A simple and rapid in situ preconcentration method for the determination of phosphate in environmental waters by use of solid-phase extraction, and its applications to brackish lake waters

A simple and rapid in situ preconcentration method for the determination of phosphate in environmental waters has been developed for field analysis. This method is based on solid-phase extraction on a zirconium-loaded Sep-Pack Accell CM cartridge (Zr-SP) and is applicable to studies in which sampling is performed by use of a graduated syringe to prevent contamination and to ensure easy operation at sampling sites. The Zr-SP cartridge was prepared by passing 0.1 mol L(-1) zirconium solution through a Sep-Pak Accell CM cartridge, packed with cation exchange sorbent based on a silica matrix. The adsorption of phosphate and its desorption depend only on the pH of the solution. A water sample containing phosphate was adjusted to pH 2 and passed through the Zr-SP cartridge to collect it. The retained phosphate was quantitatively eluted with 0.5 mol L(-1) sodium hydroxide solution. The phosphate retained in the Zr-SP cartridge was stable for at least one month. The established preconcentration method was successfully applied to brackish lake waters to investigate seasonal changes in the distribution and behavior of phosphate in a brackish lake.     

A simple and rapid in situ preconcentration method for the determination of phosphate in environmental waters by use of solid-phase extraction, and its applications to brackish lake waters

A simple and rapid in situ preconcentration method for the determination of phosphate in environmental waters has been developed for field analysis. This method is based on solid-phase extraction on a zirconium-loaded Sep-Pack Accell CM cartridge (Zr-SP) and is applicable to studies in which sampling is performed by use of a graduated syringe to prevent contamination and to ensure easy operation at sampling sites. The Zr-SP cartridge was prepared by passing 0.1 mol L^–1 zirconium solution through a Sep-Pak Accell CM cartridge, packed with cation exchange sorbent based on a silica matrix. The adsorption of phosphate and its desorption depend only on the pH of the solution. A water sample containing phosphate was adjusted to pH 2 and passed through the Zr-SP cartridge to collect it. The retained phosphate was quantitatively eluted with 0.5 mol L^–1 sodium hydroxide solution. The phosphate retained in the Zr-SP cartridge was stable for at least one month. The established preconcentration method was successfully applied to brackish lake waters to investigate seasonal changes in the distribution and behavior of phosphate in a brackish lake.     

Multiresidue Analysis of Organic Pollutants in Water by SPE with a C8 and SDVB Combined Cartridge

Abstract

A multi-component target method for screening purposes to determine organic pollutants of different polarities in water is reported. The following classes of chemicals were tested: base-neutral and acidic herbicides, phenolic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and phthalic acid esters.

Data was initially obtained from the extraction of one liter of water sample, using separate octyl bonded porous silica (C8) and highly crosslinked polystyrene based polymer columns (SDVB) cartridges. A second set of data was obtained using for the extraction a combined cartridge containing both phases. The analysis was carried out directly by GC-MS in SIM mode, without any derivatisation, with the exception of acidic herbicides, derivatised with pentafluorobenzylbromide. The obtained results showed recoveries between 75% and 98% at two different spiking levels, with relative standard deviations below 15%.     

Comparison of extraction methods to monitor pesticide residues in surface water

A regular monitoring program to study the pesticide concentration in surface waters has been carried out since 1976 in Hungary by the National Plant Protection Organization of the Ministry of Agriculture and Regional Development jointly with the Regional Water Authorities. At the beginning of this program a liquid-liquid partition method is used to extract the pesticides from water samples. After checking the pH value, one sample aliquot is extracted to analyze the basic and neutral compounds. Another aliquot is acidified to pH 2 and extracted to analyze acidic compounds. Disadvantages of this method are high solvent consumption and the need to apply solvents (methylene chloride and diethyl ether) that are harmful to human health. Therefore, the solid-phase extraction method has been introduced. This method has another advantage in that by using the vacuum manifold a number of samples can be extracted simultaneously depending on the capacity (number of ports) of the manifold. Three types of cartridges (LiChrolut EN, ISOLUTE ENV+, and Carbograph) are tested. The suitability and reproducibility of the extraction on various cartridges is studied and compared through recovery experiments. Recoveries are done for 22 active ingredients at spiking levels of 1-5 times the limit of determination (in the range of 0.05-2.5 microg/L) with each extraction method. Individual recovery values as well as average recoveries for all methods are between 70% and 100%, with the relative standard deviation generally below 20%. Carbograph is the only cartridge among those studied that can be used to extract both neutral and acidic compounds in one sample loading step using two different consecutive elution steps.     

Evaluation of a new solid-phase cartridge for the preconcentration of phenolic compounds in water

The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of a new solid-phase extraction cartridge, Spe-ed Advanta, in the extraction and preconcentration of four phenolic compounds (phenol, 2-chlorophenol, 2-nitrophenol, and 2,4-dichlorophenol) from water. The solid phase is a polystyrene-divinylbenzene resin modified with carboxylic groups, these polar groups improve the contact between the matrix and the aqueous solutions in the extraction of polar analytes. We studied several elution solvents in order to find the most efficient one. Sample concentration, sample volume, and sample pH are also investigated as well as the best method for drying the cartridge. Recoveries achieved with the new phase are compared with those obtained with Isolute ENV+, a non-modified polystyrene-divinylbenzene stationary bed. The best experimental conditions were then used for determination of the phenols in spiked environmental waters.     

Guide to Semi-Quantitative Non-Targeted Screening Using LC/ESI/HRMS

Non-targeted screening (NTS) with reversed phase liquid chromatography electrospray ionization high resolution mass spectrometry (LC/ESI/HRMS) is increasingly employed as an alternative to targeted analysis; however, it is not possible to quantify all compounds found in a sample with analytical standards. As an alternative, semi-quantification strategies are, or at least should be, used to estimate the concentrations of the unknown compounds before final decision making. All steps in the analytical chain, from sample preparation to ionization conditions and data processing can influence the signals obtained, and thus the estimated concentrations. Therefore, each step needs to be considered carefully. Generally, less is more when it comes to choosing sample preparation as well as chromatographic and ionization conditions in NTS. By combining the positive and negative ionization mode, the performance of NTS can be improved, since different compounds ionize better in one or the other mode. Furthermore, NTS gives opportunities for retrospective analysis. In this tutorial, strategies for semi-quantification are described, sources potentially decreasing the signals are identified and possibilities to improve NTS are discussed. Additionally, examples of retrospective analysis are presented. Finally, we present a checklist for carrying out semi-quantitative NTS.     

Pore size analysis of >250,000 hypothetical zeolites

Computational methods have been used in the past to generate large libraries of hypothetical zeolite structures, but to date analysis of these structures has typically been limited to relatively simple physical properties such as density. We use efficient methods to analyze the adsorption and diffusion properties of simple adsorbate molecules in a library of >250,000 hypothetical silica zeolites that was generated previously by Deem and co-workers (J. Phys. Chem. C, 2009, 113, 21353). The properties of this library of materials are compared to the complete set of ～190 zeolites that have been identified experimentally. Our calculations provide information on the largest cavities available in each material for adsorption, and the size of the largest molecules that can diffuse through each material. For a subset of ～8000 materials, we computed the Henry's constant and diffusion activation energy for adsorbed CH(4) and H(2). We show that these calculations provide a useful screening tool for considering large collections of nanocrystalline materials and choosing materials with particular promise for more detailed modeling.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of morphine and its 3- and 6-glucuronide metabolites: improvements to the method and application to stability studies

Improvements to previously reported methods for the determination of morphine, morphine-3-glucuronide (M3G) and morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G) in human plasma are described. The improved methods involve the use of a solid-phase extraction cartridge and a chromatographic system which uses paired-ion reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with a radially compressed column. Only one cartridge is used to prepare each sample for chromatography and each cartridge may be used for at least fourteen 1-ml plasma samples. The recovery is greater than 85%. The improvements to the method of sample pretreatment and in the chromatographic conditions have allowed determination of morphine, M3G and M6G in human plasma down to 13.3 nmol/l (coefficient of variation = 9.3%), 108 nmol/l (6.6%) and 41 nmol/l (6.7%), respectively, using ultraviolet detection alone. It was shown that all three compounds were stable in plasma for up to 101 weeks when stored at -20 degrees C.     

Solid phase extraction system for vitamin D and its major metabolites in human plasma

A new procedure using C18 and silica cartridges for the extraction and subsequent separation of vitamin D and its major metabolites from plasma has been developed and compared to a conventional extraction procedure with respect to lipophilic material extracted as evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatographic profiles. The C18 cartridges were efficient in extracting all compounds tested while subsequent chromatography of the extract on silica cartridges was effective in resolving vitamin D and its metabolites based on increasing polarity. High-performance liquid chromatographic profiles of each silica cartridge fraction clearly demonstrated that the newly conceived solid phase extraction was superior to conventional extraction methods with respect to cleanliness of sample fractions. This difference in lipophilic load between the new and conventional extraction systems was most apparent in the vitamin D and 25-hydroxyvitamin D containing fractions. The new extraction system can be used when total extraction and subsequent analysis of vitamin D and its major metabolites is desired.     

A simple and rapid in situ preconcentration method using solid-phase extraction for the determination of dissolved manganese in brackish lake water samples.

A simple and rapid in situ preconcentration method for the determination of dissolved manganese in environmental waters has been developed based on solid-phase extraction using a Sep-Pak C18 cartridge. Manganese in water samples, which was taken into a graduated syringe to easily perform the operation for collecting manganese at sampling sites, was converted into a stable complex with 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol (PAR) at pH 10 immediately after sample collection. The formed Mn-PAR complex was collected by a Sep-Pak C18 cartridge, which was packed with C18-bonded silica. The complex was stable in the Sep-Pak C18 cartridge for at least one month. The retained complex was quantitatively eluted with 0.5 M hydrochloric acid. The manganese was determined by graphite-furnace AAS. The proposed method was successfully applicable to brackish lake water samples to investigate the behavior of dissolved manganese in brackish lakes.     

Evaluation and characterization of a commercial immunosorbent cartridge for the solid-phase extraction of phenylureas from aqueous matrices

The behavior and main characteristics of a commercial immunosorbent (IS) cartridge for the solid-phase extraction of phenylureas are determined in this work. The measured capacity for the analyte-antigen (isoproturon) in a new cartridge is 215 ng and, after more than 100 adsorption-desorption cycles, the remaining capacity still is approximately 70 ng, demonstrating the good stability of the bonded antibody and the interesting possibility of extensive cartridge reuse. Only isoproturon and diuron are specifically retained in this sorbent. The weak nonspecific retention of other pesticides, including other phenylureas, can be avoided by increasing the sample volume during the loading step. Thus, a very selective and sensitive method for the determination of isoproturon and diuron in natural and potable waters is developed by loading a 50-mL sample adjusted to pH 7.4 in the IS cartridge, eluting with methanol-water (60:40, v/v), and analyzing the eluate by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. The clean chromatograms, low detection limits (approximately 0.1 micro g/L), and good precision (< 5%) obtained with this rapid and simple method demonstrate that immunoaffinity extraction can be an excellent alternative for sample preparation in the environmental monitoring of particular pesticides in water matrices.     

Method development for trace determination of poly(naphthalenesulfonate)-type pollutants in water by liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry

A very sensitive analytical procedure based on LC-MS for determining trace amounts of the more relevant poly(naphthalenesulfonate) (PNS) contaminants present in environmental waters is presented. Extraction was performed on a styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer resin solid-phase extraction cartridge after addition of ammonium acetate to the sample. Small amounts of ammonium acetate in the mobile phase allowed the determination and characterisation of the four shorter oligomers by liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry. Under such conditions the electrospray process generates fully ionised molecules which greatly simplifies interpretation of spectra and quantitation. Additionally, confirmatory ions can be generated by the in-source collision-induced decomposition process. The effectiveness of the method was assessed in recovery experiments from drinking and river water samples spiked with commercial mixtures of PNS concrete plasticizers also referred as naphthalenesulfonate-formaldehyde condensates. Moreover, the performance of this method was compared to methods using ion-pair chromatography coupled with fluorimetric and mass spectrometric detection. Method detection limits were in the low picomolar range (1 ng/l for the monomer) for each isomer. In order to evaluate the environmental relevance of PNS type compounds waste, river and ground water grab samples were analysed. Concentrations of PNS oligomers detected in these samples ranged between 53 ng/l and 32 microg/l.     

石墨烯应用于样品前处理的研究进展

样品前处理技术在样品分析中发挥着越来越重要的作用,而对分析物的富集能力和对样品基体的净化程度主要取决于高效的样品前处理材料,所以发展高性能的样品前处理材料一直是该领域的前沿研究方向。近年来,各类先进材料已经被引入样品前处理领域,发展了多种高性能的萃取材料。由于独特的物理化学性质,石墨烯已在各个研究领域获得广泛关注,在样品前处理领域也发挥着重要作用。基于高的比表面积、大的π电子结构、优异的吸附性能、丰富的官能团和易于化学改性等优点,石墨烯和氧化石墨烯基萃取材料被成功应用于各种样品的前处理,对不同领域中多种类型分析物表现出优异的萃取性能。该论文总结和讨论了近3年来石墨烯材料(石墨烯、氧化石墨烯及其功能化材料)在柱固相萃取、分散固相萃取、磁性固相萃取、搅拌棒萃取、纤维固相微萃取和管内固相微萃取等方面的研究进展。基于多种萃取机理如π-π、静电、疏水、亲水、氢键等相互作用,石墨烯萃取材料能够高效萃取和选择性富集不同类别的目标分析物,如重金属离子、多环芳烃、塑化剂、雌激素、药物分子、农药残留、兽药残留等。基于新型石墨烯萃取材料的各种样品前处理技术与多种检测技术如色谱、质谱、原子吸收光谱等联用,广泛应用于环境监测、食品安全和生化分析等领域。最后,总结了石墨烯在样品前处理领域中存在的问题,并展望了未来的发展趋势。     

Ultrasound-assisted extraction of pesticides from olive branches: a multifactorial approach to method development

A rapid and simple method has been developed for the analysis in olive branches of two insecticides currently used in olive pest control, dimethoate and α-cypermethrin. The effects of analytical conditions on pesticide recovery and the optimal extraction conditions were evaluated by means of a factorial design. The use of this chemometric tool in analytical method development allows the identification of the principal and interaction effects of the extraction conditions on the recovery of pesticides. It also gives information about the location of pesticide maximum recovery with minimal experimental investment. Extraction was carried out with an ultrasonic bath and the experimental conditions studied included the volume of extractant, the time of extraction, the number of extraction steps and the sample weight. The sample was further cleaned up using a Florisil solid-phase extraction cartridge. For the overall extraction procedure, recoveries of 99 % for α-cypermethrin and 90 % for dimethoate from the spiked samples were found for 1 g of sample extracted three times with 35 mL hexane, sonicating for 2 min in each step. The complete process including ultrasonic extraction and filtration will not require more than 15–20 min, in contrast with several hours for conventional liquid–solid extraction techniques. The proposed method allows a high sample throughput, as commonly required in monitoring studies.     

Arsenic speciation in humans and food products: a review.

Although acute intoxication has become rare, arsenic (As) is still a dangerous pollution agent for industrial workers and people living in the vicinity of emission sources. In humans, only inorganic As is toxic; organic forms present in large amounts in the environment are nontoxic. It is therefore important to be able to differentiate one group from the other using appropriate speciation methods. The authors review the present knowledge of the distribution of As in humans and food products. The three steps of the speciation methods (sample preparation, species separation, and detection) are described. For liquid samples, a clean-up step (C18 cartridge extraction, dilution, or freezing) is necessary to eliminate proteins and salts from the matrix. For solid organic samples, the first step consists of the digestion of tissues followed by solvent extraction sometimes coupled with a C18 extraction. The separation of As species is accomplished by different high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods (ion-exchange, ion-pairing, and micellar liquid chromatography). The detection methods are compatible with HPLC and are able to detect As species in the microgram-per-liter range. Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) atomic emission spectrometry is more frequently used, but suffers from interference by organic solvents in the mobile phases. Atomic absorption spectrometry methods give sensitivities of the same order. ICP-mass spectrometry has the advantage of specificity and can be 100- to 1000-fold more sensitive than previous methods.     

Determination of donepezil in serum samples using molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection

A molecularly imprinted polymer designed for the selective extraction of donepezil from serum samples was synthesized using a noncovalent molecular imprinting approach. The molecularly imprinted polymer was evaluated chromatographically and then its affinity for donepezil was confirmed by solid‐phase extraction. The optimal conditions for solid‐phase extraction were provided by cartridge conditioning using acidified water purified from a Milli‐Q system, sample loading under basic aqueous conditions, clean‐up using acetonitrile, and elution with methanol/tetrahydrofuran. Desirable molecular recognition properties of the molecularly imprinted polymer led to good donepezil recoveries (90–102%). The data indicated that the imprinted polymer has a perfect selectivity and affinity for donepezil and could be used for selective extraction and analysis of donepezil in human serum.     

Study of applicability of various solid-phase extraction materials for sample handling in screening analysis of organic micropollutants in water.

At present, solid-phase extraction (SPE) has become an often preferred preconcentration technique in the screening for a wide range of organic micropollutants in water. A wide choice of materials available on the market makes SPE a suitable tool to cope with an increasing variability of organic compounds entering the hydrosphere. However, the interactions of various sorbent materials with compounds having different physico-chemical properties leads inevitably to large differences in preconcentration efficiency. The aim of this paper was to investigate the efficiency of preconcentration of selected organic compounds from aqueous solutions on various SPE materials. Simultaneously, the potential of newly emerging SPE procedures was compared to results of traditional liquid-liquid extraction methods. The group of 19 tested analytes was selected so as to represent different classes of organic compounds which may occur in waters. The results obtained showed that most of the tested materials were suitable for sufficient preconcentration of a substantial part of the tested analytes. However, specific differences in recovery of one or more analytes were found for almost each sorbent even in the case when the materials had similar composition. This behaviour clearly indicates the need for a thorough testing of capabilities of any SPE material intended for the use in a wide range screening method for the identification of unknown organic micropollutants in water.     

Critical evaluation and comparison of enrichment efficiency of multi-walled carbon nanotubes, C18 silica and activated carbon towards some pesticides from environmental waters

In this work, optimization of multi-residue solid phase extraction (SPE) procedures coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography for the determination of Propoxur, Atrazine and Methidathion from environmental waters is reported. Three different sorbents were used in this work: multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), C18 silica and activated carbon (AC). The three optimized SPE procedures were compared in terms of analytical performance, application to environmental waters, cartridge re-use, adsorption capacity and cost of adsorbent. Although the adsorption capacity of MWCNT was larger than AC and C18, however, the analytical performance of AC could be made close to the other sorbents by appropriate optimization of the SPE procedures. A sample of AC was then oxidized with various oxidizing agents to show that ACs of various surface properties has different enrichment efficiencies. Thus researchers are advised to try AC of various surface properties in SPE of pollutants prior to using expensive sorbents (such as MWCNT and C18 silica).     

基于非负分解方法的质谱成像数据特征提取

质谱成像技术能够在同一个实验里无需标记手段而获得样品表面的分子信息及其分布信息,是当前质谱分析的热点.其分析所得数据量大且复杂,使其特征难以提取.多元统计分析方法,特别是主成分分析法已应用于质谱成像数据的压缩和特征提取.然而由于主成分分析常产生负的数据结果,其意义难以解释且不易分解为单一的特征.本研究开发出一种基于非负分解的质谱成像数据提取方法,能够提取单一的分子特征及其在样品上的分布特征,并将多个单一的特征分布通过红、绿、蓝三色叠加显示,获得轮廓直观的综合特征分布.应用本方法对小鼠脑组织切片质谱成像数据进行分析,可直观分解出灰质区域、白质区域和背景区域,相对主成分分析方法更直观且易于解释.应用本方法对在同一个样品靶上的人膀胱癌变组织和其相邻非癌变组织切片质谱成像数据进行分析,癌变与非癌变组织间差异清晰直观.本研究设计的质谱成像软件可由http://www.msimaging.net获取.     

高效液相色谱-串联质谱法测定蜂蜜中残留的19种喹诺酮类药物

建立了高效液相色谱-电喷雾串联质谱联用测定蜂蜜中恩诺沙星、环丙沙星、诺氟沙星、氧氟沙星、双氟沙星、恶喹酸、氟甲喹、沙拉沙星、司帕沙星、丹诺沙星、氟罗沙星、马波沙星、伊诺沙星、奥比沙星、吡哌酸、培氟沙星、洛美沙星、西诺沙星和萘啶酸等19种喹诺酮类药物残留的方法。比较酸性溶液阳离子固相萃取(PCX柱)、近中性缓冲溶液反相固相萃取（HLB柱）和碱性溶液阴离子固相萃取(PAX柱)3种不同提取净化方法的提取效果,最终选择使用碱性溶液溶解蜂蜜样品,强阴离子固相萃取柱一步富集净化。以甲醇和0.1%甲酸溶液作为流动相,C18作为分析色谱柱,采用梯度洗脱方式进行液相色谱分离,选择离子反应监测模式检测19种喹诺酮类药物,内标方法定量。在1～100 μg/L范围内,19种喹诺酮类药物的线性相关系数均大于0.991。通过实际样品的添加回收试验,方法的定量限（S/N=10）为1.0 μg/kg,3个添加水平的回收率为71%～118%,相对标准偏差为4.2%～6.7%。