A needle trap device packed with MIL-100(Fe) metal organic frameworks for efficient headspace sampling and analysis of urinary BTEXs

The aim of this study was to develop a new method for the determination of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene isomers (BTEXs) in urine samples. In this method, MIL-100(Fe)@Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ metal–organic framework was synthesized, characterized and packed inside a needle trap device (NTD) as a sorbent for headspace extraction of unmetabolized BTEXs from urine samples followed by gas chromatography (GC) analysis. The GC device was equipped with a flame ionization detector (FID). The results showed that the optimal extraction time, extraction temperature and salt content were 60 min, 30°C and 5%, respectively. Also, the optimal desorption time and temperature were determined to be 1 min and 250°C, respectively. The limits of detection and quantification of the analytes of interest were in the ranges 0.0001–0.0005 and 0.0003–0.0014 μg ml⁻¹, respectively. The intra- and inter-day repeatability were <7.6%. The accuracy of the measurements in urine samples was in the range 7.1–11.4%. The results also demonstrated that the proposed NTD offered various advantages such as having high sensitivity and being inexpensive, reusable, user friendly, environmentally friendly and compatible for use with the GC device. Therefore, it can be efficiently used as a MIL–NTD for the extraction and analysis of unmetabolized BTEXs from urine samples.     

Determination of Toxic Organophosphorus Compounds by Specific and Nonspecific Detectors

Abstract

Sample preparation procedures and gas chromatography methodology are presented for the determination of tabun, sarin, soman, and VX in aqueous solutions. Extraction recoveries from chloroform were quantitative. Peak area ratios of organophosphorus compounds (OPs) to internal standard versus concentrations of OP were linear over the range of 10-1000 (μg/ml when determined by the flame ionization detector and 10-800 μg/ml when determined by the flame photometric detector. Imprecision occurring at low ng concentrations of VX was caused by its adsorption on the analytical column. Acceptable precision was regained by the addition of a weak base, such as atropine, to the sample extract prior to its injection onto the gas chromatograph (GC).     

The determination of lead in blood by atomic fluorescence flame spectrometry

The use of atomic flame fluorescence for the direct determination of lead in diluted blood is described. The method is sensitive enough to determine the lead concentration in 20× diluted blood accurately and with a precision of better than 4% at a lead concentration level of 0.20 μg ml^-1. A special design of hollow cathode lamp is used, with an argon-hydrogen-oxygen flame. Sodium interference is compensated by addition to standards, and light scatter effects are eliminated by a simple filter. Linear response to lead concentration is obtained in the range 0–40 μg ml^-1.     

Determination of monomethylarsonic acid and dimethylarsinic acid by derivatization with thioglycolic acid methylester and gas—liquid chromatographic

An elegant method for the determination of monomethylarsonic acid and dimethylarsinic acid in biological materials is described. The methylarsenic acids are derivatized with thioglycolic acid methylester to yield lipophilic species, which can be determined by gas chromatography using a flame ionization detector or the more selective thermionic specific detector. The method permits the quick determination of methylarsenic acids in concentrations as low as 10 ng ml^-1 in urine or blood.     

Change in ionization of barium in calcium and direct determination of barium in calcium by flame atomic absorption spectrometry using the Ba ion resonance line

Partial pressures of barium at various concentrations of calcium are calculated, and degree of ionization of barium in the nitrous oxide-acetylene flame are determined experimentally and theoretically using the Saha equation. The ionization of barium (50 μg ml^?1 ) in the presence of 10000 μg ml^?1 of calcium was about one third of the theoretically expected value. Using the ion resonance line of barium permits the direct determination of barium down to 3 ppm in calcium matrices by atomic absorption spectrophotometry.     

GC Methods for the Determination of Methanol and Ethanol in Insulating Mineral Oils as Markers of Cellulose Degradation in Power Transformers

Methanol and ethanol in transformer oils have been recently proposed as new markers of thermal and mechanical degradation of cellulose (the solid insulation in power transformers). In this work, we optimized and compared the performance of two headspace gas chromatographic methods based on flame ionization (HS–GC–FID) and mass spectrometry detection (HS–GC–MS) to determine methanol and ethanol in insulating mineral oil. For methanol and ethanol, the detection limits were 12 and 27 μg kg^?1 (HS–GC–FID) and 1.3 and 3.1 μg kg^?1 (HS–GC–MS). Repeatability was evaluated in transformer oils for both the methods at different concentration levels of analytes and RSD values were found to lie between 1.8 and 16 %. The accuracy of the methods was assessed under a proficiency test (Cigré JWG A2/D1.46). The methods were compared by a F-test and a one-sided paired t test performed on 21 transformer oils in service. Correlations of methanol and ethanol content in sampled oils against their actual time of service are provided. For each sample, the content of traditional markers (furan-2-carbaldehyde and CO₂) was also measured, finding a correlation between light alcohols and CO₂ content. This indicates that methanol and ethanol determination may be helpful in providing further information on the thermal degradation conditions of transformers’ solid insulation. The method developed is currently routinely applied by the laboratories of Sea Marconi Technologies for the assessment of transformers’ conditions.     

Simultaneous flow injection speciation of iron(II) and iron(III) cyano complexes utilizing electrochemical and atomic absorption detectors in series

Summary A method is described for the simultaneous speciation of Fe(CN) ₆ ^4– and Fe(CN) ₆ ^3– in a flow injection (FIA) system comprising electrochemical (EC) and flame atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) detectors in series. One of these species is detected amperometrically at a Pt-electrode by applying the required potential and measuring the resulting reduction or oxidation current of the appropriate iron cyanide complex. Total iron in both species is determined by an AAS detector. The EC detector is inherently more sensitive, with a detection limit of 0.5 g Fe l^–1 and a relative standard deviation of 1.0% for a 0.040 g Fe ml^–1 sample. The limit of detection for the AAS detector is 0.5 g Fe ml^–1, and the relative standard deviation for a 5.70 g Fe ml^–1 sample is 0.40%. The method enables up to 60 analyses (120 speciations) per hour and obviates the problem of easy oxidation of Fe(CN) ₆ ^4– .

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Simultane Speziation von Eisen(II)- und Eisen(III)-Cyanokomplexen durch Flie\injektionsanalyse mit Hilfe von hintereinander geschalteten elektrochemischen und AAS-Detektoren

     

Solid-Phase Microextraction of Aliphatic Alcohols Based on Polyaniline Coated Fibers

The efficiency of polyaniline (PANI), coated gold wire was investigated for use as a fiber for solid-phase microextraction (SPME). Aniline monomers were electropolymerized on gold wires by applying a constant current to an acetate buffer containing NaClO₄ as supporting electrolyte for 30 min. These fibers were used for the extraction of some aliphatic alcohols from gaseous samples. The results obtained proved the ability of PANI fiber for sampling organic compounds from gaseous samples. From this work, optimum conditions for preparation and conditioning of fibers and for the extraction of analytes from gaseous samples were obtained. Under optimum conditions, one fiber was used for several equivalent analyses and the relative standard deviations (RSD) were <7% (n=6). However, fiber to fiber reproducibility was <9% (n=6). This fiber is firm and durable and is simply prepared. Calibration graphs were linear in the range: 0.1–10 g mL^–1 for aliphatic alcohols; the detection limit range was 15–75 ng mL^–1 (S/N=3) using a flame ionization detector.     

Improved micro-flame detection method for gas chromatography

A previously developed micro-counter-current flame method is modified to provide both sensitive photometric and ionization detection for gas chromatography (GC). A stainless steel capillary (0.254 mm i.d.) supplying oxygen functions as a burner, which supports a compact flame that burns in a counter-flowing excess of hydrogen. In the “micro-flame photometric detector” (μFPD) response mode, the background emission level is reduced by over an order of magnitude compared to previous experiments using a fused silica capillary burner, resulting in greatly improved detection limits. Chemiluminescent sulfur response in the μFPD is quadratic over 3.5 orders of magnitude, yielding a detection limit of 3 × 10⁻¹¹ gS/s, while that of phosphorus is linear over 5 orders of magnitude down to a minimum detectable limit of 3 × 10⁻¹² gP/s. Tin response is examined for the first time in the μFPD and yields a blue luminescence (ascribed to SnO*) on the surface of the quartz flame enclosure. Although this emission provides a sensitive detection limit near 6 × 10⁻¹⁵ gSn/s, due to the limited surface area within the detector cell it only produces a linear response range of one order of magnitude. Ionization response toward hydrocarbons is also obtained from the hydrogen-rich micro-counter-current flame. A linear response is produced over five orders of magnitude, yielding a detection limit toward carbon of 2 × 10⁻¹⁰ gC/s. Analysis of a simple gasoline sample is used to demonstrate that the device can successfully operate as both a selective and universal GC detector. Results indicate that this micro-counter-current flame method yields comparable performance to conventional flame photometric and flame ionization detectors, making it potentially useful for adaptation to micro-analytical devices and portable GC units.     

Extraction of cobalt by the AOT microemulsion system

The extraction of cobalt by Winsor II microemulsion system was studied. In the bis (2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate sodium salt (AOT)/n-pentanol/n-heptane/NaCl system, AOT was used as a anionic surfactant to form microemulsion in n-heptane, n-pentanol was injected in the microemulsion as a cosurfactant. Co(II) was found to be extracted into the microemulsion phase due to ion pair formation such as Co²⁺(R–SO₃ ⁻)Cl. The influence of different parameters such as the volume ratio of aqueous phase to microemulsion, surfactant concentration, pH of the feed solutions, cosurfactant concentration as well as temperature on the extraction yield (E%) were investigated. The results showed that it was possible to extract 95% of cobalt by the AOT Winsor II microemulsion.     

Tuning commercial diesel to microemulsified and blended form: phase behavior and implications

Abstract

Microemulsification and blending of commercial diesel is under constant research for possible fuel application. Microemulsions (ME) were prepared using diesel (D), kerosene (K), diesel and kerosene mixtures at various proportions (D?+?K) (oil phase: O), Triton X-100 surfactant (S), n-butanol, isobutanol (i-butanol), n-pentanol and n-octanol cosurfactants (C), and aqueous phase (W) containing water or brine for the study. Electrical conductance studies and temperature-induced separation of phase have been adopted for recognizing the o/w, w/o and bicontinuous zones. Dye probing has been done to explain the mass transfer among these phases. Percent of solubilization of oil in water has been enumerated in some of the ME. The possible fuel applications of the microemulsions are predicted from their density and flame brightness.     

Antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity on tumour cells of the essential oil from Cedronella canariensis var. canariensis (L.) Webb & Berthel. (Lamiaceae)

Cedronella canariensis is a lemon-scented species of the family Lamiaceae endemic to the Canary Islands where it is used in the traditional medicine to prepare infusions or inhalations for anti-catarrhal, tonic, diuretic, hypoglycaemiant, hypotensive, anti-inflammatory and decongestant of the respiratory tract. In this work we investigated for the first time the antioxidant activity of the essential oil and its inhibitory effects on tumour cells (A375, MDA-MB-231, HCT 116) proliferation by DPPH, ABTS, FRAP and MTT assays, respectively. The oil, analysed by GC-ionisation flame detector and GC–MS, was characterised by pinocarvone (58.0%) and β-pinene (10.8%) as the major constituents, being typical of the chemotype ‘canariensis’. Noteworthy was the cytotoxic activity of the oil against the tumour cells examined, with IC₅₀ values of 4.3, 7.3 and 11.4 μg/mL on A375, MDA-MB-231 and HCT 116 tumour cells, respectively, as well as the scavenging activity against the ABTS radical (IC₅₀ of 10.5 μg/mL).     

Quantitative analysis of ethylenediamine in plasma by capillary column gas chromatography

A specific and sensitive method for the determination of ethylenediamine in human plasma is described. The aqueous sample is treated with m-toluoyl chloride, yielding the N,N′-bis(m-toluoyl) derivative of the diamine, which is extracted into dichloromethane and quantitated after “on column” methylation by capillary gas liquid chromatography with alkali flame ionization detection. The corresponding derivative of putrescine serves as internal standard. The assay is reproducible and calibration curves are linear over the concentration range 0.05 to 10 μg · ml^?1. The lower detection limit is about 10 ng · ml^?1. The structures of the compounds of interest eluting from the capillary column are examined by gas liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. The assay has been applied to the analysis of ethylenediamine in plasma following the administration of aminophylline and ethylenediamine in a cross-over study to patients with bronchopulmonary diseases. The method also proves suitable for measuring other primary and secondary amines and diamines in aqueous solutions by gas liquid chromatography.     

Density and excess molar volumes of binary mixtures of sulfolane with methanol,n -propanol,n -butanol,and n -pentanol at 298.15–323.15 K and atmospheric pressure

Densities, ρ and excess molar volumes, V?^E of the binary mixtures of sulfolane, +methanol, +n-propanol,?+n-butanol, and +n-pentanol were measured at temperatures 298.15, 303.15, 308.15, 313.15, and 318.15?K, respectively, covering the whole composition range except methanol at 303.15–323.15?K. The V ^E for the systems were found to be negative and large in magnitude. The values of V ^E of the sulfolane, +n-butanol and sulfolane, +n-pentanol mixtures are being positive at lower and higher mole fractions of the alkanols (x ₂). The magnitudes of the V ^E values of the mixtures are in the order sulfolane?+?methanol?>?sulfolane?+?n-propanol?>?sulfolane?+?n-butanol?>?sulfolane?+?n-pentanol. The observed values of V ^E for the mixtures have been explained in terms of (i) effects due to the differences in chain length of the alcohols, (ii) dipole–dipole interactions between the polar molecules, and (iii) geometric effect due to the differences in molar volume of the component molecules. These are more noticeable in the case of lower alcohols. All these properties have been expressed satisfactorily by appropriate polynomials.     

Headspace solid-phase microextraction applied to the simultaneous determination of sorbic and benzoic acids in beverages

A new analytical procedure was developed using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) for the simultaneous determination of sorbic and benzoic acids in beverages. The sample were processed depending on their nature, either only diluted with water, or treated with a NaOH solution and filtered through a 0.45-μm membrane filter. The samples were heated in a vial in the presence of sulfuric acid and anhydrous sodium sulfate and the analytes were collected from the headspace by using a 65-μm polydimethylsiloxane-divinylbenzene (PDMS-DVB) coated fiber and determined by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC-FID). To enhance the sensitivity of HS-SPME, the temperature and time of the extraction and desorption, the acidity and salt concentration of the extraction solution were optimized. Linear range of the analytes was found to be between 0.1 and 20 mg/L with regression coefficients (R²) of 0.9998 for sorbic acid and 0.9980 for benzoic acid. Limits of detection (LOD) were 5.83 μg/L and 11.4 μg/L for sorbic and benzoic acids, respectively. Relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) for six replicate analyses within 3 days (two times/day) was found to be lower than 8.62% at three concentration levels (2, 6, 10 mg/L). Recoveries ranged from 81.20% to 108.1% for real samples. The results demonstrate the suitability of the HS-SPME technique to analyze sorbic and benzoic acids in a variety of beverages.     

Optimization and Simultaneous Determination of Alkyl Phenol Ethoxylates and Brominated Flame Retardants in Water after SPE and Heptafluorobutyric Anhydride Derivatization followed by GC/MS

A gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) method was investigated for the simultaneous analysis of two types of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), i.e., alkylphenol ethoxylates and brominated flame retardants (BFRs), by extraction and derivatization followed by GC–MS. Different solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridges (Cleanert PestiCarb, C₁₈, Cleanert-SAX and Florosil), solvents (toluene, tetrahydrofuran, acetone, acetonitrile and ethyl acetate) and bases (NaHCO₃, triethylamine and pyridine) were tested and the best chromatographic analysis was achieved by extraction with Strata-X (33?μm, Reverse Phase) cartridge and derivatization with heptafluorobutyric anhydride at 55?°C under Na₂CO₃ base in hexane. It was observed that APE together with lower substituted PBBs (PBB1, PBB10, PBB18 and PBB49), HBCD and TBBPA can be determined simultaneously under the same GC conditions. This simple and reliable analytical method was applied to determining trace amounts of these compounds from wastewater treatment plant samples. The recoveries of the target compounds from simulated water were above 60?%. The limit of detection ranged from 0.01 to 0.15?μg L^?1 and the limit of quantification ranged from 0.05 to 0.66?μg L^?1. There were no appreciable differences between filtered and unfiltered wastewater samples from Leeuwkil treatment plant although concentration of target analytes in filtered influent was slightly lower than the concentration of target analytes in unfiltered influent water. The concentrations of the target compounds from the wastewater treatment were determined from LOQ upwards.     

Speciation of inorganic lead and trialkyllead compounds by flame atomic absorption spectrometry following continuous selective preconcentration from aqueous solutions

A new method for the speciation of inorganic lead and trialkyllead compounds involving the selective separation of the analytes in a continuous system and their subsequent introduction into a flame atomic absorption spectrometer was developed. The proposed flow system consists of two units. In the first unit, total inorganic lead at concentrations from 8 to 200 ng ml⁻¹ is continuously precipitated as lead chromate and the filtrate, containing trialkyllead cations, is collected in a vessel, the precipitate then being dissolved in diluted acid and driven to the instrument. In the second unit, trimethyllead (TML⁺) and triethyllead (TEL⁺) cations at ng ml⁻¹ levels are complexed with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate and retained on a C₆₀ pre-conditioned fullerene column; the mixture of both species was resolved by conditioning the sorbent column with n-hexane or isobutyl methyl ketone solvents. Detection limits of 1–2 ng ml⁻¹ can be achieved by using a sample volume of 50 ml. Special attention was given to the reliability and robustness of the global flow injection method in assessing its applicability to both types of organolead compounds and inorganic lead present in different proportions. Trimethyllead provides the poorest results as consequence of its low adsorption constant on C₆₀; however, the three different types of species (Pb²⁺/TML⁺/TEL⁺) can be effectively determined in proportions from 1:1:1 to 30:12:1 with relative errors less than 10%.     

Indirect determination of vanadium by atomic absorption spectrometry

An indirect method for the determination of vanadium as vanadate by atomic absorption spectrometry is described. In neutral medium, vanadate forms a stable ion-association complex with copper (II) and biguanide, which is extractable into butanol with an efficiency higher than 99%. The copper content in the extract (and hence indirectly VO^?₃) is determined by aspirating it directly into an acetylene flame. The calibration graph is linear up to 3.4 μg ml^?1 of VO^?₃. The limit of detection is 16 ng ml^?1. Only chromium interferes.     

Determination of Trace Levels of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters in Aviation Fuel by GC × GC–FID and Comparison with the Reference GC–MS Method

Due to the negative impact of the presence of fatty acid methyl esters in kerosene for the aviation industry, in this work a comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography method with flame ionization detector for the determination of trace levels of fatty acid methyl esters in kerosene was developed. It is based on the use of a first dimension polar column and a second dimension non-polar column. Identification of fatty acid methyl esters is based on retention times and the external standard calibration is used for quantitation. Results were compared with those obtained from the GC–MS reference method; good recoveries, close to 100 %, and limit of detection in a range from 3 to 6 μg kg⁻¹ were found without requiring a specific detector.

     

Determination of aniline in vegetable oils by diazotization and coupling in a microemulsion medium

A microemulsion containing sodium dodecyl sulphate and n-pentanol in a mass ratio of 1 : 4, water and a vegetable oil was investigated using pseudo-tenary phase diagrams. The medium can co-solve important amounts of vegetable oils and aqueous solutions over a wide range of ionic strengths. A procedure for the determination of 1.4–140 μg ml^?1 of aniline in vegetable oils using ionic diazotization and coupling reactions was developed. The absorbance was measured in an optically clear microemulsion containing 4% or 20% of oil. The procedure is much simpler and rapid than the official chromatographic methods and gives almost the same limits of detection (ca. 05 μg ml^?1) using no more than 1 ml of sample. The repeatability for 30 μg ml^?1 aniline was 2%. Acid-base titrations in the microemulsion medium permitted the evaluation of the protonation constant of the dye.