Automated on-fiber derivatization with headspace SPME-GC-MS-MS for the determination of primary amines in sewage sludge using pressurized hot water extraction

An automated, environmentally friendly, simple, selective, and sensitive method was developed for the determination of ten primary aliphatic amines in sewage sludge at μg/kg dry weight (d.w.). The procedure involves a pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) of the analytes from the solid matrix, followed by a fully automated on‐fiber derivatization with 2,3,4,5‐pentafluorobenzaldehyde (PFBAY) and headspace solid‐phase microextraction (HS‐SPME) and subsequent gas chromatography ion‐trap tandem mass spectrometry (GC‐IT‐MS‐MS) analysis. The limits of detection (LODs) of the method were between 0.5 and 45 μg/kg (d.w.) for all compounds except for ethyl‐, isopropyl‐, and amylamine, whose LODs were 70, 109, and 116 μg/kg (d.w.), respectively. The limits of quantification (LOQs) were between 10 and 350 μg/kg (d.w.). Repeatability and intermediate precision, expressed as RSD(%) (n=3), were lower than 18 and 21%, respectively. The method developed enabled to determine primary aliphatic amines in sludge from various urban and industrial sewage treatment plants as well as from a potable treatment plant. Most of the primary aliphatic amines were found in the sewage sludge samples analyzed corresponding to the maximum concentrations to the samples from the urban plant: for instance, isobutylamine and methylamine were found at 7728 and 12 536 μg/kg (d.w.), respectively. Amylamine was detected only in few samples but always at concentrations lower than its LOQ.     

Ultrasound-assisted leaching-dispersive solid-phase extraction followed by liquid-liquid microextraction for the determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in sediment samples by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Ultrasound-assisted leaching-dispersive solid-phase extraction followed by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (USAL-DSPE-DLLME) technique has been developed as a new analytical approach for extracting, cleaning up and preconcentrating polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) from sediment samples prior gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) analysis. In the first place, PBDEs were leached from sediment samples by using acetone. This extract was cleaned-up by DSPE using activated silica gel as sorbent material. After clean-up, PBDEs were preconcentrated by using DLLME technique. Thus, 1 mL acetone extract (disperser solvent) and 60 μL carbon tetrachloride (extraction solvent) were added to 5 mL ultrapure water and a DLLME technique was applied. Several variables that govern the proposed technique were studied and optimized. Under optimum conditions, the method detection limits (MDLs) of PBDEs calculated as three times the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) were within the range 0.02-0.06 ng g⁻¹. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) for five replicates were <9.8%. The calibration graphs were linear within the concentration range of 0.07-1000 ng g⁻¹ for BDE-47, 0.09-1000 ng g⁻¹ for BDE-100, 0.10-1000 ng g⁻¹ for BDE-99 and 0.19-1000 ng g⁻¹ for BDE-153 and the coefficients of estimation were ≥0.9991. Validation of the methodology was carried out by standard addition method at two concentration levels (0.25 and 1 ng g⁻¹) and by comparing with a reference Soxhlet technique. Recovery values were ≥80%, which showed a satisfactory robustness of the analytical methodology for determination of low PBDEs concentration in sediment samples.     

Fast determination of paeonol in plasma by headspace solid-phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Paeonol is the active component in the traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), such as Cynanchum paniculatum, which has been used to treat many diseases, such as eczema. In this work, a simple, rapid and sensitive method was developed for the determination of paeonol in rabbit plasma, which was based on headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The extraction parameters of fiber coating, sample temperature, extraction time, stirring rate and ion strength were systemically optimized; the method linearity, detection limit and precision were also investigated. It was shown that the proposed method provided a good linearity (0.02-20 μg mL⁻¹, R² > 0.990), low detection limit (2.0 ng mL⁻¹) and good precision (R.S.D. value less than 8%). Finally, GC/MS following HS-SPME was applied to fast determination of paeonol in rabbit plasma at different time point after oral demonstration of Cynanchum paniculatum essential oil. The experimental results suggest that the proposed method provided an alternative and novel approach to the pharmacokinetics study of paeonol in the TCMs.     

固相微萃取-气相色谱-质谱联用分析环境水样中痕量有机磷农药

研究了固相微萃取(SPME) 气相色谱 质谱联用(GC MS)同时测定环境水样中二嗪农、甲基对硫磷、对硫磷和水胺硫磷4种有机磷农药(OPPs)的分析方法。选择聚丙烯酸酯(PA)萃取纤维,对SPME的条件如萃取时间、萃取溶液的pH值和离子强度、解吸温度、解吸时间和GC MS的条件进行了优化。对二嗪农和水胺硫磷方法线性范围为0.001～10μg L,对甲基对硫磷和对硫磷方法线性范围为0.001～100μg L。二嗪农、甲基对硫磷、对硫磷、水胺硫磷的检出限分别为0.015,0.020,0.013和0.039μg L。分析加标自来水、矿泉水和湖水样品,回收率在89.0%～102%之间,RSD在2.1%～14.1%之间。适合于环境水样中痕量OPPs的快速分析。     

Application of solid-phase microextraction for the determination of organophosphorus pesticides in textiles by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry

A method based on solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for the determination of 18 organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) in textiles is described. Commercially available SPME fibers, 100 μm PDMS and 85 μm PA, were compared and 85 μm PA exhibited better performance to the OPPs. Various parameters affecting SPME, including extraction and desorption time, extraction temperature, salinity and pH, were studied. The optimized conditions were: 35 min extraction at 25 °C, 5% NaSO₄ content, pH 7.0, and 3.5 min desorption in GC injector port at 250 °C. The linear ranges of the SPME-GC/MS method were 0.1-500 μg L⁻¹ for most of the OPPs. The limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 0.01 μg L⁻¹ (for bromophos-ethyl) to 55 μg L⁻¹ (for azinphos-methyl) and the RSDs were between 0.66% and 9.22%. The optimized method was then used to analyze 18 OPPs in textile sample, and the determined recoveries were ranged from 76.7% to 126.8%. Moreover, the distribution coefficients of the OPPs between 85 μm PA fiber and simulative sweat solution (K_pa/s) were determined. The determined K_pa/s of the OPPs correlated well with their octanol-water partition coefficients (r = 0.764 and 0.678) and water solubility (r = −0.892 and −0.863).     

Development of pressurized hot water extraction followed by headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for determination of ligustilides in Ligusticum chuanxiong and Angelica sinensis

In this work, a simple, rapid, solvent-free, and low-cost method was developed for the determination of ligustilides in traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), which was based on pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) followed by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The two bioactive compounds Z-ligustilide and E-ligustilide in two common TCMs, viz. Ligusticum chuanxiong and Angelica sinensis, were extracted by water at 150 degrees C and 40 bar, followed by concentration with HS-SPME and detection by GC-MS. PHWE and HS-SPME parameters were investigated and method validation (precision and recovery) was studied. It has been shown that the proposed method provides a powerful approach for quantitative analysis of ligustilides in TCMs. The method was applied to determination of ligustildes in the TCMs from different growing areas. The results indicate that PHWE-HS-SPME-GC-MS is a potential tool for TCM quality assessment.     

Hollow fiber liquid phase microextraction as a preconcentration and clean-up step after pressurized hot water extraction for the determination of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in sewage sludge

A method for the quantitative determination of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in sewage sludge was developed and validated. The target compounds were extracted using pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) and then purified and preconcentrated by three-phase hollow fiber liquid phase microextraction (HF-LPME) followed by LC–ESI-MS analysis. The PHWE was optimized with regard to the pH of solvent as well as other operational parameters. The optimum conditions were 0.01 M NaOH as the extraction solvent, temperature of 120 °C, pressure of 100 bar, static time 5 min, 5 cycles, flush volume 90% and purge time 60 s. Spike recoveries for sludge samples spiked at 200 ng g⁻¹ were in the range of 101–109% but for the native drugs in non-spiked sludge samples, recoveries were 38.9%, 59.8%, 90.3% and 47.8% for ketoprofen, naproxen, diclofenac and ibuprofen, respectively. Donor phase pH, ionic strength and extraction time were optimized for HF-LPME after PHWE. The optimum conditions were 2 h extraction at pH 1.5 without salt addition. Enrichment factors in the range of 947–1213 times were achieved (extraction recoveries were 23.6–30.3%) for HF-LPME after PHWE. The matrix effect on the ionization of drugs in LC–ESI-MS was also investigated. The results show that there is a smaller matrix effect (−8.9% to +14.6%) in comparison with other published values obtained using solid phase extraction (SPE) for clean-up after pressurized liquid extraction (PLE). Method detection limits (MDLs) and method quantification limits (MQLs) for different drugs were in the range of 0.4–3.7 ng g⁻¹ and 1.5–12.2 ng g⁻¹ in dried sludge samples, respectively. The characteristics of the proposed method were compared with those of other published works. The considerably lower ion suppression/enhancement and minimum use of organic solvents (a few microliters of di-n-hexyl ether) in the sample preparation step are two highlighted advantages of the proposed method in comparison with previously published works. The method was applied to determine NSAIDs in sewage sludge from Källby wastewater treatment plant (Lund, Sweden) in April, June, August and October 2010. The highest concentration level was recorded for ibuprofen in the April sewage sludge sample (588 ng g⁻¹) and all of the selected NSAIDs were detected in all the samples analyzed.     

Solid-phase extraction versus solid-phase microextraction for the determination of chlorinated paraffins in water using gas chromatography-negative chemical ionisation mass spectrometry

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) and solid-phase microextraction (SPME) were evaluated for the analysis of short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) in water samples using gas chromatography coupled to negative chemical ionisation mass spectrometry (GC-NCI-MS). For SPE optimisation, four commercially available SPE cartridges were tested and several SPE parameters, such as the elution solvent, elution volume and breakthrough volume were studied. The best results were obtained with Varian Bond Elut-C18. In order to achieve a high selectivity in the determination of SCCPs, GC-NCI-MS was used. Quality parameters of the optimised SPE and SPME procedures were determined, and the best results were obtained for the SPE/GC-NCI-MS method with LODs of 5 and 20 ng l(-1) for tap and river water, respectively. This method was successfully applied to the analysis of SCCPs in river water samples at concentrations below the microg l(-1) level.     

Analysis of chloroacetanilide herbicides in water samples by solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A solid-phase microextraction (SPME) method has been developed for the determination of 3 chloroacetanilide herbicides in both fresh and seawater samples. The extracted sample was analyzed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry detection (GC-MS), and parameters affecting SPME operation including fibre type, sample pH, sample temperature, mixing speed and extraction time have been evaluated and optimized. The amount of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and the salt content both affected SPME extraction efficiency, but the presence of other competitive extractants such as organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the matrix showed no insignificance interference. The limit of detection (LOD) for acetochlor, metolachlor and butachlor were 1.2, 1.6 and 2.7 ng L⁻¹, respectively. The recoveries for the herbicides ranged from 79 to 102%, and the linear dynamic range was from 10 to 1000 ng L⁻¹. The developed method has been used to monitor herbicides contaminations in coastal water samples collected around Laizhou bay and Jiaozhou bay in Shandong peninsula, China. The concentrations of acetochlor and metolachlor ranged from undetectable to 78.5 ng L⁻¹ and undetectable to 35.6 ng L⁻¹, respectively. Butachlor was not observed but in only one sample and the concentration is lower than the limit of quantification (LOQ). The concentrations of the three herbicides in this study are low compared to most of the other places reported.     

Direct acetylation followed by solid-phase disk extraction and GC-ITDMS for the determination of trace phenols in water

Summary A rapid, accurate and sensitive method is described for the analysis of phenolic compounds, including phenol, alkylphenols, halogenated phenols and nitrophenols in tap, ground and river water samples. The method consists in direct acetylation of the aqueous phenols with acetic anhydride, extraction of the phenol acetates with a C₁₈ disk and analysis by gas chromatography with an ion-trap detector mass spectrometer. Using this method, the sample preparation time was approximately 1.5 h for six 1-L water samples, and recoveries for most of the phenolic compounds studied were more than 80% at concentration levels of 0.1 and 1.0g L^–1. The detection limits were in the range 2 to 15 ng L^–1 for phenol, alkylphenols and halogenated phenols, and 25 to 50 ng L^–1 for nitrophenols.     

Determination of synthetic polycyclic musks in water by microwave-assisted headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

This paper describes a rapid and solvent-free method, microwave-assisted headspace solid-phase microextraction (MA-HS-SPME), for the extraction of six commonly used synthetic polycyclic musks: galaxolide (HHCB), tonalide (AHTN), celestolide (ADBI), traseolide (ATII), cashmeran (DPMI) and phantolide (AHMI) from water samples prior to their determination using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The effects of various extraction parameters for the quantitative extraction of these analytes by MA-HS-SPME were systematically investigated and optimized. The analytes in a 20-mL water sample (in a 40-mL sample-vial containing 4 g of NaCl) were efficiently extracted by a polydimethylsiloxane-divinylbenzene (PDMS-DVB) fiber placed in the headspace when the system was microwave irradiated at 180 W for less than 4 min. The limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 0.05 to 0.1 ng/L, and the limits of quantification (LOQs) were less than 0.2 ng/L. A preliminary analysis of wastewater samples revealed that HHCB and AHTN were the two most commonly detected synthetic polycyclic musks; using a standard addition method, their concentration were determined to range from 1.2 to 37.3 ng/L with relative standard deviation (RSD) ranging from 2 to 6%. The results obtained using this approach are better than those from the conventional oil-bath HS-SPME.     

Determination of 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol and 3-chloro-1,2-propandiol in soy sauce by headspace derivatization solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

This study proposes a method for identifying 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol and 3-chloro-1,2-propandiol in aqueous matrices by using headspace on-fiber derivatization following solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The optimized SPME experimental procedures for extracting 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol and 3-chloro-1,2-propandiol in aqueous solutions involved a 85 μm polyacrylate-coated fiber at pH 6, a sodium chloride concentration of 0.36 g mL⁻¹, extraction at 50 °C for 15 min and desorption of analytes at 260 °C for 3 min. Headspace derivatization was conducted in a laboratory-made design with N-methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl)-trifluoroacetamide vapor following solid-phase microextraction by using 3 μL N-methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl)-trifluoroacetamide at an oil bath temperature of 230 °C for 40 s. This method had good repeatability (R.S.D.s ≤ 19%, n = 8) and good linearity (r² ≥ 0.9972) for ultrapure water and soy sauce samples that were spiked with two analytes. Detection limits were obtained at the ng mL⁻¹. The result demonstrated that headspace on-fiber derivatization following solid-phase microextraction was a simple, fast and accurate technique for identifying trace 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol and 3-chloro-1,2-propandiol in soy sauce.     

Optimization of simultaneous derivatization and extraction of aliphatic amines in water samples with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction followed by HPLC

Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic droplet (DLLME-SFO) with simultaneous derivatization followed by high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) was applied for preconcentration and determination of primary and secondary aliphatic amines in environmental water samples. A ternary mixture consisting of a disperser, an extractant and a derivatization reagent was used for the simultaneous derivatization and extraction of aliphatic amines in different water samples. The effects of various experimental parameters on derivatization and extraction efficiency were studied simultaneously using experimental design. A Plackett-Burman design was performed for screening of variables in order to determine the significant variables affecting the extraction efficiency. Then, the significant factors were optimized by using a Box-Behnken design (BBD) and the response surface equations were derived. Under optimal conditions, the preconcentration factors were between 210 and 290. The limit of detections (LODs) ranged from 0.005 to 0.02 μg/L and dynamic linear ranges (DLRs) of 0.05-500 and 0.1-500 μg/L were obtained for most of analytes. The performance of the method was evaluated for extraction and determination of primary and secondary aliphatic amines in environmental water samples in micrograms per liter and satisfactory results were obtained (RSDs <12.5%).     

Innovative combination of QuEChERS extraction with on-line solid-phase extract purification and pre-concentration,followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and their metabolites in sewage sludge

For the first time QuEChERS extraction of sewage sludge was combined with the automatic solid-phase pre-concentration and purification of the extract (following indicated as SPE) and LC-MS/MS analysis, for the determination of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), diclofenac (DIC), fenbufen (FEN), flurbiprofen (FLU), ketoprofen (KET), ibuprofen (IBU) and naproxen (NAP), and their metabolites salicylic acid (SAL), 4′-hydroxydiclofenac (4′-HYDIC), 1-hydroxyibuprofen (1-HYIBU), 2-hydroxyibuprofen (2-HYIBU), 3-hydroxyibuprofen (3-HYIBU) and o-desmethylnaproxen (O-DMNAP). Various commercial pellicular stationary phases (i.e. silica gel functionalized with octadecyl, biphenyl, phenylhexyl and pentafluorophenyl groups) were preliminarily investigated for the resolution of target analytes and different sorbent phases (i.e. octyl or octadecyl functionalized silica gel and a polymeric phase functionalized with N-benzylpyrrolidone groups) were tested for the SPE phase. The optimized method involves the QuEChERS extraction of 1 g of freeze-dried sludge with 15 mL of water/acetonitrile 1/2 (v/v), the SPE of the extract with the N-benzylpyrrolidone polymeric phase and the water/acetonitrile gradient elution on the pentafluorophenyl stationary phase at room temperature. Matrix effect was always suppressive and in most cases low, being it ≤20% for ASA, DIC, FLU, KET, IBU, 1-HYIBU, 2-HYIBU, 3-HYIBU, NAP and O-DMNAP, and included in the range of 35–47% for the other analytes. Recoveries were evaluated at three spiking levels, evidencing almost quantitative values for HYIBUs and O-DMNAP; for ASA, SAL and KET the recoveries were included in between 50 and 76%, whereas for the other compounds they ranged from 36% to 55%. The proposed method showed better analytical performances than those so far published, being suitable for target compound determination in real samples from tens of pg g⁻¹ to ng g⁻¹ of freeze-dried sludge, with a total analysis time of 30 min per sample.     

Comparison of several solid-phase extraction sorbents for continuous determination of amines in water by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A semiautomatic method has been proposed for the determination of different types of amines in water samples including anilines, chloroanilines, N-nitrosamines and aliphatic amines. The analytes were retained on a solid-phase extraction sorbent column and after elution, 1 μL of the extract was analysed by gas chromatography coupled with electron impact ionization mass spectrometry. A systematic overview is given of the advantages and disadvantages of several sorbents (LiChrolut EN, Oasis HLB, RP-C₁₈, graphitized carbon black, fullerenes and nanotubes) in the retention of amine compounds and based on sensitivity, selectivity and reliability. The retention efficiency for the studied amines was higher (ca. 100%) with LiChrolut EN and Oasis HLB than it was with RP-C₁₈ and fullerenes (53 and 62%, respectively, on average). Detection limits of 0.5-16 ng L⁻¹ for the 27 amines studied were obtained when using a sorbent column containing 75 mg of LiChrolut EN for 100 mL of sample, the RSD being lower than 6.5%. The method was applied with good accuracy and precision in the determination of amines in various types of water including river, pond, tap, well, drinking, swimming pool and waste.     

Determination of pesticides and some metabolites in different kinds of milk by solid-phase microextraction and low-pressure gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A new analytical method is proposed to determine more than 40 multiclass pesticides in different kinds of processed (whole, skimmed and powdered) and unprocessed (goat and human) milk samples using solid-phase microextraction (SPME). A comparative study between headspace (HS) and direct immersion (DI) was carried out. The effect of milk dilution and the use of acid to reduce the influence of the matrix in DI-SPME mode were also evaluated. DI of the SPME fiber into previously diluted and acidified milk samples achieved the best sensitivity results. Pesticides were determined using low-pressure gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LP-GC-MS/MS). Both of the selected techniques have been shown to be effective at reduce fat interference and can determine analytes present at very low concentrations (limits of quantification between 0.02 and 1.00 g L^–1). Performance characteristics such as linearity, recovery, precision, and lower limits, together with an estimation of the measurement uncertainty using validation data, are presented for each pesticide. All of the pesticides presented recovery rates of between 81 and 110% and precision values lower than 12% (expressed as the relative standard deviation). The overall uncertainty of the method was estimated at three different concentrations (10, 25 and 50 g L^–1) and was lower than 25.5% in all cases. The proposed analytical methodology was applied to the analysis of target pesticides in 35 samples: 15 commercial, 3 human and 17 goat milk samples. The metabolite p,p-DDE was the compound most frequently found in both the breast and goat milk samples, at concentration levels <20 g L^–1. However, pesticide residues were not found in any of the other 15 commercial milk samples (skimmed, powdered and whole milk) analyzed.     

Sensitive determination of salicylate and benzophenone type UV filters in water samples using solid-phase microextraction, derivatization and gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

A sensitive procedure for the determination of three UV filters: ethylhexyl salicylate (EHS), 3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexyl salicylate (Homosalate, HMS), 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone (BP-3) and two related hydroxylated benzophenones (2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone, BP-1 and 2,2′-dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone, BP-8) in water samples is presented. Analytes were first concentrated on the coating of a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fibre, on-fibre silylated and then determined using gas chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). Factors affecting the performance of extraction and derivatization steps are thoroughly evaluated and their effects on the yield of the sample preparation discussed. Under final working conditions, a PDMS-DVB coated SPME fibre was exposed directly to 10 mL of water, adjusted at pH 3, for 30 min. After that, the fibre was placed in the headspace (HS) of a 1.5 mL vial containing 20 μL of N-methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl)-trifluoroacetamide (MSTFA). On-fibre silylation of hydroxyl groups contained in the structure of target compounds was performed at 45 °C for 10 min. The whole sample preparation process was completed in 40 min, providing limits of quantification from 0.5 to 10 ng L⁻¹ and acceptable precision (RSDs under 13%) for samples spiked at different concentrations. All compounds could be accurately determined in river and treated wastewater (relative recoveries from 89 to 115%) using standards in ultrapure water, whereas standard addition is recommended to quantify their levels in untreated wastewater. Analysis of wastewater revealed the systematic presence of BP-3 and BP-1 in raw samples with maximum concentrations close to 500 and 250 ng L⁻¹, respectively.     

Rapid determination of essential oil compounds in Artemisia Selengensis Turcz by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with microwave distillation and simultaneous solid-phase microextraction

In the work, for the first time, two solvent-free sample preparation techniques of microwave distillation (MD) and solid-phase microextraction (SPME) were combined, and developed for determination of essential oil compounds in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Using the proposed method, isolation, extraction and concentration of TCM essential oil compounds can be carried out in a single step. To demonstrate its feasibility, MD-SPME was compared with a conventional technique, steam distillation (SD), for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of essential oil compounds in a TCM, Artemisia Selengensis Turcz. Forty-nine compounds in the TCM were separated and identified by the present method, while only 26 compounds were detected by SD method. Relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) values less than 9% show that the present method has good precision. The SD method required long time (6 h) to isolate of the essential oil, and large amount of organic solvent for further extraction, while MD-SPME needed little time (only 3 min) to prepare sample, and no organic solvent. These results show that MD-SPME-GC-MS is a simple, rapid and solvent-free method for determination of TCM essential oil.     

A method by homemade OH/TSO-PMHS fibre solid-phase microextraction coupling with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for analysis of antiestrogens in biological matrices

A kind of homemade solid-phase microextraction fibre coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was developed for trace analysis of antiestrogens (tamoxifen, cis- and trans-clomiphene) in biological matrices. In this method, derivatization was unnecessary and sample solution could be injected directly after very simple deproteinization operation. The conditions of influencing adsorption of the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fibre and desorption of the analytes were investigated in details. Matrix effects were studied in different background. Under optimum conditions, the proposed method was further validated by spiking analytes into rabbit liver solutions. Linear ranges of tamoxifen, cis- and trans-clomiphene were 0.02-2.56, 0.08-2.56 and 0.16-2.56 ng mL⁻¹, respectively. The limits of quantitation were in the range of 0.02-0.16 ng mL⁻¹. The intra-day accuracy was ranged 96.2-106.2% and precision were in the range of 5.1-8.7%. The extraction recoveries of the antiestrogens in rabbit liver solution were between 73.8% and 113.1%, and R.S.D.s were from 3.6% to 14.1%. The results show that the homemade sol-gel coating is suitable for determination of trace antiestrogens in complex matrices. The proposed approach was proved to be rapid, simple, easy, sensitive and reproducible for trace analysis of antiestrogens in biological matrices.