Novel cationic surfactant ion pair based solid phase microextraction fiber for nano-level analysis of BTEX

Ion pair of cationic surfactant (cetytrimethylammonium bromide) and tungestosilicic acid incorporated in PVC matrix, was used for coating a piece of copper wire as a new high sensitive SPME fiber in extraction and determination of BTEX compounds from the headspace of water samples prior to GC/FID analysis. Under optimum extraction conditions, limits of detection for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene, m-xylene and o-xylene were found to be 1.18, 5.61, 0.87, 0.29, 0.22 and 0.33 ng L(-1) respectively. Low detection limits, wide linear dynamic ranges, good reproducibility (RSD% 1.48-4.27), high fiber capacity and high mechanical durability are some of the most important advantages of the new fiber.     

Fingerprint identification of volatile organic compounds in gasoline contaminated groundwater using gas chromatography differential ion mobility spectrometry

Groundwater can be contaminated when e.g. gasoline tanks leak. Due to sampling and lab analysis, groundwater monitoring is time consuming and expensive. The technologies developed for rapid on-site analysis of gasoline contaminated groundwater face the technical limitation to distinguish the gasoline from complex matrices. In the present study the fingerprint identification of volatile organic components (VOCs) in gasoline contaminated groundwater using gas chromatography (GC) differential ion mobility spectrometry (DMS) is investigated. Groundwater was spiked with five sorts of gasoline (one reformulated gasoline, gasoline without additives and three different brand gasoline collected on petrol stations) and analyzed by GC-DMS. Seven VOCs (benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, m-xylene, p-xylene, o-xylene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene) were identified by GC mass spectrometry (GC-MS) as well as by GC-DMS and selected as markers. The semi-quantitative determination of the selected compounds was achieved. The limits of detection of the GC-DMS are 46.42?ng for benzene, 1.13?ng for toluene, 1.80?ng for ethylbenzene, 0.22?ng for m-xylene, 1.13?ng for p-xylene, 0.61?ng for o-xylene and 0.37?ng for 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, respectively. These results reveal the feasibility of GC-DMS for on-site monitoring of contaminated groundwater.     

Remote optical fibre microsensor for monitoring BTEX in confined industrial atmospheres

A portable optical fibre sensor has been developed for remote monitoring of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene, m-xylene and o-xylene (BTEX). Firstly, the analyser was tested for calibration and its analytical performance for BTEX monitoring compared with a more classical analytical method, namely gas chromatography coupled to a flame ionization detector (GC-FID). The developed remote sensor shows several analytical advantages such as, high analytical sensitivity and accuracy, good linearity and stability of the analytical signal and short analytical time. Secondly, the optical fibre based sensor was applied to air monitoring for detection and quantification of BTEX in a confined industrial environment. The analytical signal measurement was performed by wireless at 20 m of distance from the local of analysis. Besides, the reported sensor showed a high degree of portability, compact design and high analytical performance for remote BTEX monitoring, in situ and in real-time.     

The use of passive sampling to monitor spatial trends of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at an industrial city of Turkey

Ambient concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured using passive sampling technique at 49 sampling points in Kocaeli, an important industrial city in Turkey. Air samples were analyzed using thermal desorption (TD) and gas chromatography/flame ionization detectors (FID). Concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m/p-xylenes, and o-xylene (BTEX), 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, n-propylbenzene, 3-ethyltoluene, and 4-ethyltoluene were investigated to determine their spatial distribution and source apportionment. Concentrations of ΣBTEX ranged from 3.7 to 335.5 μg/m³. Among all the VOC species, m/p-xylene and toluene have the highest concentration. The spatial distributions for BTEX concentrations showed characteristic patterns: high concentrations were typically found along major roads, city centres, and near industrial plants. Pollution sources potentially affecting concentrations were identified using statistical analyses. The results of factor analysis indicated that vehicle exhaust and industrial activity were the predominant emission sources of the VOCs.     

生活饮用水中苯系物的顶空气相色谱测定法

建立顶空气相色谱法测定生活饮用水中微量苯系物的方法,各组分的分离度较好.苯、甲苯、乙苯、对二甲苯、间二甲苯、邻二甲苯、异丙苯的检出限分别为0.002、0.004、0.005、0.007、0.007、0.008、0.005 mg/L,样品的平均加标回收率为97.0%～100.8%,测量结果的相对标准偏差不大于5.1%(n=5),该方法可满足水中苯系物的检测要求.     

Determination of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes in soils by multiple headspace solid-phase microextraction

Multiple headspace-solid phase microextraction (MHS-SPME) is a recently developed technique for the quantification of analytes in solid samples that avoids the matrix effect. This method implies several consecutive extractions from the same sample. In this way, the total area corresponding to complete extraction can be directly calculated as the sum of the areas of each individual extraction when the extraction is exhaustive, or through a mathematical equation when it is not exhaustive. In this paper, the quantitative determination of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene isomers (BTEX) in a certified soil (RTC-CRM304, LGC Promochem) and in a contaminated soil by multiple HS-SPME coupled to a gas chromatography-flame ionisation detector (GC-FID) is presented. BTEX extraction was carried out using soil suspensions in water at 30 degrees C with a 75 microm carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane (CAR-PDMS) fibre and calibration was carried out using aqueous BTEX solutions at 30 degrees C for 30 min with the same fibre. BTEX concentration was calculated by interpolating the total peak area found for the soils in the calibration graphs obtained from aqueous solutions. The toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene and m,p-xylene concentrations obtained were statistically equal to the certified values.     

热解析-气相色谱法测定印刷品中总挥发性有机化合物释放量

建立用气袋法收集整册印刷品释放的挥发性有机化合物,热解析-气相色谱法检测总挥发性有机化合物(TVOC)的方法。将印刷品样品置入充满高纯氮气的密封PVF采样袋中,在35℃下放置12 h后,用采样器串联Tenax-TA采样管和采样袋,让袋内气体通过采样管,样品释放出的有机化合物被吸附到采样管的吸附剂上。用热解析-气相色谱法测试采样管中挥发性有机化合物的含量,其中苯、甲苯、邻二甲苯、间二甲苯、对二甲苯、乙苯、乙酸丁酯、苯乙烯和正十一烷按外标法定量,其它物质按甲苯标准曲线定量。该方法的加标回收率为74.4%~91.1%,测定结果的相对标准偏差不大于10%(n=9)。该方法的样品采集更贴近印刷品的实际生活场景,可以为评价印刷品挥发性有机物释放对人体健康的影响提供数据基础,为相关评价提供新思路。     

LED照射光催化剂用于苯、甲苯、乙苯和二甲苯分解(英文)

Studies on the use of gas phase applications of light emitting diodes(LEDs) in photocatalysis are scarce although their photocatalytic decomposition kinetics of environmental pollutants are likely different from those in aqueous solutions.The present study evaluated the use of chips of visible light LEDs to irradiate nitrogen doped titania(N-TiO2) prepared by hydrolysis to decompose gaseous benzene,toluene,ethyl benzene,m-xylene,p-xylene,and o-xylene.Photocatalysts calcined at different temperatures were characterized by various analytical instruments.The degradation efficiency of benzene was close to zero for all conditions.For the other compounds,a conventional 8 W daylight lamp/N-TiO2 unit gave a higher photocatalytic degradation efficiency as compared with that of visible-LED/N-TiO2 units.However,the ratios of degradation efficiency to electric power consumption were higher for the photocatalytic units that used two types of visible-LED lamps(blue and white LEDs).The highest degradation efficiency was observed with the use of a calcination temperature of 350 oC.The average degradation efficiencies for toluene,ethyl benzene,m-xylene,p-xylene,and o-xylene were 35%,68%,94%,and 93%,respectively.The use of blue-and white-LEDs,high light intensity,and low initial concentrations gave high photocatalytic activities for the photocatalytic units using visible-LEDs.The morphological and optical properties of the photocatalysts were correlated to explain the dependence of photocatalytic activity on calcination temperature.The results suggest that visible-LEDs are energy efficient light source for photocatalytic gas phase applications,but the activity depends on the operational conditions.     

顶空-气相色谱法同时测定饮用水中八种挥发性苯系物

利用顶空-毛细管柱气相色谱技术对饮用水中的苯、甲苯、乙苯、邻二甲笨、对二甲笨、间二甲笨、异丙苯、苯乙烯的测定方法进行了研究,并对平衡时间、气／液体积比、水中含盐量等影响测定因素进行了探讨,对色谱条件和顶空进样条件进行了优化。该方法选用HP-INNOWAX色谱柱,使一直较难分离的间、对二甲苯得到了很好的分离。对八种苯系物进行了最低检出限、线性、回收率、精密度试验,其平均回收率为97．4％～1063％（n=7）,相对标准偏差为2．55％～3．83％（n=7）,最低检出限为0．06～0．10μg／L。测定结果表明,该法操作简单,重现性好,灵敏度高,完全可以满足饮用水中挥发性苯系物的测定。     

Devising an adjustable splitter for dual-column gas chromatography

A flow controlled adjustable splitter was configured from a Deans switch and employed in an automated dual column gas chromatographic (GC) system for analyzing mono-aromatic compounds. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), thermally desorbed from the sorbent trap, were split by the adjustable splitter onto two columns of different phases for separation and then detection by flame ionization detection (FID). Unlike regular splitters in which the split ratio is passively determined by the diameter and/or length of the connecting columns or tubing, the split ratio in our adjustable splitter is controlled by the auxiliary flow in the Deans switch. The auxiliary flow serves as a gas plug on either side of the column for decreasing the sample flow in one transfer line, but increasing the flow in the other. By adjusting the auxiliary flow and therefore the size of the gas plug, the split ratio can be easily varied and favorable to the side of no auxiliary gas. As an illustration, two columns, DB-1 and Cyclodex-B, were employed in this study for separating benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, denoted as BTEX, in particular the structural isomers of o-, m-, p-xylenes. This configuration demonstrates that BTEX cannot be fully separated with either column, but can be deconvoluted by simple algebra if dual columns are used with a splitter. The applicability of the proposed concept was tested by analyzing a gas standard containing BTEX at different split ratios and with various sample sizes, all leading to a constant ratio of m-xylene versus p-xylene.     

Development of a versatile,easy and rapid atmospheric monitor for benzene,toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes determination in air

A new procedure for the passive sampling in air of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene isomers (BTEX) is proposed. A low-density polyethylene layflat tube filled with a mixture of solid phases provided a high versatility tool for the sampling of volatile compounds from air. Several solid phases were assayed in order to increase the BTEX absorption in the sampler and a mixture of florisil and activated carbon provided the best results. Direct head-space-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-GC–MS) measurement of the whole deployed sampler was employed for a fast determination of BTEX. Absorption isotherms were used to develop simple mathematical models for the estimation of BTEX time-weighted average concentrations in air. The proposed samplers were used to determine BTEX in indoor air environments and results were compared with those found using two reference methodologies: triolein-containing semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) and diffusive Radiello samplers. In short, the developed sampling system and analytical strategy provides a versatile, easy and rapid atmospheric monitor (VERAM).     

Study on adsorption kinetic of aromatic hydrocarbons onto activated carbon in gaseous flow method

The adsorption behavior of benzene, toluene, o-xylene, m-xylene, and p-xylene onto activated carbon was investigated using the flow method. The removal efficiency of aromatic hydrocarbons in the gaseous phase was estimated based on the adsorption kinetic constants and the saturated amount of aromatic hydrocarbons adsorbed on the activated carbon. The saturated amount of benzene and toluene adsorbed was greater than that of xylene adsorbed because the molecular sizes of benzene and toluene are smaller than that of xylene. The adsorption kinetic constant increased in the order of xylene, toluene, and benzene. Those of the three xylene isomers were similar. These results indicated that the adsorption rate of benzene by the activated carbon was the fastest and the kinetic constant depended upon the different between the boiling point and the melting point and the molecular size of the aromatic hydrocarbons.     

Toward understanding the influence of ethylbenzene in p-xylene selectivity of the porous titanium amino terephthalate MIL-125(Ti): adsorption equilibrium and separation of xylene isomers

The potential of the porous crystalline titanium dicarboxylate MIL-125(Ti) in powder form was studied for the separation in liquid phase of xylene isomers and ethylbenzene (MIL stands for Materials from Institut Lavoisier). We report here a detailed experimental study consisting of binary and multi-component adsorption equilibrium of xylene isomers in MIL-125(Ti) powder at low (≤0.8 M) and bulk (≥0.8 M) concentrations. A series of multi-component breakthrough experiments was first performed using n-heptane as the eluent at 313 K, and the obtained selectivities were compared, followed by binary breakthrough experiments to determine the adsorption isotherms at 313 K, using n-heptane as the eluent. MIL-125(Ti) is a para-selective material suitable at low concentrations to separate p-xylene from the other xylene isomers. Pulse experiments indicate a separation factor of 1.3 for p-xylene over o-xylene and m-xylene, while breakthrough experiments using a diluted ternary mixture lead to selectivity values of 1.5 and 1.6 for p-xylene over m-xylene and o-xylene, respectively. Introduction of ethylbenzene in the mixture results however in a decrease of the selectivity.     

Molar excess volumes of furfuryl alcohol and aromatic hydrocarbons at 25°C

Molar excess volumes of mixing V^E for binary mixtures of furfuryl alcohol with the aromatic hydrocarbons benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and o-, m-, and p-xylene were determined for the entire composition range at 25°C. V^E was negative for the mixtures containing benzene, toluene and pxylene but positive for mixtures containing ethylbenzene and o- and m-xylene. The results are discussed in terms of specific interaction present in the binary mixture and are compared with those previously reported for tetrahydrofuran, fur an or furfural binary mixtures with aromatic hydrocarbons.     

静态顶空/气相色谱-质谱法同时测定化妆品中22种有毒挥发性有机溶剂残留

以2015版《化妆品安全技术规范》中规定的常见禁用及限用有毒挥发性有机溶剂为研究对象,建立了静态顶空/气相色谱-质谱法(SHS/GC-MS)同时测定化妆品中22种有毒挥发性有机溶剂(VOC)(二氯甲烷、顺式-1,2-二氯乙烯、反式-1,2-二氯乙烯、2-氯-1,3-丁二烯、三氯甲烷、1,2-二氯乙烷、苯、四氯化碳、三氯乙烯、甲苯、四氯乙烯、氯苯、乙苯、三溴甲烷、间二甲苯、对二甲苯、苯乙烯、邻二甲苯、异丙苯、1,4-二氯苯、1,2-二氯苯、六氯丁二烯)残留的检测方法。试样在80℃下30 min静态顶空,经DB-1柱分离后,采用选择离子监测模式(SIM)进行定性定量分析。优化了顶空、色谱和质谱参数,结果表明:22种VOC在0.5~50 ng/m L浓度范围内均呈良好的线性关系,相关系数均大于0.99,在1.0,2.0,5.0 ng/m L 3个浓度加标水平下的平均回收率为80.3%~102.7%,相对标准偏差(RSD,n=6)为6.4%~9.9%,检出限为0.2~5.0 ng/g。结果表明,该方法简便、灵敏、准确,具有良好的重现性和稳定性,适合于化妆品中22种VOC残留的筛查和确证检测。     

Modification of a steel fiber with a graphene based bucky gel for headspace solid-phase microextraction of volatile aromatic hydrocarbons prior to their quantification by GC

A graphene based bucky gel-coated stainless steel fiber was prepared and applied to headspace solid phase microextraction of volatile organic compounds. Graphene was mixed with an ionic liquid to produce a bucky gel that displays the attractive features of both compounds. It can be directly deposited on an etched stainless steel wire to give the fiber for use in extraction of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) isomers. The presence of graphene favors the π-interaction between the sorbent and aromatic analytes. The sorbent is thermally stable up to 300 °C and can be used more than 50 times. It was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Under optimized conditions, linear responses were found in the range of 0.11–5000 μg L^?1 for toluene, 0.15–5000 for benzene and o-xylene, 0.17–5000 for m- and?p-xylene and 0.20–5000 for ethylbenzene. Limits of detection are between 0.03 and 0.06 μg L^?1 (at an S/N ratio of 3). The run-to-run RSDs are <5.8% (for n =?6), and fiber-to-fiber RSDs are 4.1–9.2% (n =?4). The method was successfully applied to the extraction of BTEX isomers in spiked urine samples and gave recoveries between 88 and 105%.

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Graphical abstract Graphene based bucky gel (G-BG) was prepared by mixing an ionic liquid with graphene. It was physically deposited on stainless steel wire. The fiber was applied to the headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes.

     

Use of in-tube sorptive extraction techniques for determination of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes in soft drinks

A comparison is made between static headspace analysis and headspace solid-phase dynamic extraction (HS-SPDE) for the quantitative determination of trace level BTEX solvents (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and o-, m-, and p-xylene) in soft drinks. Two non-polar extraction phases were investigated for SPDE using an automated sampler with a gas-tight syringe equipped with a special needle coated on the inside with the extraction phase. Following adsorption onto the phase, the analytes were thermally desorbed directly into a GC-MS. The techniques were optimised and evaluated by analysis of spiked soft drink samples. The use of the SPDE device gave comparable results to the static headspace method, with lower detection limits for some compounds, and also offers advantages for applications where lower temperatures are preferred.     

Thermogravimetric calibration of permeation tubes used for the preparation of gas standards for air pollution analysis

Sources of VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) reference-materials at ppm and ppb levels are needed for calibration of air monitoring instruments. The permeation-tube technique is considered effective for the preparation of low concentration standards of high accuracy and stability. In this work, purpose-built PTFE permeation tubes, containing benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene or m-xylene (BTEX) were accurately and rapidly calibrated. Using the sensitive thermo-balance of a thermogravimetric apparatus, very low permeation rates were determined by the continuous monitoring of the tube weight loss as a function of time. Permeation rates in the range from 25 to 350 ng min(-1) were determined with precision. Thermogravimetry appears to be a rapid method for the measurement of weight loss at constant temperature, allowing rapid characterization and recalibration of permeation tubes. A detailed study on toluene, chosen as a typical case, showed that there are variations of the permeation rate in the long term. The temperature dependence of the permeation coefficient was also explored and permeation rates were shown to display an Arrhenius behavior in the temperature range 304-324 K. Thermodynamic parameters influencing the permeation were discussed.     

Gas chromatography-optical fiber detector for the speciation of aromatic hydrocarbons in confined areas

An analytical method, based on separation with gas chromatography (GC) and detection with optical fiber (OF), was used for the separation, detection and quantification of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene, m-xylene and o-xylene. The use of OF as a detector is based on the variations of the reflected optical power detected when the aromatic compounds eluted from the GC column are sorbed in a thin polymeric film on a single-mode OF. General figures of merit, such as the analytical time, analytical error and analytical performance of GC-OF were similar to those of the classical analytical methods, such as a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID). However, the developed GC-OF method constitutes a much less expensive alternative for the speciation of aromatic hydrocarbons compounds, with high accuracy, and being most suitable for actual monitoring work on confined environments.     

固相微萃取-气相色谱法测定空气样品中的苯系物

建立了固相微萃取-气相色谱/氢火焰离子化检测法测定空气样品中苯系物的分析方法。对固相微萃取纤维种类、解吸温度和时间、萃取时间等实验条件进行了优化,并对采样袋的气密性和稳定性进行了考察。结果表明:6种挥发性有机化合物的5个色谱峰(间、对二甲苯无法分开)的峰面积与其浓度在所测范围内具有较好的线性关系,相对标准偏差小于4.6%,检出限低至0.03ng/mL。该方法简便、快捷、重现性好,检出限低,采样装置的气密性好,适合于实际环境气体样品的异位分析。