Geochemical investigation of alluvial sediments: validation of ICP-OES determination of heavy metals. A case study from the Utrata River Valley (central Poland)

The development and validation of a reliable analytical procedure for the determination of selected metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn and Mn) in sediments accumulated in the Utrata River (Poland) is described. The aqua regia extraction followed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used for this purpose. The optimized analytical procedure was validated, and adequate quality control actions were implemented in order to provide reliable data. The precision under’ within-laboratory’ reproducibility conditions was estimated from duplicate analysis. Certified reference material (CRM) was used in order to evaluate the accuracy of the results regarding the sewage sludge amended soil CRM 143R. The detection limits for all elements of interest were well-below their content in the investigated sediment samples. The obtained reliable data could be used for assessment of the relationship between human economic activity in the past and the geochemical features of the sediments.     

Coulometrische Wismutometrie

Zusammenfassung Durch elektrolytische Oxydation einer Bi-Anode in gesättigter NaCl-Lösung können Bi³⁺-Ionen in Lösung gebracht werden. Dieser Prozeß ermöglicht die coulometrische Bestimmung anwesender Anionen, die schwerlösliche Bi-Verbindungen bilden.Es wurden Semimikro- und Mikrobestimmungen von Phosphationen durch elektrolytisch erzeugte Bi³⁺-Ionen bei konstanter Stromstärke ausgeführt. Die Endpunktbestimmung erfolgte amperometrisch bei konstantem Potential mit einer Indikatorelektrode — tropfende Quecksilberelektrode — und mit einer gesättigten Kalomelelektrode als Bezugselektrode. Die coulometrische Wismutometrie bietet eine weitere Möglichkeit der coulometrischen Eichung volumetrischer Lösungen im Sinne des seinerzeitigen Vorschlags vonTutundi.

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Summary Bi³⁺ ions can be brought into solution through electrolytic oxidation of a Bi-anode in saturated NaCl solution. This process makes possible the coulometric determination of the anions present that yield difficulty soluble bismuth compounds.Semimicro- and micro-determinations of phosphate ions were made via Bi³⁺-ions produced electrolytically at constant current strength. The endpoint was determined amperometrically at constant potential with an indicator electrode-dropping mercury electrode-and with a saturated calomel electrode as reference electrode. The coulometric bismuthometry affords a further possibility of the coulometric standardization of volumetric solutions in the sense of the proposal previously advanced byTutundi.

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Résumé On peut utiliser les ions Bi³⁺ en solution par oxydation électrolytique d'une anode en bismuth, en solution de chlorure de sodium saturée. Ce procédé permet le dosage coulométrique des anions présents qui forment des composés peu solubles avec le bismuth.On a mis au point le dosage semimicro et micro des ions phosphates par les ions Bi³⁺ formés électrolytiquement sous intensité constante. On détermine par ampérométrie le point équivalent à potentiel constant à l'aide d'une électrode indicatrice — électrode de mercure à goutte pendante —et avec une électrode au calomel saturée comme électrode de référence. La «bismuthométrie» coulométrique offre de grandes possibilités pour l'étalonnage coulométrique de solutions volumétriques, suivant l'idée queTutundi a émise en son temps.

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Vorgetragen beim Symposium für analytische Chemie in Graz, 29. September bis 1. Oktober 1965.

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Wir danken Herrn Dipl.-Ing.Vladimir Pantovi für seine Hilfe bei unserer experimentellen Arbeit.     

Fast and easy multiresidue method employing acetonitrile extraction/partitioning and "dispersive solid-phase extraction" for the determination of pesticide residues in produce

A simple, fast, and inexpensive method for the determination of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables is introduced. The procedure involves initial single-phase extraction of 10 g sample with 10 mL acetonitrile, followed by liquid-liquid partitioning formed by addition of 4 g anhydrous MgSO4 plus 1 g NaCl. Removal of residual water and cleanup are performed simultaneously by using a rapid procedure called dispersive solid-phase extraction (dispersive-SPE), in which 150 mg anhydrous MgSO4 and 25 mg primary secondary amine (PSA) sorbent are simply mixed with 1 mL acetonitrile extract. The dispersive-SPE with PSA effectively removes many polar matrix components, such as organic acids, certain polar pigments, and sugars, to some extent from the food extracts. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is then used for quantitative and confirmatory analysis of GC-amenable pesticides. Recoveries between 85 and 101% (mostly > 95%) and repeatabilities typically < 5% have been achieved for a wide range of fortified pesticides, including very polar and basic compounds such as methamidophos, acephate, omethoate, imazalil, and thiabendazole. Using this method, a single chemist can prepare a batch of 6 previously chopped samples in < 30 min with approximately 1 dollar (U.S.) of materials per sample.     

Gels with exceptional thermal stability formed by bis(amino acid) oxalamide gelators and solvents of low polarity

Some bis (amino acid) oxalamide gelators form common thermo-reversible gels with various organic solvents but also gels of exceptional thermal stability with some solvents of medium and low polarity; the latter gels can be heated up to 50 degrees C higher temperatures than the bp of the solvent without apparent gel-to-sol transition.     

Augmented Lagrangian method for probabilistic optimization

We analyze nonlinear stochastic optimization problems with probabilistic constraints described by continuously differentiable non-convex functions. We describe the tangent and the normal cone to the level sets of the underlying probability function and provide new insight into their structure. Furthermore, we formulate fist order and second order conditions of optimality for these problems based on the notion of p-efficient points. We develop an augmented Lagrangian method for the case of discrete distribution functions. The method is based on progressive inner approximation of the level set of the probability function by generation of p-efficient points. Numerical experience is provided.     

Risk preferences on the space of quantile functions

We propose a novel approach to quantification of risk preferences on the space of nondecreasing functions. When applied to law invariant risk preferences among random variables, it compares their quantile functions. The axioms on quantile functions impose relations among comonotonic random variables. We infer the existence of a numerical representation of the preference relation in the form of a quantile-based measure of risk. Using conjugate duality theory by pairing the Banach space of bounded functions with the space of finitely additive measures on a suitable algebra \(\varSigma \) , we develop a variational representation of the quantile-based measures of risk. Furthermore, we introduce a notion of risk aversion based on quantile functions, which enables us to derive an analogue of Kusuoka representation of coherent law-invariant measures of risk.     

Development and validation of dried blood spots technique for quantitative determination of topiramate using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

An LC‐MS/MS method for determination of the anti‐epileptic drug topiramate (TPM) in dried blood spot (DBS) samples was developed and validated. DBS samples were prepared by spotting 30 μL of spiked whole blood onto FTA^TM DMPK‐C cards and drying for at least 3 h. Six‐millimetre punched spots were then extracted by using a mixture of methanol and water (90:10, v/v) with deuterated internal standard (topiramate‐d₁₂). The extracted samples were injected into a liquid chromatograph equipped with a tandem mass spectrometric detector. Negative ions were monitored in the selected reaction monitoring mode and transitions m/z 338.2 → 78.1 and m/z 350.3 → 78.1 were used for the quantitative evaluation of TPM and internal standard, respectively. The results obtained from validation were statistically evaluated according to the requirements of the European Medicines Agency and US Food and Drug Administration regulatory guidelines. The linearity of the method was checked within a concentration range from 10 to 2000 ng/mL. The validation results indicate that the method is accurate, precise, sensitive, selective and reproducible. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.