Dispersive solid-phase extraction combined with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for the determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in plastic bottled beverage by GC-MS

A simple, inexpensive and reliable analytical method was developed for the determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottled beverage using GC‐MS. The sample pretreatment using dispersive solid‐phase extraction (DSPE) for removing matrix and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) for enriching analytes was performed. For the DSPE, different sorbents such as primary amine, secondary amine, C₁₈ and graphitized carbon black were tested for different sample matrices. By means of DSPE, 60–89% of the sample matrices could be removed. Acetonitrile solution obtained by DSPE cleanup was directly used as the dispersant for the subsequent DLLME, which made the combination of the DSPE with the DLLME much more straightforward. Under the optimal conditions, the enrichment factors (EFs) of PBDEs ranged from 199 to 292. Using matrix‐matched calibration, correlation coefficients above 0.994 were found and LODs ranged from 0.0023 to 0.15 μg/L. The recoveries were between 80 and 117% for beverages spiked at three different concentrations (1.0, 5.0 and 10 μg/L) with RSDs ranging from 3.7 to 14.7% (n=5). The results indicated that the combination of DSPE with DLLME was a powerful sample preparation tool for analysis of ultratrace analytes in complicated matrices.     

Tandem use of solid-phase extraction and dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for the determination of mononitrotoluenes in aquatic environment

Solid‐phase extraction (SPE) in tandem with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) has been developed for the determination of mononitrotoluenes (MNTs) in several aquatic samples using gas chromatography‐flame ionization (GC‐FID) detection system. In the hyphenated SPE‐DLLME, initially MNTs were extracted from a large volume of aqueous samples (100 mL) into a 500‐mg octadecyl silane (C₁₈) sorbent. After the elution of analytes from the sorbent with acetonitrile, the obtained solution was put under the DLLME procedure, so that the extra preconcentration factors could be achieved. The parameters influencing the extraction efficiency such as breakthrough volume, type and volume of the elution solvent (disperser solvent) and extracting solvent, as well as the salt addition, were studied and optimized. The calibration curves were linear in the range of 0.5–500 μg/L and the limit of detection for all analytes was found to be 0.2 μg/L. The relative standard deviations (for 0.75 μg/L of MNTs) without internal standard varied from 2.0 to 6.4% (n=5). The relative recoveries of the well, river and sea water samples, spiked at the concentration level of 0.75 μg/L of the analytes, were in the range of 85–118%.     

Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction followed by gas chromatography–electron capture detection for determination of polychlorinated biphenyls in fish

A new method of dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) combined with GC-electron capture detection (GC-ECD) was proposed for the extraction and determination of four polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) congeners in fish samples. Acetone was used as extraction solvent for the extraction of PCBs from fish samples. The target analytes in the acetone solvent were rapidly transferred to chlorobenzene, which was used as extraction solvent in DLLME procedures. Under the optimum conditions, linearity was obtained in the concentration range from 1.25 to 1250 μg/kg for PCB 52, and 0.25 to 250 μg/kg for PCB 101, 138 and 153. Coefficients of correlation (r²) ranged from 0.9993 to 0.9999. The repeatability was tested by spiking fish samples at 10 μg/kg PCBs, and RSD% (n = 8) varied between 2.2 and 8.4%. The LODs were between 0.12 and 0.35 μg/kg. The enrichment factors of PCBs were from 87 to 123. The relative recoveries of the four PCB congeners for the perch, pomfret and yellow-fin tuna at spiking levels of 10, 20 and 50 μg/kg were in the range of 81.20–100.6%, 85.00–102.7% and 87.80–108.4%, respectively. The results demonstrated that DLLME combined with GC-ECD was a simple, rapid, and efficient technique for the extraction and determination of PCBs in fish samples.     

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic drop combined with field‐amplified sample injection in capillary electrophoresis for the determination of beta(2)‐agonists in bovine urine

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic drop (DLLME–SFO) was for the first time combined with field‐amplified sample injection (FASI) in CE to determine four β₂‐agonists (cimbuterol, clenbuterol, mabuterol, and mapenterol) in bovine urine. Optimum BGE consisted of 20 mM borate buffer and 0.1 mM SDS. Using salting‐out extraction, β₂‐agonists were extracted into ACN that was then used as the disperser solvent in DLLME–SFO. Optimum DLLME–SFO conditions were: 1.0 mL ACN, 50 μL 1‐undecanol (extraction solvent), total extraction time 1.5 min, no salt addition. Back extraction into an aqueous solution (pH 2.0) facilitated direct injection of β₂‐agonists into CE. Compared to conventional CZE, DLLME–SFO–FASI–CE achieved sensitivity enhancement factors of 41–1046 resulting in LODs in the range of 1.80–37.0 μg L^?1. Linear dynamic ranges of 0.15–10.0 mg L^?1 for cimbuterol and 15–1000 μg L^?1 for the other analytes were obtained with coefficients of determination (R²) ≥ 0.9901 and RSD% ≤5.5 (n = 5). Finally, the applicability of the proposed method was successfully confirmed by determination of the four β₂‐agonists in spiked bovine urine samples and accuracy higher than 96.0% was obtained.     

Dispersion‐solidification liquid–liquid microextraction for volatile aromatic hydrocarbons determination: Comparison with liquid phase microextraction based on the solidification of a floating drop

Two microextraction techniques – liquid phase microextraction based on solidification of a floating organic drop (LPME‐SFO) and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction combined with a solidification of a floating organic drop (DLLME‐SFO) – are explored for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and o‐xylene sampling and preconcentration. The investigation covers the effects of extraction solvent type, extraction and disperser solvents' volume, and the extraction time. For both techniques 1‐undecanol containing n‐heptane as internal standard was used as an extracting solvent. For DLLME‐SFO acetone was used as a disperser solvent. The calibration curves for both techniques and for all the analytes were linear up to 10 μg/mL, correlation coefficients were in the range 0.997–0.998, enrichment factors were from 87 for benzene to 290 for o‐xylene, detection limits were from 0.31 and 0.35 μg/L for benzene to 0.15 and 0.10 μg/L for o‐xylene for LPME‐SFO and DLLME‐SFO, respectively. Repeatabilities of the results were acceptable with RSDs up to 12%. Being comparable with LPME‐SFO in the analytical characteristics, DLLME‐SFO is superior to LPME‐SFO in the extraction time. A possibility to apply the proposed techniques for volatile aromatic hydrocarbons determination in tap water and snow was demonstrated.     

Concurrent extraction,clean‐up,and analysis of polybrominated diphenyl ethers,hexabromocyclododecane isomers,and tetrabromobisphenol A in human milk and serum

A method has been developed and validated for the concurrent extraction, clean‐up, and analysis of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), α‐, β‐, and γ‐hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in human milk and serum. Milk and serum samples were extracted using accelerated solvent extraction with acetone/hexane 1:1, v/v and liquid–liquid extraction with methyl‐tert‐butyl ether/hexane 1:1, v/v, respectively. The removal of co‐extracted biogenic materials was achieved by gel permeation chromatography followed by sulfuric acid treatment. The fractionation of the PBDEs and HBCD/TBBPA was performed using a Supelco LC‐Si SPE cartridge. The detection of the PBDEs was then performed by GC–MS and that of the HBCDs and the TBBPA was performed using UPLC–MS/MS. The pretreatment procedure was optimized, and the characteristic ions and fragmentation of the analytes were studied by MS or MS/MS. A recovery test was performed using a matrix spiking test at concentrations of 0.05–10 ng/g. The recoveries ranged from 78.6–108.8% with RSDs equal to or lower than 14.04%. The LODs were 1.8–60 pg/g. The usefulness of the developed method was tested by the analysis of real human samples, and several brominated flame retardants in different samples were detected and analyzed.     

Pressurized Liquid Extraction Combined with Dispersive Liquid‐liquid Micro‐extraction as an Efficient Sample Preparation Method for Determination of Volatile Components in Tobacco

The pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) followed by dispersive liquid–liquid micro‐extraction (DLLME) has been developed for extraction of volatile components in tobacco. 35 volatile components were detected by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC‐MS). Methanol–methyl tert‐butyl ether (MTBE) (8:2, v/v) was selected as PLE extraction solvent. The optimized DLLME procedure, 3 mL of pure water and 1.0 mL tobacco extract solution, 40 μL of chloroform as extraction solvent, 0.5 mL of acetonitrile as disperser solvent, was validated. Under the optimum conditions, the enrichment factors were in the range of 96‐159. The limits of detection were between 0.14 and 0.33 μg/kg. The repeatability of the proposed method, expressed as relative standard deviation, varied between 4.3 and 7.5% (n = 6). The recoveries of the analytes evaluated by fortification of tobacco samples were in the range of 84.7‐96.4%. Compared with the conventional sample preparation method for determination of volatile components in tobacco, the proposed method was quick and easy to operate, and had high‐enrichment factors and low consumption of organic solvent.     

Graphene oxide reinforced polymeric ionic liquid monolith solid‐phase microextraction sorbent for high‐performance liquid chromatography analysis of phenolic compounds in aqueous environmental samples

A graphene oxide reinforced polymeric ionic liquids monolith was obtained by copolymerization of graphene oxide doped 1‐(3‐aminopropyl)‐3‐(4‐vinylbenzyl)imidazolium 4‐styrenesulfonate monomer and 1,6‐di‐(3‐vinylimidazolium) hexane bihexafluorophosphate cross‐linking agent. Coupled to high‐performance liquid chromatography, the monolith was used as a solid‐phase microextraction sorbent to analyze several phenolic compounds in aqueous samples. Under the optimized extraction and desorption conditions, linear ranges were 5–400 μg/L for 3‐nitrophenol, 2‐nitrophenol, and 2,5‐dichlorophenol and 2–400 μg/L for 4‐chlorophenol, 2‐methylphenol, and 2,4,6‐trichlorophenol (R² = 0.9973–0.9988). The limits of detection were 0.5 μg/L for 3‐nitrophenol and 2‐nitrophenol and 0.2 μg/L for the rest of the analytes. The proposed method was used to determine target analytes in groundwater from an industrial park and river water. None of the analytes was detected. Relative recoveries were in the range of 75.5–113%.     

Evaluation of the combination of a dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method with micellar electrokinetic chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry for the determination of estrogenic compounds in milk and yogurt

In this work, the suitability of a methodology based on dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) has been evaluated for the extraction of four endoestrogens (estriol, 17α‐estradiol, 17β‐estradiol, and estrone), an exoestrogen (17α‐etynylestradiol), and a mycotoxin (zearalenone), together with some of their major metabolites (2‐methoxyestradiol, α‐zearalanol, β‐zearalanol, α‐zearalenol, and β‐zearalenol) from different types of milk (whole and skimmed cow milk and semiskimmed goat milk) and whole natural yogurt. The methodology includes a previous protein precipitation with acidified ACN and a defatting step with n‐hexane. Separation of the analytes, determination, and quantification were developed by MEKC coupled to ESI‐MS using a BGE containing an aqueous solution of ammonium perfluorooctanoate as MS friendly surfactant. Calibration, precision, and accuracy studies of the described DLLME‐MEKC‐MS/MS method were evaluated obtaining a good linearity and LODs in the low micrograms per liter range.     

Macrocyclic polyamine‐functionalized silica as a solid‐phase extraction material coupled with ionic liquid dispersive liquid–liquid extraction for the enrichment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

In this study, silica modified with a 30‐membered macrocyclic polyamine was synthesized and first used as an adsorbent material in SPE. The SPE was further combined with ionic liquid (IL) dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME). Five polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were employed as model analytes to evaluate the extraction procedure and were determined by HPLC combined with UV/Vis detection. Acetone was used as the elution solvent in SPE as well as the dispersive solvent in DLLME. The enrichment of analytes was achieved using the 1,3‐dibutylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide IL/acetone/water system. Experimental conditions for the overall macrocycle‐SPE–IL‐DLLME method, such as the amount of adsorbent, sample solution volume, sample solution pH, type of elution solvent as well as addition of salt, were studied and optimized. The developed method could be successfully applied to the analysis of four real water samples. The macrocyclic polyamine offered higher extraction efficiency for analytes compared with commercially available C₁₈ cartridge, and the developed method provided higher enrichment factors (2768–5409) for model analytes compared with the single DLLME. Good linearity with the correlation coefficients ranging from 0.9983 to 0.9999 and LODs as low as 0.002 μg/L were obtained in the proposed method.