A green method using micellar system for determination of sulfonamides in soil

A green and simple method was developed for determination of sulfonamides (SAs) in soil samples. The procedure was based on the microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of SAs from soil using non-ionic surfactant Triton X-114 as the extraction medium. Then sodium chloride was added into the MAE extract and the mixture was equilibrated for some time at high temperature. The analytes in the surfactant-rich phase were concentrated with the help of centrifugation and directly analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. None of potentially hazardous organic solvents was used in the whole sample preparation procedure. The significant variables for the performance of extraction and concentration were studied. The limits of detection of SAs obtained are in the range of 3.2-5.7 ng g⁻¹. The relative standard deviations of intra- and inter-day tests ranging from 3.5% to 7.7% and from 4.6% to 9.5% are obtained, respectively. This method was applied to the determination of SAs in some soil samples with different characteristics. The SAs recoveries obtained at fortified level of 100 ng g⁻¹ for these samples are in the range of 81.2-93.7%. The effect of ageing time of spiked soil samples on the SAs recoveries was examined by the proposed method and a method reported in the literature. The recoveries of SAs decreased when the ageing time changed from 1 day to 4 weeks.     

Determination of carbamate pesticides using micro-solid-phase extraction combined with high-performance liquid chromatography

We describe a simple and sensitive porous polypropylene membrane-protected micro-solid-phase extraction (μ-SPE) approach for the sample preparation and determination of carbamate pesticides in soil samples by high-performance liquid chromatography. The μ-SPE device consisted of C₁₈ sorbent held within a porous polypropylene envelope. In order to achieve optimum performance, several extraction parameters were optimized. Under the most favorable conditions, the extraction efficiency of the μ-SPE was very high, with detection limits in the range of 0.01–0.40 ng g⁻¹. This is more than two orders of magnitude lower than the limits obtained by the United States Environmental Protection Agency Methods 8321A and 8318. A linear relationship was obtained for each analyte in the range of 2 and 200 ng g⁻¹. The relative standard deviation for the analysis of aged soil samples spiked at 5 ng g⁻¹ was ≤11%. The reproducibility of separate μ-SPE device used for experiments was satisfactory (relative standard deviations ranged from 4 to 11%), indicating that the method is reliable for routine environmental analysis.     

Optimized determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polychlorinated biphenyls in sheep serum by solid-phase extraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

We describe a solid-phase extraction (SPE) method, followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), for the simultaneous determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sheep serum samples. The denaturation of serum proteins by formic acid, water-1-propanol and water-2-propanol were compared and optimized. Seven different solid-phase sorbents were tested and it was found that Strata-X cartridge (200 mg, 6 mL) gave the best recoveries (92-106%, SD < 6%, n = 3) for all the target analytes. The different extraction solvents (iso-hexane and dichloromethane), either alone or in combination, were used to extract these persistent organic compounds from spiked serum samples by SPE. Removal of co-extracted biogenic materials was achieved using adsorption chromatography with acid modified silica and activated silica. Iso-hexane was found to be the most appropriate solvent for clean-up providing good recoveries and clear chromatographic separation; its use is preferable to that of DCM because it is less environmentally toxic. The limits of detection (LOD) of the proposed method were 47-105 pg g⁻¹ and 16-24 pg g⁻¹ for the different PBDEs and PCBs studied, respectively. The developed method was linear over the range from 0.05 to 30 ng g⁻¹, for all PBDEs except PBDE 183 (0.10-30 ng g⁻¹), and from 0.02 to 30 ng g⁻¹ for all tested PCB congeners. The established method was successfully applied to sheep serum samples from Scotland, UK, for the determination of the target PBDEs and PCBs.     

The investigation of electrospun polymer nanofibers as a solid-phase extraction sorbent for the determination of trazodone in human plasma

A novel micro-extraction procedure was developed through the use of an electrospun polymer nanofiber as a solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbent to directly extract trazodone from human plasma. The target compound was then monitored by a high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detector (HPLC-UV) system. Parameters of influencing the extraction efficiency, such as fiber diameter, fiber packing amount, eluted solvent, pH and ionic strength were investigated. Under the optimized conditions, a linear response for trazodone over the range of 20-2000 ng mL⁻¹ was achieved with a γ² value of 0.9996. The precision of the method was examined with relative standard deviations of 5.7, 2.7, 2.2% corresponding to 50, 200, and 500 ng mL⁻¹, respectively, of trazodone spiked into 0.1 mL of plasma samples. The extraction recoveries of 58.3-75.2% and the relative recoveries of 94.6-105.5% were obtained. The limit of detection (LOD) was determined to be 8 ng mL⁻¹. A 15 min of HPLC gradient was successfully applied to determine trazodone from human plasma. Due to its simplicity, selectivity and sensitivity, the method may be applied to pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies of drugs.     

Determination of pharmaceuticals in soils and sediments by pressurized liquid extraction and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

The present work describes the development of a sensitive analytical method based on pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and pre-concentration by solid-phase extraction (SPE), followed by liquid chromatography–electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC–ESI-MS/MS) for the determination of seventeen pharmaceuticals in soils and sediments. The method is based on sample homogenisation using Na₂–EDTA washed sand and extraction with water at 90 °C. Special emphasis was placed on the optimization of the extraction procedure to develop a green method that reduces, at a maximum, the use of organic solvents in order to eliminate matrix components during the clean-up. The proposed method was linear in a concentration range from 0.3 to 333 ng g⁻¹, with correlation coefficients higher than 0.993. Method detection (MDLs) and quantification (MQLs) limits ranged from 0.1 to 6.8 ng g⁻¹ and from 0.25 to 23 ng g⁻¹, respectively. Absolute recoveries were analyte dependent, varying between 50% and 105% at the MQL level, except for fenofibrate (40%) and diclofenac (34%). The intra-day and inter-day precision was given by RSD values from 0.7% to 7.9% and from 1.6% to 14.5%, respectively. Acetaminophen, carbamazepine, ciprofloxacin, clofibric acid, codeine, diazepam, fenofibrate, metropolol, ofloxacin and propanolol were detected at concentrations from MDL to 35.62 ng g⁻¹ in soils and sediments from marsh areas. Due to the low recoveries, results for fenofibrate and diclofenac can only be considered as semi-quantitative. The method was fully suitable for the other 15 pharmaceuticals.     

Determination of sulfonamides in soil samples based on alumina-coated magnetite nanoparticles as adsorbents

In this study, alumina-coated magnetite nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄/Al₂O₃ NPs) were synthesized, and they were applied to the analysis of sulfonamides (SAs) including sulfadiazine (SDZ), sulfamerazine (SMR), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), sulfamonomethoxine (SMM), sulfamethoxydiazine (SMD), sulfadimethoxine (SDM) and sulfaquinoxaline (SQX) in different soil samples based on magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE). The extraction and concentration process was carried out in a single step by mixing the extraction solvent, magnetic adsorbents and soil sample under ultrasonic action. Then, the adsorbents were isolated from the complicated matrix easily with an external magnetic field. The SAs desorbed from the adsorbents were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Compared with traditional methods, the MSPE method simplified the operation procedure and reduced the analysis time. Under the optimum conditions, the recoveries of SDZ, SMR, SMX, SMM, SMD and SDM by analyzing the five spiked soil samples were between 71% and 93% except for SQX (42-60%). This may be due to the stronger hydrophobic property of SQX. Detection limits of SAs were between 0.37 and 6.74 ng g⁻¹. It was also found that the “aging” effect of SAs contaminated soil could cause the recoveries to decrease.     

The determination of organochlorine pesticides based on dynamic microwave-assisted extraction coupled with on-line solid-phase extraction of high-performance liquid chromatography

A rapid technique based on dynamic microwave-assisted extraction coupled with on-line solid-phase extraction of high-performance liquid chromatography (DMAE-SPE-HPLC) has been developed. A TM₀₁₀ microwave resonance cavity built in the laboratory was applied to concentrate the microwave energy. The sample placed in the zone of microwave irradiation was extracted with 95% acetonitrile (ACN) aqueous solution which was driven by a peristaltic pump at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min⁻¹. The extraction can be completed in a recirculating system in 10 min. When a number of extraction cycles were completed, the extract (1 mL) was diluted on-line with water. Then the extract was loaded into an SPE column where the analytes were retained while the unretained matrix components were washed away. Subsequently, the analytes were automatically transferred from the SPE column to the analytical column and determined by UV detector at 238 nm. The technique was used for determination of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in grains, including wheat, rice, corn and bean. The limits of detection of OCPs are in the range of 19-37 ng g⁻¹. The recoveries obtained by analyzing the four spiked grain samples are in the range of 86-105%, whereas the relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) values are <8.7% ranging from 1.2 to 8.7%. Our method was demonstrated to be fast, accurate, and precise. In addition, only small quantities of solvent and sample were required.     

Determination of the fungicides vinclozolin and dicloran in soils using ultrasonic extraction coupled with solid-phase microextraction

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to ultrasonic extraction was evaluated for extracting trace amounts of two agrochemical fungicides, vinclozolin and dicloran, in soil samples. Extraction was performed following two experimental approaches prior to the submission of the aqueous extracts to SPME-GC analysis. In the first approach, extraction involved sample homogenization with a water solution containing 5% (v/v) acetone and centrifugation prior to fiber extraction. In the second approach, the extraction of the fungicides from the soil samples was conducted using acetone as organic solvent which was then diluted with water to give a 5% (v/v) content. The pesticides were isolated with fused silica fiber coating with 85 μm polyacrylate. Parameters that affect both the extraction of the fungicides by the soil samples and the trapping of the analytes by the fiber were investigated and their impact on the SPME-GC-MS was studied. The procedures with respect to repeatability and limits of detection were evaluated by soil spiked with both analytes. Repeatability was between 5.6 and 14.2% and the limits of detection were 2-13 ng g⁻¹. The efficiency of acetone/SPME was generally better than that for water/SPME procedure showing good linearity (R²>0.99) with coefficient variations below 9%, recoveries higher than 91% and limits of detection between 2 and 3 ng g⁻¹. Finally, the recoveries obtained with acetone/SPME procedure were compared with the conventional liquid-liquid extraction using real soil samples. The acetone/SPME method was shown to be an inexpensive, fast and simple preparation method for the determination of target analytes at low nanogram per gram levels in soils.     

Development of hyperbranched polymers with non-covalent interactions for extraction and determination of aflatoxins in cereal samples

A novel approach for assembling homogeneous hyperbranched polymers based on non-covalent interactions with aflatoxins was developed; the polymers were used to evaluate the extraction of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2) in simulant solutions. The results showed that the extraction efficiencies of three kinds of synthesized polymers for the investigated analytes were not statistically different; as a consequence, one of the representative polymers (polymer I) was used as the solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbent to evaluate the influences of various parameters, such as desorption conditions, pH, ionic strength, concentration of methanol in sample solutions, and the mass of the sorbent on the extraction efficiency. In addition, the extraction efficiencies for these aflatoxins were compared between the investigated polymer and the traditional sorbent C18. The results showed that the investigated polymer had superior extraction efficiencies. Subsequently, the proposed polymer for the SPE packing material was employed to enrich and analyze four aflatoxins in the cereal powder samples. The limits of detection (LODs) at a signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio of 3 were in the range of 0.012–0.120 ng g⁻¹ for four aflatoxins, and the limits of quantification (LOQs) calculated at S/N = 10 were from 0.04 to 0.40 ng g⁻¹ for four aflatoxins. The recoveries of four aflatoxins from cereal powder samples were in the range of 82.7–103% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) lower than 10%. The results demonstrate the suitability of the SPE approach for the analysis of trace aflatoxins in cereal powder samples.     

Determination of tetrabromobisphenol-A,tetrachlorobisphenol-A and bisphenol-A in soil by ultrasonic assisted extraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

In this work, an isotope dilution method for the determination, in agricultural and industrial soil samples, of tetrabromobisphenol-A, tetrachlorobisphenol-A and bisphenol-A by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was developed. The compounds were extracted from soil by sonication assisted extraction in small columns (SAESC) with a low volume of ethyl acetate as extraction solvent. For dirty soil samples, such as industrial soils, a simultaneous clean-up on an acidified Florisil–anhydrous sodium sulfate mixture was carried out to remove interferences. After extraction, solvent was evaporated and analytes were derivatized with N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) and determined by isotope dilution gas chromatography with electron impact mass spectrometric detection in the selected ion monitoring mode (GC–MS–SIM), using ¹³C₁₂ labeled compounds as internal standards. Recoveries from spiked samples were between 88% and 108% and the estimated limits of detection (S/N = 3) varied from 30 pg g⁻¹ to 90 pg g⁻¹. The response obtained with this method was linear over the range assayed, 5–300 ng ml⁻¹, with correlation coefficients equal or higher than 0.999. The validated method was used to investigate the levels of these phenolic compounds in soil samples collected from different locations in Spain. Bisphenol-A was detected in all samples at concentrations from 0.7 ng g⁻¹ to 4.6 ng g⁻¹ in agricultural soils and from 1.1 ng g⁻¹ to 44.5 ng g⁻¹ in industrial soils. Tetrabromobisphenol-A was found in various soil samples at levels in the range of 3.4–32.2 ng g⁻¹ in industrial soils and at 0.3 ng g⁻¹ in one agricultural soil, whereas tetrachlorobisphenol-A was not detected.     

Water-compatible poly (hydroxyethyl methacrylate) polymer sorbent for miniaturized syringe assisted extraction of sulfonamides in milk

A simple, convenient, and economic self-assembly miniaturized syringe assisted extraction (mini-SAE) using poly (hydroxyethyl methacrylate) polymer (PHEMA) as sorbent coupled with liquid chromatography was proposed for rapid screening of sulfadiazine (SD) and sulfamonomethoxine (SMM) in milk. The water-compatible PHEMA was synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer precipitation polymerization using trithiocarbonate as chain transfer agent and methanol–water system as reaction medium. The obtained PHEMA sorbent showed good affinity to sulfonamides and was successfully applied as a special sorbent for a mini-SAE device for simultaneous extraction and isolation of SD and SMM in milk samples. Under the optimum condition, good linearity was obtained in a range of 7.0–700 ng g⁻¹ (r ≥ 0.9995) and the average recoveries of SD and SMM at three spiked levels were ranged from 85.6 to 100.3% with the relative standard deviations (RSD) ≤6.5%. The presented PHEMA-mini-SAE protocol could be potentially applied as an alternative tool for analyzing the residues of SAs in complicated biological samples.     

Solid phase extractive preconcentration coupled to gas chromatography-atomic emission detection for the determination of chlorophenols in water samples

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by derivatization and gas chromatography-atomic emission detection (GC-AED) was evaluated for the determination of five chlorophenols (CPs) in water samples. The derivatization was based on the esterification of phenolic compounds with ferrocenecarboxylic acid. The determination of the derivatized phenols was performed by GC-AED in the iron selective detection mode at 302 nm. The described method was tested on spiked water samples.The overall method gave detection limits of 1.6-3.7 ng L⁻¹ and recoveries of 90.9-104.5% for the examined mono- to trichlorophenols in 10 mL water samples. The CPs extracted from a 10 mL water sample with SPE were concentrated into 100 μL of organic solvent, a preconcentration factor of 100. The method was applied to lake and tap water samples, and CP contents between 6 and 51 ng L⁻¹ in lake water and between below the detection limit and 8 ng L⁻¹ in tap water were found for different CPs. The method is quick, simple and gives excellent recoveries, limits of detection and standard deviations.     

Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction combined with high performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection for the determination of carbendazim and thiabendazole in environmental samples

A rapid and sensitive method for the determination of carbendazim (methyl benzimidazole-2-ylcarbamate, MBC) and thiabendazole (TBZ) in water and soil samples was developed by using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) coupled with high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The water samples were directly used for the DLLME extraction. For soil samples, the target analytes were first extracted by 0.1 mol L⁻¹ HCl. Then, the pH of the extract was adjusted to 7.0 with 2 mol L⁻¹ NaOH before the DLLME extraction. In the DLLME extraction method, chloroform (CHCl₃) was used as extraction solvent and tetrahydrofuran (THF) as dispersive solvent. Under the optimum conditions, the enrichment factors for MBC and TBZ were ranged between 149 and 210, and the extraction recoveries were between 50.8 and 70.9%, respectively. The linearity of the method was obtained in the range of 5-800 ng mL⁻¹ for water sample analysis, and 10-1000 ng g⁻¹ for soil samples, respectively. The correlation coefficients (r) ranged from 0.9987 to 0.9997. The limits of detection were 0.5-1.0 ng mL⁻¹ for water samples, and 1.0-1.6 ng g⁻¹ for soil samples. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) varied from 3.5 to 6.8% (n = 5). The recoveries of the method for MBC and TBZ from water samples at spiking levels of 5 and 20 ng mL⁻¹ were 84.0-94.0% and 86.0-92.5%, respectively. The recoveries for soil samples at spiking levels of 10 and 100 ng g⁻¹ varied between 82.0 and 93.4%.     

Pressurized liquid extraction of organophosphate triesters from sediment samples using aqueous solutions

A novel procedure for the extraction of seven organophosphate triesters (OPs), used as flame retardants and plasticizers, from sediment samples has been developed. It is based on the pressurized liquid extraction of the analytes with aqueous solutions, combined with a further concentration step using solid-phase extraction (SPE) and followed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) determination. The effects of different variables on the yield and selectivity of the sample preparation process are systematically evaluated. The optimal responses were observed extracting 2 g of sediment with a water:acetonitrile (75:25) solution at 90 °C and 1500 psi for 5 min. The obtained extract was made up to 200 mL with ultrapure water and passed through an OASIS HLB, 60 mg cartridge. Analytes were recovered with 2 mL of ethyl acetate and this extract concentrated to a lower volume, ca. 0.2 mL. Recoveries of the proposed extraction method ranged from 77 to 111%, with relative standard deviations below 10%, for spiked river and marine sediment samples with total carbon contents (TC) up to 4.0%. The limits of quantification (LOQs) of the method varied between 0.5 and 5 ng g⁻¹. Analysis of non-spiked sediment samples revealed the presence of low levels for some of the investigated species, with the highest concentration (47 ng g⁻¹) corresponding to tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP).     

Determination of various estradiol mimicking-compounds in sewage sludge by the combination of microwave-assisted extraction and LC-MS/MS

In this work, we present the development and application of a microwave assisted extraction followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry methodology (MAE-LC-MS/MS) for the determination of various estradiol-mimicking compounds in sewage sludge samples. For the purification of the MAE extracts, we have employed a solid phase extraction (SPE) clean-up procedure, previously optimised. The entire method provides recoveries between 71.7% and 103.1%, with relative standard deviation lower than 11.1% and limits of detection ranging from 0.6 to 3.5 ng g⁻¹. The developed method was applied to samples from three wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in Las Palmas of Gran Canaria (Spain), two of which had a conventional activated sludge treatment (AST), whereas the third treatment plant had an advanced membrane bioreactor treatment (MBR). All of the analytes in the study, including (nonylphenol (NP), octylphenol (OP), and some of their ethoxylated chains AP_nEOs (n ≤ 7), 17β-estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE) and bisphenol-A (BPA)), were found in almost all samples in concentrations ranging from 0.9 to 710.2 ng g⁻¹.     

Headspace solid-phase microextraction using a dodecylsulfate-doped polypyrrole film coupled to ion mobility spectrometry for the simultaneous determination of atrazine and ametryn in soil and water samples

A simple and rapid headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) based method is presented for the simultaneous determination of atrazine and ametryn in soil and water samples by ion mobility spectrometry (IMS). A dodecylsulfate-doped polypyrrole (PPy-DS), synthesized by electrochemical method, was applied as a laboratory-made fiber for SPME. The HS-SPME system was designed with a cooling device on the upper part of the sample vial and a circulating water bath for adjusting the sample temperature. The extraction properties of the fiber to spiked soil and water samples with atrazine and ametryn were examined, using a HS-SPME device and thermal desorption in injection port of IMS. Parameters affecting the extraction efficiency such as the volume of water added to the soil, pH effect, extraction time, extraction temperature, salt effect, desorption time, and desorption temperature were investigated. The HS-SPME-IMS method with PPy-DS fiber, provided good repeatability (RSDs < 10 %), simplicity, good sensitivity and short analysis times for spiked soil (200 ng g⁻¹) and water samples (100 and 200 ng mL⁻¹). The calibration graphs were linear in the range of 200-4000 ng g⁻¹ and 50-2800 ng mL⁻¹ for soil and water respectively (R² > 0.99). Detection limits for atrazine and ametryn were 37 ng g⁻¹ (soil) and 23 ng g⁻¹ (soil) and 15 ng mL⁻¹ (water) and 10 ng mL⁻¹ (water), respectively. To evaluate the accuracy of the proposed method, atrazine and ametryn in the three kinds of soils and two well water samples were determined. Finally, comparing the HS-SPME results for extraction and determination of selected triazines using PPy-DS fiber with the other methods in literature shows that the proposed method has comparable detection limits and RSDs and good linear ranges.     

Synthesis and application of a carbamazepine-imprinted polymer for solid-phase extraction from urine and wastewater

A molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) designed to enable the selective extraction of carbamazepine (CBZ) from effluent wastewater and urine samples has been synthesised using a non-covalent molecular imprinting approach. The MIP was evaluated chromatographically in the first instance and its affinity for CBZ also confirmed by solid-phase extraction (SPE). The optimal conditions for SPE consisted of conditioning of the cartridge using acidified water purified from a Milli-Q system, loading of the sample under basic aqueous conditions, clean-up using acetonitrile and elution with methanol. The attractive molecular recognition properties of the MIP gave rise to good CBZ recoveries (80%) when 100 mL of effluent water spiked with 1 μg L⁻¹ was percolated through the polymer. For urine samples, 2 mL samples spiked with 2.5 μg L⁻¹ CBZ were extracted with a recovery of 65%. For urine, the linear range was 0.05-24 mg L⁻¹, the limit of detection was 25 μg L⁻¹ and precision, expressed as relative standard deviation at 0.5 mg L⁻¹ (n = 3), was 3.1% and 12.6% for repeatability and reproducibility between days, respectively.     

Determination of estrogens in water by HPLC-UV using cloud point extraction

A method based on cloud point extraction was developed to determine four kinds of estrogens: estriol (E3), estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), and progesterone (P) in water by high performance liquid chromatography separation and ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV). The non-ionic surfactant Triton X-114 was chosen as extractant solvent. The parameters affecting extraction efficiency, such as concentrations of Triton X-114 and Na₂SO₄, equilibration temperature, equilibration time and centrifugation time were evaluated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, preconcentration factors of 99 for E3, 73 for E2, 152 for E1 and 86 for P were obtained for 10 mL water sample. The detection of limitation was 0.23 ng mL⁻¹ for E3, 0.32 ng mL⁻¹ for E2, 0.25 ng mL⁻¹ for E1 and 5.0 ng mL⁻¹ for P. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of trace amount of estrogens in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent water and exposure water with 10 ng mL⁻¹ E2 for toxicological study in our lab. For the case of WWTP effluent water samples, no estrogen was found. The accuracy of the proposed method was tested by recovery measurements of spiked samples and good recoveries of 81.2-99.5% were obtained.     

On-line coupling of solid-phase extraction to high-performance liquid chromatography for determination of estrogens in environment

A method based on on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupling to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for the determination of estrogens has been developed. This method can continuously perform extraction of estrone, estradiol, estriol and diethylstilbestrol from aqueous samples without any other pretreatment, which can then be analyzed by HPLC with a UV detector at 230 nm. A pre-concentration column was adapted with methanol/water for chromatographic separation and two kinds of sorbents were involved, which are octadecyl-bonded silica and cigarette filter. The condition of pH of samples, sample loading flow rate and desorption time were all optimized, and the performances of both two sorbents were satisfactory. The on-line SPE system requires very low maintenance and just involved a switching-valve-filter system and a flow-inject pump, and the operation of the whole SPE-HPLC instrumentation is quite simple. The detection limits for pre-concentrating 50 mL of standard solution using cigarette filter as sorbent ranged from 0.98 to 78.1 ng L⁻¹. The enhancement factors were in the range of 197-326. The recoveries of estrogens spiked in real water samples ranged from 85 to 112%. The precisions for nine replicate measurements of a standard mixture (5.0 μg L⁻¹) were in the range of 1.0-3.4%.