Stir bar sorptive extraction with in situ derivatization and thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for determination of chlorophenols in water and body fluid samples

A new method, stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) with in situ derivatization and thermal desorption (TD)-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), which is used for the determination of trace amounts of chlorophenols, such as 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TrCP), 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol (2,3,4,6-TeCP) and pentachlorophenol (PCP), in tap water, river water and human urine samples, is described. The derivatization conditions with acetic acid anhydride and the SBSE conditions such as extraction time are investigated. Then, the stir bar is subjected to TD followed by GC-MS. The detection limits of the chlorophenols in tap water, river water and human urine samples are 1-2, 1-2, and 10-20 pg ml⁻¹ (ppt), respectively. The calibration curves for the chlorophenols are linear and have correlation coefficients higher than 0.99. The average recoveries of the chlorophenols in all the samples are higher than 95% (R.S.D. < 10%) with correction using added surrogate standards, 2,4-dichlorophenol-d₅, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol-¹³C₆, 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol-¹³C₆ and pentachlorophenol-¹³C₆. This simple, accurate, sensitive and selective analytical method may be applicable to the determination of trace amounts of chlorophenols in liquid samples.     

Determination of 4-nonylphenol and 4-tert.-octylphenol in water samples by stir bar sorptive extraction and thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A simple and highly sensitive method called thermal desorption (TD)-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), which is used for the determination of trace amounts of 4-nonylphenol (NP) and 4-tert.-octylphenol (OP) in water samples, is described. NP and OP in samples are extracted from water samples and concentrated by the stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) technique. A stir bar coated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is added to a 2.0 ml water sample and stirring is carried out for 60 min at room temperature (25 °C) in a headspace vial. Then the extract is high sensitively analyzed by TD-GC-MS without any derivatization step. The optimum SBSE conditions are realized at an extraction time of 60 min. The detection limits are 0.02 ng ml⁻¹ for NP and 0.002 ng ml⁻¹ for OP. The method shows good linearity over the concentration range of 0.1-10 ng ml⁻¹ for NP and 0.01-10 ng ml⁻¹ for OP, and the correlation coefficients are higher than 0.999. The average recoveries of NP and OP are higher than 97% (R.S.D.: 3.6-6.2%) with correction using the added surrogate standards, 4-(1-methyl) octylphenol-d₅ and deuterium 4-tert.-octylphenol. This simple, accurate, sensitive and selective analytical method may be used in the determination of trace amounts of NP and OP in tap and river water samples.     

Dual derivatization-stir bar sorptive extraction--thermal desorption--gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for determination of 17beta-estradiol in water sample

A novel method for the trace analysis of 17beta-estradiol (E2) in river water sample was developed, which involved stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) with in situ acylation (first derivatization) and thermal desorption (TD) with quartz wool assisted (QWA) in tube silylation (second derivatization), followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and is called the "dual derivatization method." The optimum conditions for SBSE with in situ acylation, such as the volume of acetic acid anhydride and the extraction time, were investigated. In addition, the optimum conditions for TD with QWA in tube silylation, such as the volume of N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) and the TD temperature and hold time, were investigated as well. The detection limit (S/N = 3) and the quantitation limit (S/N>10) of E2 in the river water sample were 0.5 and 2 pg ml(-1) (ppt), respectively, by the dual derivatization method. In addition, the detection limit was 0.1 pg ml(-1) by using dual derivatization method with multi-shot mode. The calibration curve for E2 was linear in the range of 0.002-10 ng ml(-1) with correlation coefficients >0.999. The average recoveries of E2 (n = 6) at the concentrations of 0.05 and 1.0 ng ml(-1) from the river water sample were 93.1 (RSD: 1.4%) and 98.4% (RSD: 0.8%), respectively, with correction using the added surrogate standard, 17beta-estradiol-(13)C(4). This simple, accurate, sensitive and selective analytical method may be applicable to the determination of trace amounts of E2 in water samples.     

Simultaneous analysis of benzophenone sunscreen compounds in water sample by stir bar sorptive extraction with in situ derivatization and thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A method for the simultaneous measurement of benzophenone (BP) sunscreen compounds, its derivatives 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone (BP-1), 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone (BP-3), 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-4'-methylbenzophenone (BP-10), 2-hydroxybenzophenone (2OH-BP), 3-hydroxybenzophenone (3OH-BP) and 4-hydroxybenzophenone (4OH-BP), in water samples was developed using stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) with in situ derivatization followed by thermal desorption (TD)-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The detection limit is 0.5-2 ng L(-1) (ppt) for the seven BPs. The method shows good linearity and the correlation coefficients are equal to or higher than 0.990 for all the analyte. The average recoveries of BPs range from 102.0 to 128.1% (RSD<15.4%, n=6). Trace amounts of BPs in river water samples were determined by the present method.     

Mercury speciation and analysis in drinking water by stir bar sorptive extraction with in situ propyl derivatization and thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A method for mercury analysis and speciation in drinking water was developed, which involved stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) with in situ propyl derivatization and thermal desorption (TD)-GC-MS. Ten millilitre of tap water or bottled water was used. After a stir bar, pH adjustment agent and derivatization reagent were added, SBSE was performed. Then, the stir bar was subjected to TD-GC-MS. The detection limits were 0.01 ng mL(-1) (ethylmercury; EtHg), 0.02 ng mL(-1) (methylmercury; MeHg), and 0.2 ng mL(-1) (Hg(II) and diethylmercury (DiEtHg)). The method showed good linearity and correlation coefficients. The average recoveries of mercury species (n=5) in water samples spiked with 0.5, 2.0, and 6.0 ng mL(-1) mercury species were 93.1-131.1% (RSD<11.5%), 90.1-106.4% (RSD<7.8%), and 94.2-109.6% (RSD<8.8%), respectively. The method enables the precise determination of standards and can be applied to the determination of mercury species in water samples.     

Determination of stale-flavor carbonyl compounds in beer by stir bar sorptive extraction with in-situ derivatization and thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A method for the determination of stale-flavor carbonyl compounds including E-2-octenal, E-2-nonenal, E,Z-2,6-nonadienal and E,E-2,4-decadienal in beer was developed using stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) with in-situ derivatization followed by thermal desorption-GC-MS analysis. The derivatization conditions with O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine and the SBSE conditions--sampling mode, salt addition, sample volume, polydimethylsiloxane volume (sample/polydimethylsiloxane phase ratio) and extraction time--were examined. The method showed good linearity over the concentration range from 0.1 to 10 ng ml(-1) for all analytes and the correlation coefficients were higher than 0.9993. The limits of detection ranged from 0.021 to 0.032 ng ml(-1) for all analytes. The recoveries (98-101%) and precision (RSD 2.4-7.3%) of the method were examined by analyzing beer samples fortified at the 0.5-ng ml(-1) level. The method was successfully applied to low-level concentration samples.     

Measurement of perchlorate in water by use of an 18O-enriched isotopic standard and ion chromatography with mass spectrometric detection

A novel analytical method has been developed for the determination of 4-tert.-octylphenol (OP) and 4-nonylphenol (NP) in laboratory animal feed samples, which involves stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) followed by liquid desorption (LD) and column-switching liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (CS-LC-MS) with solid-phase extraction (SPE). The method required correction by stable isotopically labeled surrogate standards, deuterium 4-tert.-octylphenol (OP-d) and [2H5] 4-(1-methyl)octylphenol (m-OP-d5). A feed sample was homogenized with methanol by ultrasonication. After centrifugation, the supernatant was subjected to extraction for 120 min at room temperature (25 degrees C) using a stir bar coated with polydimethylsiloxane. After the extraction, the analyte was desorbed from the stir bar by LD using acetonitrile. Then, the liquid sample was analyzed by CS-LC-MS with SPE. The average recoveries from laboratory feed samples spiked with OP and NP at 20 ng g(-1) were 99.5 and 103.8%, respectively, with correction using the added surrogate standards. The limits of quantification were 1 ng g(-1) for OP and 5 ng g(-1) for NP in feed sample. The measurement of OP and NP in commercial laboratory animal feed samples resulted in the detection of sub ng g(-1) NP     

Selective Solid‐phase Extraction of Bisphenol A Using a Novel Stir Bar Based on Molecularly Imprinted Monolithic Material

In this paper, a novel monolithic stir bar based on molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was firstly developed by filling modified neodymium magnet (Nd₂Fe₁₄B) powders into a glass tube (60 × 4 mm), followed by the imprinted grafting with bisphenol A (BPA) as the template molecule by thermal polymerization. It has been successfully used for the stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) and its extraction performance illustrated that the MIP‐encapsulated stir bar had stronger affinity to the template molecule, compared with the stir bar based on the non‐imprinted molecularly polymer (NIP). Under the optimal extraction conditions, a simple method based on the coupling of MIP‐SBSE with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used for the selective determination of the model mixtures of BPA, 4‐phenylphenol (PP) and phenol (P) in bottled water. The recoveries of BPA, PP and P were in the range of 88.5‐96.1%, 78.2‐89.7%, 81.3‐89.5% at three spiked levels, respectively, demonstrating that higher extraction and the specific absorption occurred between the template molecule and the prepared MIP stir bar.     

Stir bar sorptive extraction and trace analysis of alkylphenols in water samples by thermal desorption with in tube silylation and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A novel method called thermal desorption (TD) with in tube silylation followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), which is used for the determination of trace amounts of alkylphenols (APs) in river water samples, is described. APs are extracted from river water samples and concentrated by the stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) technique. The stir bar coated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is added to 2.0 ml water sample and stirring is carried out for 60 min at room temperature (25 degrees C) in the vial. Then, the PDMS stir bar is subjected to TD with in tube silylation followed by GC-MS. The detection limit is of the sub pg ml(-1) (ppt) level. The method shows good linearity and the correlation coefficients are higher than 0.99 for all analytes. The average recoveries of APs are higher than 90% (R.S.D.: 3.6-14.8%, n=6). This simple and sensitive analytical method may be used in the determination of trace amounts of APs in river water samples.     

Stir bar sorptive extraction and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry for ultra-trace analysis of organochlorine pesticides in river water

A method for the determination of ultra-trace amounts of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in river water was developed by using stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) followed by thermal desorption and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SBSE-TD-GC×GC-HRTOF-MS). SBSE conditions such as extraction time profiles, phase ratio (β: sample volume/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) volume), and modifier addition, were examined. Fifty milli-liter sample including 10% acetone was extracted for 3 h using stir bars with a length of 20 mm and coated with a 0.5 mm layer of PDMS (PDMS volume, 47 μL). The stir bar was thermally desorbed and subsequently analyzed by GC×GC-HRTOF-MS. The method showed good linearity over the concentration range from 50 to 1000 pg L(-1) or 2000 pg L(-1) for all analytes, and the correlation coefficients (r(2)) were greater than 0.9903 (except for β-HCH, r(2)=0.9870). The limit of detection (LOD) ranged from 10 to 44 pg L(-1). The method was successfully applied to the determination of 16 OCPs at pg L(-1) to ng L(-1) in river water. The results agree fairly well with the values obtained by a conventional liquid-liquid extraction (LLE)-GC-HRMS (selected ion monitoring: SIM) method using large sample volume (20 L). The method also allows screening of non-target compounds, e.g. pesticides and their degradation products, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and metabolites in the same river water sample, by using full spectrum acquisition with accurate mass in GC×GC.     

Stir bar sorptive extraction and thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for trace analysis of triclosan in water sample

A simple and highly sensitive method called stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) and thermal desorption (TD)-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), which is used for the determination of trace amounts of 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol (triclosan) in river water samples, is described. A stir bar coated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is added to a 10mL water sample and stirring is carried out for 120min at room temperature (25 degrees C) in a vial. Then, the PDMS stir bar is subjected to TD-GC-MS. The detection limit of triclosan is 5ngL(-1) (ppt). The method shows linearity over the calibration range (0.02-20mugL(-1)) and the correlation coefficient is higher than 0.997 for triclosan standard solution. The recovery of triclosan in river water samples ranges from 91.9 to 108.3% (RSD: 4.0-7.0%). This simple, accurate, sensitive, and selective analytical method may be used in the determination of trace amounts of triclosan in river water samples.     

Stir bar sorptive extraction-thermal desorption-capillary GC-MS applied to biological fluids

A new sample preparation method, stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE), has been evaluated for the enrichment of organic solutes from biological fluids such as urine and blood. In SBSE, a stir bar coated with a polydimethylsiloxane layer is stirred for a given time in the sample. After sampling the stir bar is placed in a thermal desorption unit coupled on-line to capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SBSE-TD-CGC-MS). The principle and operation of SBSE are presented. Total profiling and target compound analysis have been selected as applications to illustrate the performance of SBSE-TD-CGC-MS (MSD). It is demonstrated that a variety analytes ranging from biological markers (phenols, hormones, fatty acids) to artificial contaminants (recreational drugs, plasticizers) can be enriched with high sensitivity. For polar solutes, in-situ derivatization can enhance both recovery into the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layer and chromatographic analysis. Two types of derivatization have been applied, derivatization with ethyl chloroformate and with acetic acid anhydride. Linearity, detectability, and repeatability are illustrated by the determination of 1-hydroxypyrene in a urine sample from a smoker.     

Sequential stir bar sorptive extraction for uniform enrichment of trace amounts of organic pollutants in water samples

A novel extraction procedure for stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) termed sequential SBSE was developed. Compared to conventional SBSE, sequential SBSE provides more uniform enrichment over the entire polarity/volatility range for organic pollutants at ultra-trace levels in water. Sequential SBSE consists of a SBSE performed sequentially on a 5-mL sample first without modifier using one stir bar, then on the same sample after addition of 30% NaCl using a second stir bar. The first extraction with unmodified sample is mainly targeting solutes with high Kow (logKow>4.0), the second extraction with modified sample solution (containing 30% NaCl) is targeting solutes with low and medium Kow (logKow<4.0). After extraction the two stir bars are placed in a single glass desorption liner and are simultaneously desorbed. The desorbed compounds were analyzed by thermal desorption and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS). Recovery of model compounds consisting of 80 pesticides (organochlorine, carbamate, organophosphorus, pyrethroid, and others) for sequential SBSE was evaluated as a function of logKow (1.70-8.35). The recovery using sequential SBSE was compared with those of conventional SBSE with or without salt addition (30% NaCl). The sequential approach provided very good recovery in the range of 82-113% for most of the solutes, and recovery less than 80% for only five solutes with low Kow (logKow<2.5), while conventional approaches (with or without salt addition) showed less than 80% recovery for 23 and 41 solutes, respectively. The method showed good linearity (r2>0.9900) and high sensitivity (limit of detection: <10ngL(-1)) for most of the model compounds even with the scan mode in the MS. The method was successfully applied to screening of pesticides at ngL(-1) level in river water samples.     

聚酰亚胺固相萃取搅拌棒的制备及其在环境水中酚类的分析应用

利用相转换法制备了聚酰亚胺吸附萃取搅拌棒,用5种有机酚作为评价标样,并与现有商品化吸附萃取搅拌棒进行比较。优化了萃取搅拌速度、溶液离子强度、萃取温度、萃取时间以及热解析温度和时间。在最佳实验条件下,100 mL 样品,30% NaCl,在25℃下,经活化5 min 后的聚酰亚胺吸附搅拌棒萃取30 min (800 r/ min),然后300℃热解析4 min,使目标物脱附,再进行色谱分析。目标物在大于两个数量级浓度范围内具有良好的线性(R≥0.9995),定量限(LOQ,S/ N=10)为0.028~0.123μg/ L,重复性为1.6%~9.7%。将SBSE 与气相色谱-质谱联用,对海水、自来水和污水中的酚类进行定性与定量分析,结果表明,聚酰亚胺吸附萃取搅拌棒具有良好的选择性,最高热解析温度350℃,在分析水中痕量极性化合物领域具有广阔应用前景。     

Simultaneous determination of alkylphenols and bisphenol A in river water by stir bar sorptive extraction with in situ acetylation and thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A method for the determination of seven alkylphenols and bisphenol A by stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) with in situ derivatization-thermal desorption (TD)-gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) is described. SBSE was performed with in situ acetylation and without derivatization for comparison. For 4-tert-butylphenol and bisphenol A, in situ acetylation improved the responses in SBSE-TD-GC-MS. The method detection limits ranged from 0.1 to 3.2 ng/l. The recoveries of the analytes from a river water sample spiked with standards at 10 and 100 ng/l were 85.3-105.9% (R.S.D., 3.0-11.0%) and 88.3-105.8% (R.S.D., 1.6-8.3%), respectively.     

Evaluation of liquid-phase microextraction conditions for determination of chlorophenols in environmental samples using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry without derivatization

Determination of trace chlorophenols (CPs) in environmental samples has been evaluated using liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) without derivatization. The LPME procedure used to extract CPs from water involved 15 microL 1-octanol as acceptor solution in a 5.0 cm polypropylene hollow fiber with an inner diameter of 600 microm and a pore size of 0.2 microm. Under the optimal extraction conditions, enrichment factors from 117 to 220 are obtained. The obtained linear range is 1-100 ng mL(-1) with r(2)=0.9967 for 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP); 1-100 ng mL(-1) with r(2)=0.9905 for 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP); 5-500 ng mL(-1) with r(2)=0.9983 for 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol (2,3,4,6-TeCP), and 10-1000 ng mL(-1) with r(2)=0.9929 for pentachlorophenol (PCP). The limits of detection range from 0.08 to 2 ng mL(-1), which is comparable with the reported values (12-120 ng mL(-1)). Recoveries of CPs in various matrices exceed 85% with relative standard deviations of less than 10%, except for PCP in landfill leachate. The applicability of this method was examined to determine CPs in environmental samples by analyzing landfill leachate, ground water and soil. The 2,4-DCP and 2,4,6-TCP detected in the landfill leachate are 6.68 and 2.47 ng mL(-1). The 2,4,6-TCP detected in ground water is 2.08 ng mL(-1). All the studied CPs are detected in contaminated soil. The proposed method is simple, low-cost, less organic solvent used and can potentially be applied to analyze CPs in complex environmental matrices.     

Determination of phenolic xenoestrogens in environmental samples by liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection

A method is proposed for the determination of several phenolic xenoestrogens in aqueous and solid environmental samples. The method uses solid-phase extraction (preceded by ultrasonic solvent extraction for solid samples), reversed-phase liquid chromatographic separation, and mass spectrometric detection using both atmospheric pressure chemical ionization and electrospray ionization. This method was developed to support several studies undertaken to obtain aquatic and sedimentary data for rivers and seashores in Spain that are likely to be contaminated by endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) as a consequence of wastewater discharge. Nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NPEOs), nonylphenoxy carboxylates (NPECs), nonylphenol (NP), octylphenol (OP), and bisphenol A (BPA) were determined in various samples of surface water and sediment, collected at different locations upstream and downstream from outfalls of municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Seawater and marine sediments were collected in different harbor areas in Spain. Additionally, WWTP influent and effluents were analyzed to monitor the occurrence and transformation of phenolic EDCs during physicochemical and biological treatment. Rather high concentrations of the compounds investigated were found in some samples. Concentrations of NP were < or = 590 microg/kg in sediments and < or = 15 microg/L in water samples. NPEOs and NPECs were found in water samples in concentrations < or = 41 and < or = 35 microg/L, respectively. In solid samples (river sediment), concentrations of NPEO were < or = 818 microg/kg and those of NP1EC were 95 microg/kg.     

Multiresidue screening of endocrine-disrupting chemicals and pharmaceuticals in aqueous samples by multi-stir bar sorptive extraction–single desorption–capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

A multiresidue method for screening endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and pharmaceuticals in aqueous samples is presented. Four 10-mL aliquots of water were taken for stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) and they were treated in the following way. In sample one, in situ derivatization was performed with acetic acid anhydride to improve the extraction efficiencies and chromatographic analysis of phenolic compounds. For the same reasons, aliquot two was treated with ethyl chloroformate to improve amine and acid extraction and analysis, and aliquot three with tetraethylborate to enhance organotin compound extraction and analysis. Methanol was added to sample four to stop adsorption of apolar solutes on the wall. After SBSE, the four stir bars, together with a plug of glass wool impregnated with bis(trimethylylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) to derivatize hydroxyl functionalities, were introduced into the same thermal desorption tube, heat-desorbed, and analyzed simultaneously by capillary GC/MS. The figures of merit of the method were evaluated with an EDC model mixture. In scan-mode MS, the limits of detection (LODs) were in the range 1–500 ng/L, while the LODs dropped by a factor of 50–100 when ion monitoring MS was applied to the targets. The performance of the method was illustrated by analysing some real-world water samples.     

Development of a molecularly imprinted polymer for selective extraction of bisphenol A in water samples

A cross‐linked methacrylate molecularly imprinted polymer (poly‐4‐vinylpyridine‐co‐trimethylolpropane‐trimethacrylate) selective for bisphenol A (BPA) was synthesized, using a fluorinated BPA derivative (4,4′‐(hexafluoroisopropylidene)‐diphenol) as a mimic template, and applied to the analysis of real‐world samples of process and potable waters. The molecularly imprinted polymer also showed a high affinity and selectivity for 17‐β‐estradiol and ethynylestradiol. A method to analyze BPA, 17‐β‐estradiol, and ethynylestradiol at ultratrace levels was thus developed from a screening procedure to monitor endocrine‐disrupting chemicals in water samples. The method consists of the BPA‐selective cleanup by molecularly imprinted SPE using cartridges packed with the polymer developed, its recovery by stir bar sorptive extraction after ad hoc derivatization to obtain the corresponding BPA‐acetate, and its analysis by GC‐time window‐SIM‐MS after online thermal desorption. The method showed good linearity in the working range (R²=0.9969), high repeatability (RSD% <10.1), recoveries always above 90%, and very low LOD (10 pg/L) and LOQ (1 ng/L) and can easily be extended to the determination of 17‐β‐estradiol and ethynylestradiol ultratraces. The method's effectiveness was evaluated by analyzing the real‐world water samples; it enabled preconcentration and detection of BPA at ultratrace levels.     

Optimisation of stir bar sorptive extraction applied to the determination of volatile compounds in vinegars

Stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) was evaluated for analysing volatile compounds in vinegar. The extraction and desorption analytical conditions have been optimised using a two-level factorial design expanded further to a central composite design. This chemometric tool is very appropriate in screening experiments where the aim is to investigate several possibly influential and/or interacting factors. For the extraction step, the optimum analytical conditions were: sample volume 25 ml without dilution, sampling time 120 min, NaCl content 5.85 g, and stirring speed 1250 rpm. For the desorption step, the optimised analytical conditions were: desorption temperature 300 degrees C, cryofocusing temperature -140 degrees C, flow of helium 75 ml min(-1), and desorption time 10 min. The SBSE procedure developed shows detection limits, and linear ranges adequate for analysing this type of compounds. The repeatability values obtained were lower than 10%. SBSE is a very simple, solvent-free, fast technique with better sensitivities, in general, than SPME. However, a disadvantage of this technique is that, up to now, the stir bar offers a limited enrichment capability for polar compounds because is only available with PDMS coating.