An improved analytical method for the determination of urea nitrogen isotopomers in biological samples utilizing continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry

Over the past few years numerous dual inlet isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) applications have been adapted to continuous flow systems which allow the automation of sample admission and a higher throughput. The isotopomer analysis of urea nitrogen by IRMS requires the offline conversion of urea into nitrogen gas before analysis. The oxidation of urea with LiOBr results in the monomolecular degradation of urea, which preserves the identity of the parent urea molecule, and has to be conducted under vacuum to prevent contamination with atmospheric nitrogen. We have developed an offline system of urea degradation utilizing disposable Exetainers, in which atmospheric nitrogen is displaced by helium. Recovery of urea nitrogen was linear within the range of the standards tested (0 to 420 microg nitrogen) and standard curves for 15N15N-urea standards showed high coefficients of determination (R2 > 0.9998). A small portion of urea degrades in a non-monomolecular fashion and has been shown to depend on the concentration of urea in the sample. Long-term storage of prepared samples showed a decline in 15N15N enrichment, suggesting air contamination. However, samples were stable for 24 h, which allows for the analysis of large sample batches. Interest in urea metabolism, particularly in ruminant species, has increased recently due to the environmental implications of urea and nitrogen excretion by farm animals. This novel analytical method will allow for accurate measurements and the rapid throughput needed in order to support these field studies.     

New potentiometric microbial biosensor for ethanol determination in alcoholic beverages

A potentiometric oxygen electrode was successfully used to produce a microbial biosensors with an extended response range, based on immobilised yeast cells (Saccharomyces ellipsoideus). The response for ethanol takes ca. 7 min for the steady-state method and 2 min for kinetic measurements. A linear calibration achieved over more than two decades of ethanol concentration. Selective determination of ethanol in the presence of non-volatile compounds was achieved using a second PTFE membrane to cover the biocatalytic layer.     

A fluorescent chemical sensor for ethanol determination in alcoholic beverages

A sensor for ethanol is described that is based on the fluorescent probe 5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl porphyrin (TPP). Response is based on the quenching of the fluorescence of TPP by ethanol as a result of electrostatic attraction. The sensor linearly responds to ethanol in the concentration range from 1 to 75 vol.% and was applied to the determination of ethanol in various kinds of wines and whisky.     

A sensitive method for the determination of nitroamines in alcoholic beverages

Summary Nitrosamines in alcoholic beverages and malted barley were analysed by adsorption from the gas phase onto a porous polymer trap of Chromosorb 104 and subsequent desorption of the trapped compounds directly to a gas chromatograph fitted with glass capillary column and alkali-FID. The detection limit for NDMA was 0.05 g/l in beer samples and 0.3 g/kg in malted barley.Presented at the 14th International Symposium on Chromatography London, September, 1982     

An improved method for technetium determination in environmental samples

Summary The recent developments of extraction chromatography and ICP-MS made easier the determination of ⁹⁹Tc in environmental samples. However, in the non-contaminated area, a pre-concentration procedure is necessary, because usually a large amount of sample is used for analysis. In this study, the ferrous ion (Fe²⁺) added as a reductant can make chemical yield from 50 to 80%, when larger than 100 liter water samples or 500 g soil samples are analyzed. The extraction chromatography with TEVA resin (EIChrom) and the measurement by ICP-MS have been developed using ^95mTc and ¹⁰³Ru as yield tracers. Detection limits of 3σ are 0.054 mBq/kg for 500 g soil and 0.032 µBq/lfor 500 l water. A pond named Hinotani, Mie Prefecture in the central part of Japan, was selected to be investigated as a natural system in a non-contaminated area. Surface soil near this pond, pond water and sediment were collected and analyzed for ⁹⁹Tc. In a high fall-out area, Okuetsu, Fukui Prefecture forest soil was collected and analyzed. The ⁹⁹Tc in the surface (0-5 cm) was 10.5±0.8 mBq/kg. The ⁹⁹Tc in Hinotani surface (0-5 cm) soil were 0.77±0.06 mBq/kg less than in Okuetsu. Technetium-99 has been determined in pond water, sediment (0-5 cm) and shrimps in the Hinotani pond, 0.25±0.02 mBq/l, 3.3±0.3 mBq/kg, 1.5±0.2 mBq/kg, respectively.     

An improved actinide separation method for environmental samples

This paper presents a rapid method of separation of five actinide elements (Th, U, Np, Pu, and Am) for aqueous media samples. This separation method utilizes the unique chemistries of the actinides at low concentrations^1,2 and the properties of the EIChroM TRU-Resin^TM extraction resin. In order to cleanly recover the five actinides from aqueous samples or solubilized soil samples, the sample is passed through the column twice. The sample is first loaded in an HCl solution with hydrogen peroxide. This allows the Am and most matrix ions to pass through the column. Then the Th is eluted using dilute HCl followed by the Np and Pu which are eluted together with oxalic acid in dilute HCl solution. Finally, the U is eluted with ammonium oxalate solution. A calcium-oxalate coprecipitation is performed on the original load solution containing the Am ions and the dissolved precipitate is then reloaded onto the TRU-Resin^TM column in HNO₃ with ascorbic acid. The procedure requires approximately 1.5 working days for experienced technicians, greatly reduces waste, and generally results in actinide recoveries of 80–100%.     

New refractive index method for measurement of alcoholic strength of small volume samples

A study of the correlation between the refractive index (RI) method adopted by the European Community (EC) and a reference pycnometric method for the measurement of alcoholic strength was undertaken. A new RI method with greater accuracy was also developed. Alcoholic strength measured by both RI methods presented a relatively constant negative bias compared with results by the pycnometric method. Differences found between the RI methods and the pycnometric method were 0.6-0.9% (v/v) when RI was measured by the EC method and 0.4-0.5% (v/v) when the new RI method developed in our laboratory was used. Statistical analysis of the results showed that differences between the 2 RI methods and the reference pycnometric method were statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. Correction factors are proposed for the accurate use of measurements of alcoholic strength obtained for small volume samples.     

Determination of ethanol in alcoholic beverages by liquid chromatography using the UV detector

Ethanol in certain beverages and in similar solutions may be determined by reversed-phase liquid chromatography (LC) using the UV detector. The mobile phase in this indirect photometric detection technique contains a low concentration of a UV-absorbing compound, such as acetone, that coelutes with the ethanol peak. Several variables such as the choice and concentration of the UV-detection agent are examined regarding their effects on the retention time, magnitude and linearity of peak area, and other aspects of quantitation. Except for filtering to remove particulate matter, samples can be injected without pretreatment. The concentration of ethanol in several types of beverages can be determined with 2% relative standard deviation, calibration is linear to 40% ethanol, and the minimum detectable concentration is 0.1%.     

An online method combining a thermal conversion elemental analyzer with isotope ratio mass spectrometry for the determination of hydrogen isotope composition and water concentration in geological samples

An online continuous-flow method, combining a thermal conversion elemental analyzer (TC/EA) with isotope ratio mass spectrometry (MS), is evaluated for the determination of both the hydrogen isotope composition and the water concentration of hydrous and nominally anhydrous minerals. The technique involves reduction of hydrous minerals or nominally anhydrous minerals by reaction with glassy carbon at 1450 degrees C in a helium stream. The product gases, H2 and CO, are separated on a gas chromatographic column prior to analysis in the mass spectrometer. Calibration curves for the H concentration analysis were generated from a standard of benzoic acid (C7H6O2) that has an H concentration of 5.0 wt%; the analytical uncertainties were better than +/-0.05% in our runs. Two standards of material with given D values, polyethylene IAEA-CH-7 and biotite NBS-30, were tested for the purpose of calibrating a natural garnet 04BXL02 representing nominally anhydrous minerals. Preheating at 90 degrees C for 12 h was found to be suitable for removing adsorption water on the sample surface. This results in constant D values and total H2O contents for the garnet, with weighted means of -94 +/- 1 and 522 +/- 11 ppm (wt), respectively. The TC/EA-MS technique allows routine analysis of sample sizes as small as 0.01 microL H2O. For natural minerals, absolute reproducibilities for D values are +/-0.5 to +/-2 (1) and relative uncertainties for total H2O concentrations are at levels of +/-1% to +/-3% (1). Therefore, this online method can be used for the quantitative determination of H isotope composition and H2O concentration of either hydrous or anhydrous minerals.     

An improved method for the analysis of dimethyl sulfoxide in water samples.

An analytical method for dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in aqueous samples at nanomolar levels has been improved. DMSO was reduced to dimethyl sulfide (DMS), concentrated on an adsorbent, and measured by gas chromatography. In the presence of iron chloride, the sodium borohydride (NaBH4) reduction of DMSO proceeded smoothly and efficiently, and the repeatability of this reaction was significantly improved. The detection limit was 0.27 nM for DMSO, and its repeatability of the peak-area measurement was 4.1% as RSD (n = 5).     

Deuterium/hydrogen isotope ratio measurement of water and organic samples by continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry using chromium as the reducing agent in an elemental analyser

A rapid continuous-flow technique for quantitative determination of hydrogen isotope ratios in water and organic materials at natural abundance levels is described. Water and organic samples were reduced in a helium stream at temperatures in excess of 1000 degrees C over chromium metal. delta(2)H per thousand values of water and organic samples were determined by calibration against International Atomic Energy Agency reference materials V-SMOW and SLAP water. The accuracy of the method was demonstrated through the analysis of the intermediate water standard GISP and IAEA water intercomparison materials OH-1, OH-2 and OH-3. Values obtained using this technique compared well with reference values (maximum difference 2.2 per thousand). The precision of water analyses was less than 2.3 per thousand (1 sigma or 1 standard deviation) in all cases. No apparent memory effect was observed when measuring samples at the natural abundance level. The application of the technique to organic molecules and the salts of organic acids was successfully demonstrated by measuring the delta(2)H per thousand values of an n-hexadecane laboratory reference and anhydrous calcium formate versus water calibration materials. Copyright Crown copyright 2001. Reproduced with permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A rapid method for uranium isotope ratio measurement by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Uranium isotope ratio U 234/238 can be measured by commercial high-performance inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) with good precision and accuracy (relative standard deviation RSD<2%). The method is based on acquiring the data using a peak jump mode and a collecting signal 10 times longer for low abundance isotopes. Uranium isotope standards U-005 to U-200 from the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) were used for method development. The optimum uranium concentration range for analysis for dissolved samples is from 50 to 200 g l^–1.     

An improved method for the determination of uranium isotopes in environmental samples by alpha-spectrometry

In order to improve the selectivity of the uranium isotopes determination in environmental samples, further studies have been carried out, including (1) interference of ²¹⁰Po with uranium isotope determination, (2) distribution coefficients of polonium between 5% TOPO in toluene and aqueous hydrochloric and nitric acids, (3) decontamination factor of uranium from polonium of the recommended procedure, and (4) leaching effect comparison of two different leaching procedures in a lichen sample. Based on the new findings, a more accurate extraction chromatographic/ a-spectroscopy method has been developed. For the method's validation, four kinds of reference materials supplied by the IAEA have been tested. It is observed that nearly all the ²³⁸U, ²³⁴U and ²³⁵U concentrations obtained are in good agreement with the recommended or information values, showing that the method can give reliable results. A comparison with existing uranium determination methods has also been made. It is concluded that due to involving preconcentration and chemical separation, the extraction chromatographic/a-spectroscopy method is a more selective, very sensitive and accurate, and low cost method. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

An improved method of ion exchange for nitrogen isotope analysis of water nitrate

Nitrate nitrogen and oxygen isotopes have been widely used to trace the nitrogen biogeochemical cycle by identifying NO(3)(-) sources. An improved method of anion exchange was developed to measure δ(15)N-NO(3)(-) in fresh water by continuous-flow elemental analyzer/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA-IRMS). We used a custom-built exchange resin column, a peristaltic pump and the oven-drying method in our experiments. Consequently, the amount of Ag(2)O used as a neutralizer was reduced, time was saved, and operation became simpler than before. Meanwhile, analytical precision remained identical to previous studies. KNO(3) solutions were prepared at 0.2, 5 and 25 mg-N L(-1) from KNO(3) standard salt (δ(15)N=+6.27‰), and the average δ(15)N values of the solutions after having been absorbed on and subsequently stripped from anion columns were +6.62±0.22‰ (n=6), +6.38±0.09‰ (n=6), and +6.26±0.07‰ (n=6), respectively. In addition, the "natural" water sample δ(15)N-NO(3)(-) showed consistency in comparison to standards, and the mean standard deviation by the different approaches was 0.08‰. Accordingly, by these improvements the anion exchange resin technique is demonstrated to be more suitable for measuring δ(15)N in NO(3)(-) than original techniques.     

An improved nephelometric method for the determination of small amounts of thiosulfate in aqueous samples

The procedure is based on decomposition of thiosulfate, with formation of sulfur, in the presence of 0.5 mol l^?1 nitric acid. Thiosulfate is determined in the range 15–100 mg l^?1, with a relative standard deviation of 5.4% and a mean relative error of 3.2%. These data are of the same order of magnitude as those obtained for the earlier silver/1,10-phenanthroline method. The present method has the advantage of being almost completely free from interferences; the only interference observed (sulfide) is easily eliminated.     

Gas-diffusion dilution flow-injection method for the determination of ethanol in beverages without sample pretreatment

The combination of immobilized alcohol oxidase (AOD) with a gas-diffusion membrane in a flow-injection system greatly enhanced the specificity of ethanol determination. This gas-diffusion flow-injection system with amperometric detection of hydrogen peroxide had a linear range of analysis from 0.0006 up to 60% (v/v) ethanol. Silicone-modified polypropylene membranes of different thickness were used. Undiluted samples of beer, wine, spirits and medicine could be investigated with excellent correlation with standard methods (r > 0.997). The frequency of analysis was 120–180 samples h^?1 and the operational half-life of the immobilized enzyme was 8000 injections within 44 h.