Simultaneous determination of Cd(II), Cu(II) and Pb(II) in surface waters by solid phase extraction and flow injection analysis with spectrophotometric detection

A method for heavy metal monitoring using spectrophotometric detection is presented. Traces of Cu(II), Pb(II) and Cd(II) at the low microg l(-1) level can be determined simultaneously after both selective removal of metal interferences and preconcentration using 'extraction chromatographic resins'. Lewatit TP807'84, which contains di(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphinic acid as active component, was used as solid adsorbent. Two minicolumns containing this resin were used: one at pH 3.2 for the removal of interferences, such as Zn(II) and Fe(III), and the other at pH 5.5 for the selective preconcentration of the target analytes. Spectrophotometric determination used FIA methodology with sulfarsazene as chromogenic reagent and partial least-squares multivariate calibration. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of surface waters from the Llobregat river and ground water samples from wells in the Guadiamar basin. Accuracy, expressed in terms of recoveries, was in the range 80-120% and relative standard deviations were below 10%.     

Spectrofluorimetric determination of clioquinol in pharmaceutical preparations

Summary The absorption spectrum of the nitrate radical (NO₃) in aqueous solution and the kinetic of the reactions with Cl^– and OH^– have been determined using laser-spectrometric techniques. The maximum absorption was found at 635 nm with a decadic absorption coefficient of =(530±110) l/mol·cm. At 298 K rate constants of k₁=(1.0±0.2)·10⁷ l/mol·s for the reaction with chloride and of k₂=(8.2±0.9)·10⁷ l/mol·s for the reaction with hydroxide were obtained.     

Potentiometric dissociation constants and analytical properties of α-mercaptobenzeneacetic acid

The α-mercaptobenzeneacetic acid has been synthesized and screened for its properties as an analytical reagent. The acid dissociation constants have been determined potentiometrically in 0.1 M KNO₃ and 0.5 M KNO₃ ethanol-water 20% (v/v) solutions at 25 ± 0.1 °C.     

Solid-phase extraction-liquid chromatography-fluorimetry for organotin speciation in natural waters

Summary A method is reported for the determination of dibutyltin (DBT), diphenyltin (DPhT), tributyltin (TBT), and triphenyltin (TPhT) species at the nanogram per litre concentration level in natural water samples. Analytes were isolated from samples by solid-phase extraction and analysed both off-line and on-line by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with post-column derivatization and fluorimetric detection. Several SPE cartridges and eluents were evaluated; C₁₈ enrichment and elution with a mixture of methanol, acetic acid, and water was found most suitable. Preconcentration factors up to 250 can be achieved when a 500-mL sample is processed. Detection limits, recovery rates, and the precision of the whole process have been determined. The method has been applied to the determination of organotin species in spiked natural water samples collected on the NW Mediterranean coast. Recovery rates range from 75 to 110% and detection limits are at the low ng L⁻¹ level (1–3 ng Sn L⁻¹ for DPhT, DBT, and PhT and 40 ng Sn L⁻¹ for TBT when 250 mL spiked sea water is processed.)     

Labelling of organotin compounds for fluorimetric detection

A systematic study of the fluorescence of complexes of some flavone derivatives with organotin compounds in hexane and in an aqueous micellar medium on Triton X-100 is reported. Some relationships between fluorescence intensity and the structure of the fluorogenic reagent or that of the organotin compound can be deduced, and the most suitable reagent for each organotin species can be chosen on the basis of sensitivity and selectivity. Results point out that flavone derivatives are appropriate post-column derivatization reagents for organotin compounds in liquid chromatography.     

Application of principal component regression to luminescence data for the screening of ciprofloxacin and enrofloxacin in animal tissues

A new screening method for the analysis of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin in edible animal tissues is described. The method is based on the application of principal component regression to luminescence measurements after reaction of quinolones with terbium(III) in a micellar medium. The method was used, first, to discriminate between quinolone-containing or quinolone-not-containing samples (concentration below the detection limit) and, then, to quantify the sum of both analytes. Standards in a pure-water matrix, using the first three principal components, were used for the determination. RRMSE range from 4 to 10% depending on the analyte. Calibration was successfully applied to the analysis of spiked chicken and trout muscle at concentrations between 10 and 50 micrograms kg-1.     

Determination of macrolide antibiotics by liquid chromatography

The liquid chromatographic separation of seven macrolides used in food producing animals in the European Union has been studied. Separation was performed by using an end-capped high-purity silica-based C₁₈ column and mobile phases consisting of phosphate buffer (pH 2.5)–acetonitrile mixtures. The effect of pH and acetonitrile percentage on the separation was examined. Two UV-based detection systems, wavelength programming and diode array, were assayed. Detection limits were in the range 6–33 μg l⁻¹ for spiramycin, tilmicosin, tylosin, kitasamicin and josamicin and about 400 μg l⁻¹ for erythromycin and oleandomycin. The suitability of the method for multiresidue determination of the five macrolides is demonstrated by the analysis of spiked samples of chicken muscle.     

Potentiometric and thermometric determination of mercaptopyrimidines

Summary Potentiometric and Thermometric Determination of Mercaptopyrimidines Potentiometric and thermometric methods for the determination of several 2- and 6-mercaptopyrimidines are described. Mercapto groups can be titrated as acids in water or in dimethylformamide media. The use of acetic acid as solvent allows titration of the basic pyrimidine nucleus. Thermometric titrimetry is also a valuable procedure for the titration of mercapto groups, either directly with sodium hydroxide or by back-titration with hydrochloric acid after addition of excess of alkali. About 10–25 mg of sample can be determined with an error better than 1%.     

Rapid stereoselective separations of amphetamine derivatives with highly sulfated gamma-cyclodextrin

The highly sulfated gamma-CD (HS-gamma-CD) is a chiral selector widely used in CE for the enantioseparation of pharmaceutical compounds. This paper investigated different approaches to reduce the stereoselective analysis time of amphetamine (AT) derivatives according to the chiral selector concentration in the BGE. With high HS-gamma-CD concentration, tested analytes were separated in 3.5 min as anionic complexes with short-end injection technique in reversed polarity mode. However, this procedure presented some limitations in terms of efficiency and resolution, excessive Joule heating and poor compatibility with MS detection. With low HS-gamma-CD concentration, compounds were separated as cations. Conventional approaches to reduce CE analysis time demonstrated critical resolution between some analytes. Therefore, the use of the partial-filling technique compatible with MS detection was carried out. Under optimized conditions, the analysis time for the chiral separation of seven AT like compounds was reduced to 6 min. Moreover, sensitivity of CE-MS was sufficient for the determination of ATs in plasma following a simple liquid-liquid extraction.