Selection of sampling adsorbents and optimisation and validation of a GC-MS/MS method for airborne pesticides

A methodology for the sampling and determination of airborne pesticides has been developed. The trapping efficiency of three adsorbents, namely XAD-2,XAD-4 and a sandwich sorbent (PUF-XAD2-PUF), was tested for 34 pesticides and the latter was selected because it presented the highest retention capacity without breakthrough. Pesticides were determined by gas chromatography coupled to an ion trap mass spectrometer in tandem. The method showed recoveries ranging from 70% to 120% with limits of quantification in the range of 16.1–322.6 pg m^?3 when 155 m³ were sampled. This analytical strategy was applied to 10 indoor air samples collected in dwellings from the Valencian Region. Six pesticides, namely diphenylamine, pyrimethanil, bifenthrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, permethrin and cypermethrin were detected in indoor samples with concentrations ranging from 1.46 to 22.02 ng m^?3.     

Ultrasound-assisted extraction of antimony and cobalt from inorganic environmental samples using a cup-horn sonoreactor prior to their determination by electrothermal-atomic absorption spectrometry

A simple, fast and reliable method is described for the quantitative extraction of Sb and Co from inorganic environmental matrices containing variable amounts of silicates prior to their determination by electrothermal-atomic absorption spectrometry. The method is based on the ultrasound-assisted extraction of both elements using the mixture 20% v/v HF + 20% v/v HNO₃ as extractant. The extraction procedure was carried out in closed Eppendorf vials immersed in a cup-horn sonoreactor for 20?min. Once extraction has been accomplished, the supernatant liquid is separated from the solid phase and subsequently transferred into the autosampler of the instrument. A two-level full factorial design (2⁴) was applied for screening optimisation of the variables influencing the ultrasonic extraction. These variables were: sonication time; amplitude of the ultrasound energy; nitric and hydrofluoric acid concentrations. MLDs were 0.20 and 0.06?µg?·?g^?1 for Sb and Co, respectively. Between-batch precision values, expressed as relative standard deviations (n?=?3), were less than 5.5 and 9.6% for Sb and Co, respectively. The method was evaluated using a wide variety of inorganic certified reference materials, such as SRM 2702 (Marine Sediment), SRM 2782 (Industrial Sludge), BCR 176R (Fly Ash), SRM 1633b (Coal Fly Ash) SRM 2710 (Montana Soil) and SRM 2711 (Montana Soil).     

Microextraction techniques for the determination of volatile and semivolatile organic compounds from plants: A review

Vegetables and fruits are necessary for human health, and traditional Chinese medicine that uses plant materials can cure diseases. Thus, understanding the composition of plant matrix has gained increased attention in recent years. Since plant matrix is very complex, the extraction, separation and quantitation of these chemicals are challenging.     

Sensitive detection of drug vapors using an ion funnel interface for secondary electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

In this study, we use an ion funnel (IF) at ambient pressure to enhance the sensitivity of secondary electrospray ionization (SESI). Atenolol, salbutamol and cocaine as test compounds are delivered to the SESI interface in the gas phase and are charged with three nano electrosprays. In our experiments, we show that the compounds can be detected at concentrations in the low pptv range, which is an increase of two orders of magnitude compared with the results without the IF. With a standard SESI interface, the compounds could not be detected at all. With the use of the SESI IF interface for the headspace analysis of bananas and limes, we can detect many more compounds and at higher intensities than with a standard SESI interface. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

In‐line preconcentration capillary zone electrophoresis for the analysis of haloacetic acids in water

Two in‐line enrichment procedures (large volume sample stacking (LVSS) and field amplified sample injection (FASI)) have been evaluated for the CZE analysis of haloacetic acids (HAAs) in drinking water. For LVSS, separation on normal polarity using 20 mM acetic acid–ammonium acetate (pH 5.5) containing 20% ACN as BGE was required. For FASI, the optimum conditions were 25 s hydrodynamic injection (3.5 kPa) of a water plug followed by 25 s electrokinetic injection (?10 kV) of the sample, and 200 mM formic acid–ammonium formate buffer at pH 3.0 as BGE. For both FASI and LVSS methods, linear calibration curves (r²>0.992), limit of detection on standards prepared in Milli‐Q water (49.1–200 μg/L for LVSS and 4.2–48 μg/L for FASI), and both run‐to‐run and day‐to‐day precisions (RSD values up to 15.8% for concentration) were established. Due to the higher sensitive enhancement (up to 310‐fold) achieved with FASI‐CZE, this method was selected for the analysis of HAAs in drinking water. However, for an optimal FASI application sample salinity was removed by SPE using Oasis WAX cartridges. With SPE‐FASI‐CZE, method detection limits in the range 0.05–0.8 μg/L were obtained, with recoveries, in general, higher than 90% (around 65% for monochloroacetic and monobromoacetic acids). The applicability of the SPE‐FASI‐CZE method was evaluated by analyzing drinking tap water from Barcelona where seven HAAs were found at concentration levels between 3 and 13 μg/L.     

Simultaneous Determination of 1,4‐Benzodiazepines and Tricyclic Antidepressants in Saliva after Sequential SPE Elution by the Same HPLC Conditions

A new method has been described to determine both benzodiazepines (six) and tricyclic antidepressants (four) simultaneously in saliva by HPLC with a UV detector set at 240 nm using cholchicine as the internal standard. A careful specific sequential solid‐phase elution was optimized and performed to elute benzodiazepines using a mixture of methanol‐acetonitrile (1:1 v/v) followed by the elution of tricyclic antidepressants with methanol. Separation of the compounds was performed on a Kromasil column (250 × 4 mm, 5 μm) by a gradient eluents consisting of 0.05 M CH₃COONH₄‐acetonitrile‐methanol (55:15:30 v/v/v). The results were linear for both benzodiazepines and tricyclic antidepressants up to 20 ng μL^‐1 with the correlation coefficients greater than 0.998. The sensitivity limits, LOD and LOQ were 0.08‐0.34 ng μL^‐1 and 0.28‐1.13 ng μL^‐1, respectively. The method is simple, fast and reliable with good specificity and sensitivity, will be suitable for use in a clinical setting, where there is a concomitant use of 1,4‐benzodiazepines and tricyclic antidepressants.     

Spectrophotometric Determination of U(VI) with Rifampicin in Soil Samples

A validated spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of uranyl ion in soil samples. The method is based on the complexation reaction between uranyl ion and rifampicin in methanol‐water medium at room temperature. The method is followed spectrophotometrically by measuring the absorbance at 375 nm. Under the optimized experimental conditions, Beer's law is obeyed in the concentration range of 1.35–20.25 μg mL^‐1 with apparent molar absorptivity and Sandell's sensitivity of 8.0 × 10³ L mol^‐1cm^‐1 and 0.042 μg/cm²/0.001 absorbance unit, respectively. The interference of a large number of anions and cations has been investigated and the optimized conditions developed have been utilized for the determination of uranium(VI) in soil samples. The three sigma detection limit (n = 9) for uranyl ion was found to be 0.20 μg mL^‐1. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of uranyl ion in soil samples.     

Ultra Sensitive Quantification of Thiourea at Nanomolar Level by Catalytic‐Kinetic Differential Pulse Voltammetry

A new simple and highly selective and sensitive catalytic differential pulse voltammetry procedure for the determination of thiourea at nanomolar level is reported. Thiourea has a catalytic effect on the oxidation of Janus green by iodate in the hydrochloric acid medium. The potential was scanned in the negative direction and the differential pulse voltammograms were recorded. The variations of the peak current with hydrochloric acid concentration, oxidant, Janus green, pulse amplitude, pulse time and scan rate were optimized. Under the optimized conditions, the relationship between the peak current and concentration of thiourea was obtained. It is shown that the calibration curve is linear in the range of 0.01–6.00 µg/mL. The detection limit of the method was 0.005 µg/mL. The relative standard deviation for 6 replicate determinations of 0.01, 0.50 and 2.00 µg/mL is equal to 2.25%, 1.52% and 1.03%, respectively. The method was applied to the determination of thiourea in fruit juices with satisfactory results.     

原位衍生分散液相微萃取-气相色谱-质谱快速测定水中的四溴双酚A

通过研究萃取剂、分散剂的种类和体积,KHCO3用量,衍生剂乙酸酐的用量和萃取时间对萃取效率的影响,建立了原位衍生分散液相微萃取-气相色谱质谱联用测定水中四溴双酚A的方法.方法线性范围:0.5～ 100 μg/L,检出限:0.1μg/L;RSD:5.4％ (n =5).将该方法用于环境水样的测定,加标回收率:53.5％ ...     

三聚氰胺修饰玻碳电极用于溶出伏安法测定水样中痕量银

用电化学沉积法将三聚氰胺修饰在玻碳电极上,应用此三聚氰胺修饰玻碳电极测定银时,试液在pH 4.6的乙酸-乙酸钠缓冲溶液中,在—0.45V处还原60 s,然后在0～+0.6V范围内扫描,使银离子从修饰电极上溶出,实现了水样中银离子的溶出伏安法测定,在+0.27V处可得银离子的氧化峰电位,银的浓度在6.0×10~(-9)～5.0×10~(-7)mol·L~(-1)范围内与其峰电流呈线性关系,检出限(3S/N)为1.0×10~(-9)mol·L~(-1)。方法用于实际水样中痕量银的测定,加标回收率在90.0%～96.0%之间。