Determination of Estrone and 17β-Estradiol in Water Samples Using Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Microextraction Followed by LC

A new method, termed dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME), was developed for the extraction and pre-concentration of estrone (E1) and 17β-estradiol (E2) in water samples. The samples were extracted by 0.50 mL methanol (disperser solvent) containing 25.0 μL tetrachloroethane (extraction solvent). Important factors such as the volume and type of extraction and disperser solvent, extraction time and salt effect were studied. Under optimum conditions, the enrichment factors and the limits of detection were 347 and 0.2 ng mL^?1 for E1, and 203 and 0.1 ng mL^?1 for E2, respectively. The linear range was 0.5–5,000 ng mL^?1. Compared to other methods, DLLME–LC–VWD has advantages for E1 and E2 analysis in water: high enrichment factor, low cost, simplicity, quick and easy operation.     

Surfactant-assisted dispersive liquid–liquid micro-extraction combined with magnetic solid-phase extraction for analysis of polyphenols in tobacco samples

A novel and simple two-step micro-extraction technique combining surfactant-assisted dispersive liquid–liquid micro-extraction and magnetic solid-phase extraction prior to high-performance liquid chromatography was established for analysis of polyphenols including chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and scopoletin in tobacco samples. In the developed system, Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were synthesized by a one-step chemical co-precipitation method and used to remove hydrophobic substances in tobacco samples by physical adsorption. Low-density solvent (1-heptanol) and cationic surfactant cethyltrimethyl ammonium bromide were employed as extraction solvent and disperser agent, respectively. Under the optimized experimental conditions, a good linearity of the method was obtained over the concentration range from 0.1 to 1000 ng mL^?1 for target analytes. The limits of detection (S/N?=?3) were 0.05 ng mL^?1 for CGA, 0.10 ng mL^?1 for CFA, and 0.12 ng mL^?1 for SP, respectively. Finally, the applicability of the developed method was evaluated by extraction and determination of these three phenolic compounds in tobacco samples and satisfactory average recoveries of spiked samples were between 96.6 and 102.7%.     

Development of a dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method for determination of palladium in water samples using dicyclohexano-18- crown-6 as extracting agent

A new separation procedure for determination of palladium using dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction with dicyclohexano-18-crown-6 as complexing reagent was developed. In this method, potassium–dicyclohexano-18-crown-6 was used as a hydrophobic complex for the microextraction of palladium as PdCl₄ ^2? complex ion. The main factors affecting DLLME efficiency, such as type and volume of extractant and disperser solvent, concentration of chelating reagent, concentration of KCl and pH were optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the limit of detection for palladium was 16.0 ng mL^?1 with enrichment factor of 138. The present method was applied to the determination of palladium in water samples with satisfactory analytical results. The method was simple, rapid, cost efficient and sensitive for the extraction and preconcentration of palladium.     

Determination of Alkylphenols in Water by Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Microextraction Based on Solid Formation without a Disperser

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on solid formation without a disperser combined with high-performance liquid chromatography has been developed for the determination of 4-tert-butylphenol, 4-n-nonylphenol, and 4-tert-octylphenol. This method is rapid, easy, and uses only 10 µL of a low toxicity organic solvent (1-hexadecanethiol) for the extraction solvent and no disperser solvent. The extraction time and centrifugation time require less than 10 min. The linear range was 1–500 ng mL^?1 for 4-tert-butylphenol, 2–1000 ng mL^?1 for 4-tert-octylphenol, and 5–500 ng mL^?1 for 4-n-nonylphenol with r² ≥ 0.9986. The detection limits were between 0.2 and 1.5 ng mL^?1. The recoveries of lake and river water samples were in the range of 79% to 108%, and the relative standard deviations were 5% to 10%.     

Determination of Anilines and Toluidines in Water by Salt-Assisted Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Microextraction Combined with GC-FID

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) assisted with salting-out was applied for the determination of five aromatic amines in water samples by using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. In this extraction method, several factors influencing the extraction efficiency of the target analytes, such as extraction and disperser solvent type and their volume, salt addition and amount, and pH, were studied and optimized. Under the optimal DLLME conditions, good linearity was observed in the range of 4–1,000 ng mL^?1 with the RSDs from 1.2 to 7.9 %. The LODs based on S/N of 3 ranged from 0.2 to 3.4 ng mL^?1 and the enrichment factors ranged from 207 to 4,315. The proposed method was successfully applied to the water samples collected from the tap and the lake, and the relative recoveries were in the range of 87.7–108.4 %.     

Determination of Anilines and Toluidines in Water by Salt-Assisted Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Microextraction Combined with GC-FID

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) assisted with salting-out was applied for the determination of five aromatic amines in water samples by using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. In this extraction method, several factors influencing the extraction efficiency of the target analytes, such as extraction and disperser solvent type and their volume, salt addition and amount, and pH, were studied and optimized. Under the optimal DLLME conditions, good linearity was observed in the range of 4–1,000 ng mL⁻¹ with the RSDs from 1.2 to 7.9 %. The LODs based on S/N of 3 ranged from 0.2 to 3.4 ng mL⁻¹ and the enrichment factors ranged from 207 to 4,315. The proposed method was successfully applied to the water samples collected from the tap and the lake, and the relative recoveries were in the range of 87.7–108.4 %.

     

Determination of silver(I) ion in water samples by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry after preconcentration with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction

A method was developed for the determination of silver ion (Ag) by combining dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction preconcentration with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Diethyldithiocarbamate was used as a chelating agent, and carbon tetrachloride and methanol as extraction and dispersive solvent. Factors influencing the extraction efficiency of Ag and its subsequent determination were studied and optimized. The detection limit is 12 ng L^?1 (3 s) with an enrichment factor of 132, and the relative standard deviation is 3.5% (n?=?7, at 1.0 ng mL^?1). The method was successfully applied to the determination of trace amounts of Ag in water samples.     

Evaluation of a new multi-walled carbon nanotube paste electrode modified with Alizarin Red S for the determination of tellurium by differential pulse stripping voltammetry

A new modified carbon paste electrode based on multi-walled carbon nanotube and Alizarin Red S acts as a chelating agent for tellurium(IV) ions, is described. The electrochemical responses were found to be analytically suitable to develop a method for the determination of tellurium at low concentration levels. Under optimised operational conditions, the sensor exhibited linear behaviour in the range of 2.0–300 ng mL^?1 (correlation coefficient: 0.9982) with a detection limit of 0.45 ng mL^?1. The results indicate that the sensor is sensitive and effective for the determination of tellurium in water samples and certified reference materials.     

Determination of Antimony(III) and Total Antimony in Aqueous Samples by Electrothermal Atomic Absorption Spectrometry After Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Microextraction (DLLME)

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) technique combined with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ET-AAS) was proposed for determination of antimony(III) and total antimony at very low concentrations in water samples. The N-benzoyl-N-phenylhydroxylamine (BPHA) was used as a chelating agent, and chloroform and ethanol were used as extraction and disperser solvents, respectively. The effect of various experimental parameters on the extraction and determination was investigated. The detection limits (3σ) were 0.005 μg L^?1 for Sb(III) and 0.008 μg L^?1 for total Sb. The developed method was applied successfully to the determination of Sb(III) and total Sb in natural water samples.     

Preconcentration and determination of ultra trace amounts of palladium in water samples by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

A highly sensitive, simple and rapid method is presented for the determination of palladium using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry after its separation and preconcentration by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction. Ultra traces of Pd were extracted and preconcentrated in acidic water samples by using 2-amino-1-cyclohexene-1-dithiocarboxylic acid as a suitable chelating agent, and carbon tetrachloride and acetone as extraction and disperser solvents, respectively. The experimental parameters were optimized in order to enhance the extraction efficiency. After optimizing the extraction conditions and various instrumental parameters, an enhancement factor of 350 was obtained. The analytical curve absorbance vs. concentration was linear over the range 0.02–0.6 µg L^-1 Pd. The detection limit and relative standard deviation were 0.007 µg L^-1 and 4.2%, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the determination of palladium in roadside soil and several aqueous samples.     

Multivariate optimization of the hollow fiber-based liquid phase microextraction of lead in human blood and urine samples using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

The present study developed a liquid-phase microextraction based on hollow fiber coupled with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry for the effective extraction and quantitation of lead from urine and blood samples. A multivariate design was used for the optimization of the experimental conditions to ensure high extraction efficiency. Six factors (solvent type, chelating agent, time extraction, temperature, donor phase pH, and acceptor phase pH) were obtained by screening eleven factors of the Plackett–Burman design; these were optimized using the central composite design of response surface methodology. The optimum conditions of donor phase pH, acceptor phase pH, temperature, and extraction time were 5, 9.5, 40 °C, and 120 min, respectively. In addition, oleic acid containing dicyclohexyl-18-krone-6 was used for the membrane phase. Under optimal conditions, the enrichment factor, limit of detection, and limit of quantification were obtained in the ranges of 21.3–18.7, 0.001–0.002 ng mL^?1, and 0.008–0.01 ng mL^?1, respectively, in urine and blood samples. The linearity of the calibration curve was established for the concentration of Pb in the range of 1–50 ng mL^?1 (r²?=?0.9983). Finally, the performance of the developed method was evaluated for the determination of lead in urine and blood samples, and satisfactory results were obtained (RSDs <?10% with recovery >?95).     

Magnetic Nanoparticle-Based Micro-Solid Phase Extraction and GC�CMS Determination of Oxadiargyl in Aqueous Samples

A new facile, rapid, inexpensive, and sensitive method based on magnetic micro-solid phase extraction (M-??-SPE) coupled to gas chromatography?Cmass spectrometry (GC?CMS) was developed for determination of the herbicide oxadiargyl in environmental water samples. The feasibility of employing non-modified magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) as sorbent was examined and applied to perform the extraction process. Influential parameters affecting the extraction efficiency along with desorption conditions were investigated and optimized. The limit of detection (LOD, S/N = 3) and limit of quantification (LOQ, S/N = 10) of the method under optimized conditions were 0.005 and 0.030 ng mL^?1, respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSD) (n = 3) at a concentration of 0.10 ng mL^?1 was 11%. The calibration curve of oxadiargyl showed linearity in the range of 0.050?C0.50 ng mL^?1. The developed method was successfully applied to the extraction of oxadiargyl from spiked tap water and Zayande-Rood River water samples and the relative recoveries of 98 and 94% were obtained, respectively.     

LC Determination of Phthalate Esters in Water Samples Using Continuous-Flow Microextraction

A novel method, continuous-flow microextraction (CFME) combined with liquid chromatography (LC) with variable-wavelength detector (VWD), has been developed for the determination of three phthalate esters (dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP)) in water samples. Experimental parameters including extraction solvent, solvent drop volume, flow rate of sample solution, extraction time and ionic strength, which affected the extraction efficiency, were studied and optimized. Under the optimum extraction conditions, the method yields a linear calibration curve in the concentration range of 10–10,000 ng mL^?1 for target analytes. The enrichment factors of this method for DMP, DEP and DnBP reached at 27, 44 and 20, respectively, and the detection limits were 2, 1 and 5 ng mL^?1, respectively. Good repeatability of extraction was obtained with relative standard deviations below 8.6%. The results demonstrated that CFME followed by LC-VWD is a simple and reliable technique for the determination of phthalate esters in water samples.     

Simultaneous preconcentration and determination of malachite green and fuchsine dyes in seafood and environmental water samples using nano-alumina-based molecular imprinted polymer solid-phase extraction

Molecular imprinted polymer for determination of malachite green (MG) and fuchsine basic (FU) dyes by spectrophotometry has been used, to develop a novel simultaneous extraction and preconcentration method. Molecularly imprinted layer-coated nano-alumina (MIP@Nano-Al₂O₃) as adsorbent was prepared by surface molecular imprinting technique, and characterised by FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The method is based on simultaneous extraction of MG and FU dyes from aqueous solution by using molecularly imprinted polymer and measuring the absorbance at 617 and 546 nm for MG and FU, respectively. Parameters which affect the extraction efficiency such as pH, volume of eluent and amount of adsorbent were investigated and optimised. Linear calibration curves were obtained in the range of 2–750 ng mL^?1 for MG and 1–240 ng mL^?1 for FU under optimum conditions. Detection limit based on three times the standard deviation of the blank (3S_b) was 0.655 and 0.245 ng mL^?1 (n = 10) for MG and FU, respectively. The relative standard deviation (RSD) for 100 ng mL^?1 of MG and FU was 2.35 and 3.06% (n = 7), respectively. The method was applied to the simultaneous determination of the dyes in different seafood and environmental water samples.     

Dissolved carbon dioxide flotation-assisted in-syringe dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction coupled with microsampling flame atomic absorption spectrometry for selective determination of palladium in water samples

Dissolved carbon dioxide flotation-assisted in-syringe dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DCF-IS-DLLME) followed by microsampling flame atomic absorption spectrometry was developed as a simple, inexpensive and fast method for extraction and determination of Pd(II). In the proposed approach, N,N′-bis (naphthylideneimino) diethylenetriamine (NAPdien) was utilized as a selective complexing reagent for Pd(II) ion. Several influential factors on the extraction efficiency including types and volumes of extraction and disperser solvents, pH of the sample solution, concentration of NAPdien and interfering ions were studied. By applying the optimal conditions, a preconcentration factor of 28.7 and limit of detection of 2.5 ng mL^?1 were provided by the proposed method. Linearity was in the range of 10–400 ng mL^?1 with a correlation coefficient (R ²) of 0.9968. Intra-day RSD% values for five repetitive measurements of the spiked solutions at the concentrations of 20 and 100 ng mL^?1 were 5.2 and 2.4%, respectively, whereas it was obtained within the range of 3.6–18.6% for the real samples. Inter-day RSD% values of the spiked solutions were found to be 9.6 and 8.7%, respectively. The results demonstrated that except for Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺, no remarkable interfering effect was created by the other studied ions for determination of Pd(II) so that the tolerance limits (W _Ion/W _Pd(II)) of the major cations and anions were in the range of 1000–10,000. Finally, DCF-IS-DLLME was successfully applied for determination of Pd(II) in different water samples and the obtained relative recoveries in the range of 94.5–105% illustrated favorable accuracies for the proposed method.     

LC–MS/MS Determination of Catecholamines in Urine Using FMOC-Cl Derivatization on Solid-Phase Extraction Cartridge

A method for the determination of catecholamine derivatives in human urine is proposed that includes the derivatization of target compounds on a solid-phase extraction cartridge and determination of the analytes by a UHPLC method with tandem mass-spectrometric detection. 9-Fluorenyl-methoxycarbonyl chloride was used as the derivatization agent. The limits of detection for the analytes were 2.5 ng mL^?1 for 9-fluorenyl-methoxycarbonyl-adrenaline, 5 ng mL^?1 for 9-fluorenyl-methoxycarbonyl-octopamine, and 25 ng mL^?1 for 9-fluorenyl-methoxycarbonyl-dopamine. The proposed procedure was tested on real samples obtained from volunteers.     

Silica Microspheres for SPE and Determination of Fungicides in Water by LC

A new method has been developed for the determination of metalaxyl, myclobutanil, and tebuconazole in environmental water samples with preconcentration by cartridges packed with SiO₂ microspheres prior to LC. Several parameters such as the volume and composition of eluent, sample flow rate, sample pH, and sample volume were optimized. Under the optimal conditions, excellent detection limits (S/N = 3) and precision (RSD, n = 6) were 0.02 ng mL^?1, 1.3% for metalaxyl, 0.02 ng mL^?1, and 2.4% for myclobutanil and 0.08 ng mL^?1 and 4.3% for tebuconazole, respectively. The method was applied to the analysis of real-water samples, and satisfactory results were obtained. The average spiked recoveries were in the range of 86.3–97.5%. These results indicate that SiO₂ microspheres have great potential to be used as a novel solid phase extraction adsorbent that could have wide applications in the environmental field.     

Sulfur modified with 2-mercaptobenzoxazole as a new sorbent for preconcentration of silver prior to determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A solid-phase extraction method for preconcentration of silver and consequent determination by atomic absorption spectrometry is described. The method is based on the retention of silver on sulfur modified with 2-mercaptobenzoxazole. The retained silver is eluted from the column with a thiourea solution and determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The preconcentration conditions such as pH, amount of reagent loaded on sorbent, type of eluent and its volume, flow rate and interfering ions were investigated. The calibration graph was linear in the range of 3–200 ng mL^?1 of Ag⁺ in the initial solution with r = 0.9985. The limit of detection based on 3S_b was 1.0 ng mL^?1. The relative standard deviation for ten replicate measurements of 50 and 150 ng mL^?1 of Ag⁺ was 4.1 and 1.4 %, respectively. The method was applied to the determination of silver in radiology film and water samples.     

Quantification of Thiram in Honeybees: Development of a Chemiluminescent ELISA

Abstract

A Chemiluminescence Enzyme‐Linked Immuno‐Sorbent Assay (CL‐ELISA) for determination and quantification of the fungicide thiram in honeybees was developed in an indirect competitive format. The assay was optimized by determining: the optimal coating conjugate concentration and anti‐thiram antiserum dilution, the effect of the incubation time on the competitive step, the tolerance to organic solvents. The IC₅₀ and the limit of detection (LOD) values were 60 ng mL^?1 and 9 ng mL^?1, respectively, similar to those of colorimetric ELISA with a calibration range of 9–15,000 ng mL^?1. Cross reactivity of some related compounds such as some dithiocarbamates, a thiocarbamate, the ethylenethiourea and the tetramethylthiourea were tested. The assay was then applied to honeybees sample extracts obtained by using the liquid‐liquid extraction or the graphitized carbon‐based solid phase extraction.

The calibration curves in honeybee extracts from liquid‐liquid procedure gave an IC₅₀ of 141 ng mL^?1 and a LOD of 17 ng mL^?1. In case of extracts obtained by SPE these values were 139 ng mL^?1 and 15 ng mL^?1, respectively. The average recovery value from honeybee extracts spiked with 75 ng mL^?1 of thiram was 72% for SPE, higher than for liquid‐liquid extraction (60%). On the opposite, when the honeybees were directly spiked with 2 and 10 ppm the average recovery was higher for liquid‐liquid extraction (54%), than for SPE (31%). Finally, the assay was applied to honeybee samples collected during monitoring activities in Italy and Russia.     

Quantification of Imidacloprid in Honeybees: Development of a Chemiluminescent ELISA

A Chemiluminescent Enzyme-Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay (CL-ELISA) for determination and quantification of the fungicide imidacloprid in honeybees was developed in an indirect competitive format. The assay was optimized by determining: the optimal coating conjugate concentration and anti-imidacloprid antiserum dilution, the effect of the incubation time on the competitive step, and the tolerance to organic solvents. The IC₅₀ and the limit of detection (LOD) values were 14.8 ng mL^?1 and 0.11 ng mL^?1, respectively, similar to those of colorimetric ELISA with a calibration range of 0.1–2600 ng mL^?1. Cross reactivity of some related compounds such as three imidacloprid metabolites, 6-chloro nicotinic acid, 5-hydroxy-imidacloprid, and imidacloprid olefin, and one other chloronicotinoid insecticide, acetamiprid, were tested. The assay was then applied to honeybee extracts obtained by using the liquid-liquid extraction. The calibration curves in honeybee extracts from the liquid-liquid procedure gave an IC₅₀ of 23.7 ng mL^?1 and a LOD 1.6 ng mL^?1. The average recovery value from honeybee extracts spiked with 100 and 1000 ng mL^?1 of imidacloprid were 73% and 76%, respectively. Finally, the assay was applied to honeybee samples collected during monitoring activities in Italy; it was found that only five of the 27 samples were positives, with low concentrations of imidacloprid ranging between 1.2 and 15.4 ng g^?1.