper in the solvent-evaporation step. Even under the harsh conditions of the vacuum-concentrator centrifuge, recoveries of more than 90% were achieved for 14 of the 15 PAH tested. The use of liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) eliminates the problem of adsorption of highly condensed aromatics by the wall of the sampling bottle. The combination of LLE with vacuum-controlled rotary evaporation and use of a keeper yielded overall recoveries between 50 and 130%, for most substances close to 100%, from tap water spiked with trace concentrations. Presented at the 21^st ISC held in Stuttgart, Germany, 15^th–20^th September, 1996     

Development of a fast LC–MS/MS method for quantification of rilmenidine in human serum: elucidation of fragmentation pathways by HRMS

Rilmenidine is an alpha 2 adrenoreceptor agonist used in the treatment of mild and moderate hypertension. In this study, a fast and accurate liquid chromatographic method with tandem mass spectrometric detection has been validated in order to assure quantification of rilmenidine in human serum. The fragmentation pathway of protonated rilmenidine was studied using high‐resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). This study compared selectivity, linearity, accuracy, precision, extraction efficiency, matrix effect and sensitivity using common liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) and solid‐phase extraction (SPE) procedures. The limit of quantitation for both extraction techniques was 0.1 ng/ml. Several differences between the LLE and SPE have been observed in terms of linearity, accuracy, precision and matrix effect. Additionally, the advantages of SPE included less manual work load and increased recovery of rilmenidine in human serum to approximately 80% (LLE, 57%). The developed method involving SPE was found to be accurate (relative error (RE) < 5%), reproducible (relative standard deviation, RSD < 7%), robust and suitable for quantitative analysis of rilmenidine in serum samples obtained from patients under antihypertensive treatment. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Total concentration analysis of polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons in aqueous samples with high suspended particulate matter content

The European water framework directive (WFD) requires priority pollutants to be measured in the whole water sample and not only in the dissolved phase. However, it does not give clear definitions on how to achieve this. To overcome this limitation, a new methodology of sample preparation procedure for the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on the basis of extraction disks is introduced here. The automatable procedure includes a “one-step” extraction of the analytes both dissolved in the liquid phase of the sample and sorbed to suspended particulate matter. The latter is extracted concurrently with the solid-phase extraction (SPE) material within the elution step of the procedure. Separation, identification, and quantification of the analytes is performed by GC–MS. Results from surface water samples spiked with certified sediment up to 1000 mg/l are presented in this work and compared with results derived from liquid–liquid extraction (LLE). Most measured values are within or at least near certified uncertainty limits of the sediment. The SPE disk method shows much higher recoveries and better precision (relative standard deviations between 2% and 11%) than the standard LLE method. For all substances under investigation, the limits of quantification achieved range between 0.001 and 0.005 μg/l.     

Determination of wear metals in engine oil by mild acid digestion and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry using solid phase extraction disks

A simple, particle size-independent spectrometric method has been developed for the multi-element determination of wear metals in used engine oil. A small aliquot (0.5 ml) of an acid-digested oil sample is spotted onto a C-18 solid phase extraction disk to form a uniform thin film. The dried disk is then analyzed directly by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. This technique provides a homogeneous and reproducible sample surface to the instrument, thus overcoming the typical problems associated with uneven particle size distribution and sedimentation. As a result, the method provides higher precision and accuracy than conventional methods. Furthermore, the disk sample may be stored and re-analyzed or extracted at a later date. The signals arising from the spotted disks, and the calibration curves constructed from them, are stable for at least 2 months. The limits of detection for Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cr are 5, 1, 4, 2, and 4 μg g⁻¹, respectively. Recoveries of these elements from spiked oil samples range from 92 to 110%. The analysis of two standard reference materials and a used oil sample produced results comparable to those found by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry.     

Salting‐out assisted liquid/liquid extraction with acetonitrile: a new high throughput sample preparation technique for good laboratory practice bioanalysis using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

Acetonitrile, an organic solvent miscible with aqueous phase, has seen thousands of publications in the literature as an efficient deproteinization reagent. The use of acetonitrile for liquid–liquid extraction (LLE), however, has seen very limited application due to its miscibility with aqueous phase. The interest in LLE with acetonitrile has been pursued and reported in the literature by significantly lowering the temperature of the mixture or increasing the salt concentration in the mixture of acetonitrile and aqueous phase, resulting in the separation of the acetonitrile phase from aqueous phase, as observed in conventional LLE. However, very limited application of these methods has been reported. The throughput was limited. In this report, we report a new sample preparation technique, salting‐out assisted liquid–liquid extraction with acetonitrile, for high‐thoughput good laboratory practice sample analysis using LCMS, Two compounds from an approved drug, Kaletra^®, were used to demonstrate the extractability of drugs from human plasma matrix. Magnesium sulfate was used as the salting‐out reagent. Extracts were diluted and then injected into a reversed phase LC‐MS/MS system directly. One 96‐well plate was extracted with this new approach to evaluate multiple parameters of a good laboratory practice analytical method. Results indicate that the method is rapid, reliable and suitable for regulated bioanalysis. With minimal modification, this approach has been used for high‐throughput good laboratory practice analysis of a number of compounds under development at Abbott. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Amperometry of Heparin Polyion Using a Rotating Disk Electrode Coated with a Plasticized PVC Membrane

Electrochemical method of detection of heparin polyion was developed based on voltammetry of heparin on a rotating glassy carbon (GC) electrode coated with a plasticized PVC membrane. The membrane was deposited on the GC disk by spin‐coating technique using a mixture of solutions of PVC in tetrahydrofuran, and 1,1′‐dimethylferrocene (DMFc) and hexadecyltrimethylammonium tetrakis(4‐chlorophenyl)borate (HTMATPBCl) in o‐nitrophenyl octyl ether. UV/vis reflection spectrometry was used to evaluate the membrane thickness, which exhibits a linear correlation with the membrane resistance measured by impedance spectroscopy. It is shown that this electrode can be used for amperometric or coulometric detection of heparin in aqueous samples of medically relevant concentrations (1–10 U mL^?1), with a detection limit of 1.4 U mL^?1. Evidence is provided indicating that the current determining step is the reversible adsorption of the ion‐pair of heparin polyion with HTMA⁺ cation at the membrane/aqueous electrolyte interface, which is driven by oxidation of DMFc at the GC/membrane interface.     

Electrochemically induced chemomechanical bending of bilayered ion-exchange membranes

A bilayered ion-exchange membrane consisting of poly(styrene-co-4-vinylpyridinium ion) (anion-exchange membrane) and a gel-like mixture of poly(vinyl alcohol) and poly(acrylic acid) (cation-exchange membrane) was prepared. The bilayered membrane strip, one end of which is fixed, is placed between two carbon electrodes in a cell which contains KCl solution of 0.01 mol kg⁻¹ molality. If the electric field is applied from the cation-exchange layer side to the anion-exchange layer side, the cation-exchange layer becomes the K⁻ form and is elongated. On the contrary, if the electric field is reversed, dissociation of water into H⁺ and OH⁻ occurs at the interface between the two layers. Consequently, the carboxyl group becomes the acid form, resulting in contraction of the layer. The anion-exchange layer, which contains a strong base group, becomes either the Cl form or the OH form with changing the electric field, but there is no detectable change in volume. Thus, if the electric field applied to the membrane is periodically reversed, periodical bending of the bilayered membrane is observed.     

Liquid–Liquid Equilibria for Extraction of Citrus Essential Oil Using Ionic Liquids

The object of this study was to measure the liquid–liquid equilibria (LLE) data of binary mixtures containing ionic liquids and citrus essential oil. We investigated linalool as the citrus essential oil, and 1-alkyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([C _n MIM]⁺[TFSI]^?) as the ionic liquid. Firstly, the experimental apparatus and procedure for the LLE measurement of mixtures containing ionic liquids were verified by measuring the LLE of the binary mixture 1-hexyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([C₆MIM]⁺[TFSI]^?) + 1-hexanol as a reference test system recommended by Marsh et al. (Pure Appl Chem 81:781–789, 2009). Next, the LLE data for IL + linalool were obtained, and the LLE data of two binary mixtures 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([C₄MIM]⁺[TFSI]^?) or [C₆MIM]⁺[TFSI]^? + linalool were determined. The experimental LLE data were satisfactorily represented by the non-random two-liquid model.     

A Novel Enzyme Membrane Electrode for Oxalate Determination in Foodstuffs

Abstract

An enzyme membrane electrode usable for the assay of oxalate in foodstuffs is described. A commercially available preactivated polyamide membrane was used for the immobilization of oxalate oxidase. The bioactive disk thus obtained was associated with an amperometric transducer. The resulting self-contained enzyme electrode wich allows oxalate determination in various materials with minimal pretreatment exhibits a linear calibration ranging from 10–7 M and 10–4 M in the cell. The response-time was comprised between 20 seconds and 1 minute, depending on the oxalate content in the sample. The electrode-response was very stable for at least 4 months, a period during which more than 150 assays were performed.

The results obtained with several food materials were in good agreement with those obtained with the conventional spectrophotometric method. Assays were also performed with a microprocessor-based analyzer normally used for glucose measurements with a glucose oxidase electrode When the analyzer is equipped with an oxalate oxidase membrane, without further setting, oxalate can be determined in the range 5 10^?3 M-10^?1 M in the sample.