Rapid aqueous sample extraction of volatile organic compounds: effect of sample matrix and analyte properties

Studies have been done using a rapid aqueous sample extraction (RASE) system to characterize the effects of chemical properties on the time required for removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to the gas phase. These analyses include determinations of the effects that different analytes, and modifications to the matrix, have on extraction time. Experiments were performed to determine the distinct contributions of analyte removal from water and gas-phase transport to the duration of the extracted pulse of analytes. These measured durations were correlated with known values of Henry's law constants (K(H)), boiling points, relative volatilities from modified matrixes, and aqueous diffusion coefficients for cyclohexane, toluene, o-xylene, isopropylbenzene (IPB), and o-dichlorobenzene. Transport time, which was the most significant contributor to the overall duration, correlated well with analyte boiling point. Analyte removal from water correlated better with a modified relative volatility measurement than either K(H) or D(L). IPB extraction was studied in a number of modified matrixes. A 0.1% methanol in water matrix resulted in a 35% decrease in the extraction time of IPB relative to pure water. Extraction time decreased by 22% with the addition of 0.1% NaCl to the aqueous matrix. The addition of 0.01% sodium dodecyl sulfate to the matrix resulted in a 13% increase in the extraction time of IPB relative to water. The RASE system was directly interfaced to a cryofocussing high-speed gas chromatography system to analyze VOCs in wastewater at the low mug l(-1) level.     

紫外光离子源-高场不对称波形离子迁移谱检测环境中挥发性有机物

本研究采用紫外光离子源-高场不对称波形离子迁移谱(UV-FAIMS)快速检测环境中挥发性有机物.选取苯和对二甲苯为研究对象,并分析了分离电压、流速等因素对其分离识别的影响.实验结果表明:当分离电压值为0～1200 V时,苯和对二甲苯信号强度逐渐降低,而特征补偿电压值却逐渐增加.实验选取分离电压值为900 V,当载气流速为0～240 L/h时,苯和对二甲苯的特征离子峰信号强度逐渐增加,当载气流速为0～120 L/h时,苯和对二甲苯团簇峰信号强度增加,当载气流速为120～240 L/h时,苯的团簇峰信号强度增加,而对二甲苯的团簇峰信号强度降低.此外,对样品浓度、信号强度与噪声的比值进行探讨,获得UV-FAIMS检测苯的检测限为0.011mg/m3.     

Preparation and evaluation of molecularly imprinted solid-phase micro-extraction fibers for selective extraction of phthalates in an aqueous sample

A novel molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) that was applied to a solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME) device, which could be coupled directly to gas chromatograph and mass spectrometer (GC/MS), was prepared using dibutyl phthalate (DBP) as the template molecule. The characteristics and application of this fiber were investigated. Electron microscope images indicated that the MIP-coated solid-phase micro-extraction (MI-SPME) fibers were homogeneous and porous. The extraction yield of DBP with the MI-SPME fibers was higher than that of the non-imprinted polymer (NIP)-coated SPME (NI-SPME) fibers. The MI-SPME fibers had a higher selectivity to other phthalates that had similar structures as DBP. A method was developed for the determination of phthalates using MI-SPME fibers coupled with GC/MS. The extraction conditions were optimized. Detection limits for the phthalate samples were within the range of 2.17-20.84 ng L⁻¹. The method was applied to five kinds of phthalates dissolved in spiked aqueous samples and resulted in recoveries of up to 94.54-105.34%, respectively. Thus, the MI-SPME fibers are suitable for the extraction of trace phthalates in complicated samples.     

Rapid and selective uranium extraction from aqueous solution under visible light in the absence of solid photocatalyst

Extraction of uranium from radioactive waste-water is of significant importance for environmental protection and the recovery of uranium resource. Different from the previous reports to use the solid absorbent/photocatalyst for U(VI) removal, herein, we proposed a new eco-friendly method for the rapid and selective extraction of uranium from aqueous solutions under visible light without solid materials. At optimal p H value and in the presence of organics like alcohols, the U(VI) could be extracted efficiently to form brown uranium solid over wide uranium concentrations under anaerobic condition and visible light, by utilizing the excitation of the given U(VI) species. With comprehensive modelling of the electronic ultraviolet-visible(UV-Vis)properties, it is proved that p H adjusting towards U(VI) could induce efficient ligand-to-metal-charge-transfer(LMCT) within the uranyl complex under visible light and the reduction of U(VI) to form U(V), which can be transformed into U(IV) via disproportionation reaction. The resulting U(IV) in solid phase makes the extraction much more convenient in operation. More importantly, the excellent selectivity for uranium extraction over interfering alkali metal ions, transition metal ions and the lanthanide metal ions shows a powerful application potential.     

Xylanase recovery effect of extraction conditions on the aqueous two-phase system using experimental design

The partitioning of xylanase produced byPenicillium janthinellum in aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) using poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and phosphate (K₂HPO₄/KH₂PO₄) was studied employing a statistical experimental design. The aim was to identify the key factors governing xylanase partitioning. The interactions of five factors (PEG concentration molecular weight, concentration of buffer K₂HPO₄/KH₂PO₄, pH, and NaCl concentration) and their main effects on the partition coefficient (K) were evaluated by means of a 2⁵ full-factorial experimental design with four center points. The %PEG, %NaCl, and pH were the most important factors affecting the response variable (K). Response surface methodology (RSM) was adopted and an empirical second-order polynomial model was constructed on the basis of the results. The optimum partition conditions were pH 7.0, PEG = 8.83% and NaCl = 6.02%. Adequacy of the model for predicting optimum response value was tested under these conditions. The experimental xylanase partition coefficient (K) was 2.21, whereas its value predicted by the model was 2.33. These results indicate that the predicted model was adequate for the process. PEG molecular weight and phosphate concentration did not affect the xylanase partition coefficient.     

Efficacy of natural oils and conventional chemicals in the physical extraction of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid from aqueous solution

4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HBA) is a phenolcarboxylic acid and a valuable chemical with various pharmacological properties and a wide range of industrial applications. The present work is envisioned to retrieve 4-HBA from aqueous solution through physical extraction using natural oils (mustard oil, sunflower oil and soyabean oil) and chemicals (MIBK and 1-octanol) as solvent. The experimental evaluation of extraction equilibrium using aforesaid solvents is reported in the form of distribution coefficient (K_D), extraction efficiency (E_P %), partition coefficient (P) and dimerization constant (D). The results were analysed using several physicochemical aspects of the solvents utilized, such as the solvent polarity parameter, dielectric constant, and dipole moment. Further, the comparison of these extraction results was made with the results of our previous study which was with the solvents sesame oil, canola oil, benzene, toluene and p-ether. The results may be arranged in the increasing order with respect to average K_D and average E_P % for natural oils as canola oil (0.23, 18.85%) < mustard oil (0.25, 20.45%) < sunflower oil (0.27, 21.00%) < soyabean oil (0.34, 25.06%) < sesame oil (0.49, 33.24%) and for chemicals as benzene (0.08, 7.5%) < toluene (0.09, 8.25%) < p-ether (0.09, 8.32%) < MIBK (2.55, 71.41%) < 1-octanol (5.01, 83.01%).     

Rapid, highly efficient extraction and purification of membrane proteins using a microfluidic continuous-flow based aqueous two-phase system

Membrane proteins play essential roles in regulating various fundamental cellular functions. To investigate membrane proteins, extraction and purification are usually prerequisite steps. Here, we demonstrated a microfluidic aqueous PEG/detergent two-phase system for the purification of membrane proteins from crude cell extract, which replaced the conventional discontinuous agitation method with continuous extraction in laminar flows, resulting in significantly increased extraction speed and efficiency. To evaluate this system, different separation and detection methods were used to identify the purified proteins, such as capillary electrophoresis, SDS-PAGE and nano-HPLC-MS/MS. Swiss-Prot database with Mascot search engine was used to search for membrane proteins from random selected bands of SDS-PAGE. Results indicated that efficient purification of membrane proteins can be achieved within 5-7s and approximately 90% of the purified proteins were membrane proteins (the highest extraction efficiency reported up to date), including membrane-associated proteins and integral membrane proteins with multiple transmembrane domains. Compared to conventional approaches, this new method had advantages of greater specific surface area, minimal emulsification, reduced sample consumption and analysis time. We expect the developed method to be potentially useful in membrane protein purifications, facilitating the investigation of membrane proteomics.     

Rapid extraction and sample clean-up for the fluorescence densitometric determination of aflatoxin M1 in milk and mil powder

The diluted sample is passed through a SepPak C18 cartridge and the toxin is eluted with acetonitrile/water (3:7, v/v). The extract is cleaned up on a SepPak silica cartridge. The antidiagonal spot application technique is used for two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. Spots are quantified by fluorescence densitometry. Recoveries of aflatoxin M1 added in the range 0.03-0.1 ng g^?1 of milk are 86–97%. The detection limit is about 0.005 ng g^?1 for milk and 0.05 ng g^?1 for milk powder.     

超临界流体萃取法对有机锡化合物的选择性萃取

 研究了用超临界流体萃取法直接从脂肪基质的固体样品（大豆粉）中选择性地萃取有机锡化合物的方法。模拟试样萃取结果表明：用较低压力和较高温度的超临界态ＣＯ２作流动相时，有机锡达到最大萃取率，而脂肪类物质仅被少量萃取，从而消除了脂肪类物质对超临界流体色谱法测定有机锡的干扰。     

Measurement uncertainty from physical sample preparation: estimation including systematic error

A methodology is proposed, which employs duplicated primary sampling and subsequent duplicated physical preparation coupled with duplicated chemical analyses. Sample preparation duplicates should be prepared under conditions that represent normal variability in routine laboratory practice. The proposed methodology requires duplicated chemical analysis on a minimum of two of the sample preparation duplicates. Data produced from the hierarchical design is treated with robust analysis of variance (ANOVA) to generate uncertainty estimates, as standard uncertainties ('u' expressed as standard deviation), for primary sampling (ssamp), physical sample preparation (sprep) and chemical analysis (sanal). The ANOVA results allow the contribution of the sample preparation process to the overall uncertainty to be assessed. This methodology has been applied for the first time to a case study of pesticide residues in retail strawberry samples. Duplicated sample preparation was performed under ambient conditions on two consecutive days. Multi-residue analysis (quantification by GC-MS) was undertaken for a range of incurred pesticide residues including those suspected of being susceptible to loss during sample preparation procedures. Sampling and analytical uncertainties dominated at low analyte concentrations. The sample preparation process contributed up to 20% to the total variability and had a relative uncertainty (Uprep%) of up to 66% (for bupirimate at 95% confidence). Estimates of systematic errors during physical sample preparation were also made using spike recovery experiments. Four options for the estimation of measurement uncertainty are discussed, which both include and exclude systematic error arising from sample preparation and chemical analysis. A holistic approach to the combination and subsequent expression of uncertainty is advised.     

Pressurized liquid extraction of cyclitols and sugars: optimization of extraction parameters and selective separation

Cyclitols and sugars were obtained as a mixture from Medicago sativa L., in a comparative study by using maceration, and pressurized liquid extraction, as a modern and green extraction techniques. The influence of extraction parameters including: extraction temperature, time and number of cycles on the content of sugars and cyclitols was investigated based on response surface methodology. The highest total amount of sugars and cyclitols (62.27 ± 2.30 and 50.35 ± 0.77 mg/g of dry material, respectively) was obtained when extraction was performed at 88°C, for 22 min, in two cycles. The methodology used involved extraction, purification, selective separation (using yeast and anion exchange resin) and derivatization, followed by gas chromatography ‐mass spectrometry analysis. The use of yeast treatment realized an effective fractionation of cyclitols and sugars, which allowed the removal of most sugars. The involvement of anion exchange resin after yeast allowed the removal of sugar alcohols and lactose, together with other sugar traces remained and to obtain a solution containing six cyclitols. The recrystallization of dry residue after solvent evaporation, from ethanol, allowed us to obtain 14.65 mg of white pure crystals identified with NMR spectroscopy, liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry, gas chromatography with mass spectrometry, optical rotation and melting point as analysis D‐pinitol.     

The effect of sample matrix on selection of optimum timing parameters in cyclic neutron activation analysis

Cyclic instrumental neutron activation analysis can be used to improve detection limits for short-lived nuclides. The detection limit for a given nuclide is a function of the activity arising from the sample matrix and the various timing parameters used in the analysis. An easily operated computer program, based on the cyclic activation equation, has been developed to estimate theoretically the optimum timing parameters for a number of short-lived nuclides in four different types of simulated sample matrix. The computed results are discussed with reference to the change in maximum sensitivity when optimum conditions are not used, and a comparison is made with the experimentally determined results for the measurement of selenium in NBS Bovine Liver.     

An extraction technique for analytical sample preparation in aqueous solution based on controlling dispersion of ionic surfactant assemblies in isotachophoretic migration

An extraction technique for analytical sample preparation in aqueous solution has been developed based on controlling dispersion of ionic surfactant assemblies. An extraction technique was realized based on controlling dispersion of the ionic surfactant assemblies in their isotachophoretic migration during the extraction by arranging the solutions of leading electrolyte, ionic surfactant and terminating electrolyte in order and applying voltage. Potential of the technique for analytical sample preparation in aqueous solution has been demonstrated by extracting a model sample of four alkylphenones, which were analyzed by HPLC after the extraction. The extraction showed concentration effects on all the four alkylphenones of butyrophenone, valerophenone, hexanophenone and heptanophenone in the model sample. The enrichment factors were 5.29, 7.70, 7.25 and 7.49 for the four alkylphenones of butyrophenone, valerophenone, hexanophenone and heptanophenone, respectively. Linear relationship was obtained with all the four alkylphenones between their chromatographic peak areas before and after the extraction in the range of concentration from 0.05 ppm to 1.5 ppm. The RSD of the chromatographic peak areas in triplicate extractions was 7.97%, 3.75%, 2.91% and 4.45% for butyrophenone, valerophenone, hexanophenone and heptanophenone, respectively. Advantages of the extraction technique developed include ease of operation, low reagent cost, no consumption of organic solvents and no requirement for additional phase separation.     

The effect of film thickness and sample history on the parameters describing transport in glassy polymers

The effect of a characteristic dimension of a glassy polymeric specimen on the kinetic mechanism controlling unidirectional absorption of organic vapors and liquids in glassy polymers is demonstrated by comparing n-alkane absorption experiments in microspheres, spheres, films, and sheets of polystyrene. Absorption in submicron microspheres is controlled by Fickian diffusion whereas, under otherwise identical boundary conditions, films (ca. 75μm thick) and spheres (ca. 184 μm in diameter) sorb according to Case II absorption kinetics. Thinner films (35 μm thick) sorb by Super Case II kinetics and relatively thick sheets (2000 μm thick) sorb initially by Case II kinetics but, at long times, diffusion through the outer swollen region contributes significantly to the overall resistance to mass transfer and the rate of absorption decreases progressively with time. p]The rather short experimental times, afforded by the exceedingly small mean diameter of the narrowly distributed microsphere powder sample, permitted convenient characterization of the effects of preswelling, sorption-desorption cycling, and annealing on the kinetics and apparent equilibria of sorption. History effects were quite dramatic and were related to glassy state relaxations initiated by the various thermal and swelling histories imposed upon the glassy microspheres. p]Prediction of sorption and permeation behavior in membranes, from kinetic and equilibrium parameters determined experimentally on film and powder samples, requires explicit recognition of these dimensional and history effects. These effects do not appear to be related to any special properties of this polymer-penetrant system.     

Solvent extraction of ionic solutes in aqueous solutions

Extraction of ionic solutes in aqueous solutions into various organic solvents is reviewed by showing several examples. The extraction of strong acids into polar organic solvents and nonpolar solvents containing hydrogen-bonding extractants is described as the first example and the extraction of simple metal salts into strongly dielectric or solvating polarsolvents and nonpolar solvents containing solvating extractants is then reported. Finally, the solvent extraction of anionic metal complexes with bulky cations into nonpolar solvents as ion-paris is described and the statistical method for such extraction equilibria is considered.