Determination of Veterinary Pharmaceuticals in Production Wastewater by HPTLC-Videodensitometry

An SPE-HPTLC method for simultaneous identification and quantification of seven pharmaceuticals in production wastewater was optimized and validated. The studied compounds were enrofloxacine, oxytetracycline, trimethoprim, sulfamethazine, sulfadiazine, sulfaguanidine and penicillin G/procaine. The method involves solid-phase extraction on hydrophilic-lipophilic balance cartridges with methanol and HPTLC analysis of extracts on CN modified chromatographic plates followed by videodensitometry at 254 and 366 nm. Optimization of chromatographic separation was performed by systematic variation of the mobile phase composition using genetic algorithm approach and the optimum mobile phase composition for TLC separation was 0.05 M H₂C₂O₄:methanol = 0.81:0.19 (v/v). Linearity of the method was demonstrated in the ranges from 1.5 to 15.0 μg L⁻¹ for enrofloxacine, 100–500 μg L⁻¹ for oxytetracycline, 150–600 μg L⁻¹ for trimethoprim, 300–1100 μg L⁻¹ for sulfaguanidine and 100–400 μg L⁻¹ for sulfamethazine, sulfadiazine and penicillin G/procaine with coefficients of determination higher than 0.991. Mean recoveries ranged from 74.6 to 117.1% and 55.1 to 108.0% for wellspring water and production wastewater, respectively. Only sulfaguanidine showed lower results. The described method has been applied to the determination of pharmaceuticals in wastewater samples from pharmaceutical industry.     

Determination of trace rare earth elements in natural water by electrothermal vaporization ICP-MS with pivaloyltrifluoroacetone as chemical modifier

A novel method based on gaseous compounds introduction into the plasma as their pivaloyltrifluoroacetone (PTA) chelates was developed for electrothermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry determination of trace rare earth elements (REEs) in natural water. The factors affecting formation of the chelates and their vaporization behaviors were studied in detail. Under the optimized conditions, the limits of detection (3σ) of REEs for this method were from 0.20 to 0.91 ng L⁻¹, the relative standard deviations for 0.1 μg L⁻¹ REEs were 2.5–9.1% (n = 9), and the linear ranges of calibration curve for REEs covered at least three orders of magnitude. The proposed method had been applied to the determination of trace REEs in water samples of Yangtze river, Han Shui river and East lake (Wuhan), and the recoveries for the spiked water samples were 93–105%.     

Thermal Study of [Pd(2-Phpy)Cl(L)] Complexes (L=pyridines and amines)

The complex [Pd(2-Phpy)(μ-Cl)]₂ reacts with pyridines (L=pyridine, α-picoline and γ-picoline), amines (L=isopropylamine, tert-butylamine) and ammonia to form the corresponding ortho-palladatedderivatives [Pd(2-Phpy)ClL]. The compounds have been characterized by C, H and Nanalyses and spectroscopic methods (IR and ¹H and ¹³C NMR).TG, DTG and DSC studies of the complexes were carried out in dynamic nitrogen atmosphere. From DSC analyses the heats of decomposition were calculated. The kinetics ofthe first step of thermal decomposition were evaluated from TG data by isothermal methods for L=pyridine and isopropylamine. The activation energies obtained are in the range 90–100 kJ mol^-1. The best fitting for data was observed for R2 and A1.5 kinetic models. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Profile distribution of As(III) and As(V) species in soil and groundwater in Bozanta area

The profile distribution of arsenic(III) and arsenic(V) species in soil and groundwater was investigated in the samples collected in 2005 from a hand-drilled well, in the Bozanta area, Baia Mare region, Romania. The total content of arsenic in the soil was in the range of 525–672 mg kg⁻¹ exceeding 21–27 times the action trigger level for sensitive soil. 0.9–11.3 % of the total content was soluble in water, 83.0–92.6 % in 10 mol dm⁻³ HCl and 2.6–13.3 % was the residual fraction. Arsenic(V) was the dominant arsenic species in the soil in the range of 405–580 mg kg⁻¹. The distribution and mobility of arsenic species was governed by soil pH and contents of Al, Fe, and Mn. The mobility of arsenic(V) decreased with depth, while that of arsenic(III) was high at the surface and in the proximity of groundwater. The total concentration of arsenic in groundwater was (43.40 ± 1.70) μg dm⁻³, which exceeded the maximum contaminant level of 10 μg dm⁻³. Presented at the 33rd International Conference of the Slovak Society of Chemical Engineering, Tatranské Matliare, 22–26 May 2006.     

Thermal and Spectral Behaviour of 5-chloro-2-methoxybenzoates of Heavy Lanthanides and Yttrium

5-Chloro-2-methoxybenzoates of heavy lanthanides and yttrium were obtained as di- or tetrahydrates with a metal to ligand ratio of 1:3 and general formula: Ln(C₈H₆ClO₃)₃⋅nH₂O, where n=2 for Ln=Tb, Dy, Y and n=4 for Ln=Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, IR and FIR spectra, thermogravimetric studies, X-ray diffraction and magnetic measurements. The carboxylate group appears to be a symmetrical, bidentate, chelating ligand. All complexes are polycrystalline compounds. Their thermal stabilities were determined in air and in nitrogen atmospheres. When heated they dehydrate to form anhydrous salts which next in air are decomposed to the oxides of the respective metals while in nitrogen to the mixtures of carbon and oxides or carbon and oxychlorides of respective metals. The complexes are more stable in air than in nitrogen. The solubilities of yttrium and heavy lanthanide 5-chloro-2-methoxybenzoates in water at 293 K are of the order of 10^–3 mol dm^–3 The magnetic moments of the complexes were determined over the range 77–298 K. They obey the Curie–Weiss law. The values of μ_eff calculated for all compounds are close to those obtained for Ln³⁺ by Hund and Van Vleck. The results indicate that there is no influence of the ligand field of 4f electrons on lanthanide ions and the metal ligand bonding is mainly electrostatic in nature. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Isofraxidin in Rat Plasma

For the first time a high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method, with liquid-liquid extraction and ultraviolet (UV) absorbance detection, has been developed for quantification of isofraxidin in rat plasma. The analysis was performed on a Diamonsil C₁₈ column (200 mm × 4.6 mm i.d., 5 μm particle size) with acetonitrile–0.05% phosphoric acid, 26:74 (v/v), as isocratic mobile phase. The linear range was 0.05–8.0 μg mL⁻¹ and the lower limit of quantification was 0.05 μg mL⁻¹. The intra and inter-day relative standard deviation (RSD) for measurement of 0.25, 2.0, and 6.0 μg mL⁻¹ quality-control (QC) samples ranged from 5.7 to 6.4% and from 6.3 to 7.9%, respectively. Accuracy, as relative error (RE), was from ±5.8% to ±7.3%. The method was validated for specificity, accuracy, and precision and was successfully used in a pharmacokinetic study of isofraxidin in rat plasma after administration of Ciwujia extract.     

Thermoelectric power studies on MgO-stabilized β″-alumina

A study of the temperature dependence of thermopower is known to yield auxiliary information about the electronic conductivity of a mixed conductor. In light of the above, thermoelectric power (TEP) measurements were made on MgO-stabilized β″-alumina over the temperature range from 773 to 1223 K under conditions of different sodium activities in the ambient in order to substantiate the existing information on the electronic conductivity of sodium beta alumina (SBA). A mixture of Na _x Si _m O_{2 m + x /2} and SiO₂ in an environment of fixed served as electrodes reversible to Na⁺. The heat of transport obtained using the thermopower data at higher temperatures (973–1223 K) was in fair agreement with the activation energy of electrical conduction determined by other studies like impedance measurements and molecular dynamics simulation. It could be inferred from these results that there is negligible electronic conductivity in SBA under the conditions of measurement. The average TEP for SBA was determined to be 700–800 μV/K and the partial molar entropy of Na⁺ in SBA was found to be ~98 J mol^–1 K^–1. Electronic Publication     

Cloning, expression, and characterization of thermostable region of amylopullulanase gene from Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus 39E

The bifunctional activities of α-amylase and pullulanase are found in the cloned recombinant amylopullulanase. It was encoded in a 2.9-kb DNA fragment that was amplified using polymerase chain reaction from the chromosomal DNA of Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus 39E. An estimated 109-kDa recombinant protein was obtained from the cloned gene under the prokaryotic expression system. The optimum pH of the recombinant amylopullulanase was 6.0. The most stable pH for the α-amylase and pullulanase activity was 5.5 and 5.0, respectively. The optimum temperature for the α-amylase activity was 90°C, while its most stable temperature was 80°C. Regarding pullulanase activity, the optimum temperature and its most stable temperature were found to be 80 and 75°C, respectively. Pullulan was found to be the best substrate for the enzyme. The enzyme was activated and stabilized by the presence of Ca²⁺, whereas EDTA, N-bromosuccinimide, and α-cyclodextrin inhibited its bifunctional activities. A malto-2–4-oligosac-charide was the major product obtained from the enzymatic reaction on soluble starch, amylose, amylopectin, and glycogen. A single maltotriose product was found in the pullulan hydrolysis reaction using this recombinant amylopullulanase. Kinetic analysis of the enzyme indicated that the K _m values of α-amylase and pullulanase were 1.38 and 3.79 mg/mL, respectively, while the V _max values were 39 and 98 μmol/(min · mg of protein), respectively.     

A simple linear sweep voltammetric method for the determination of double-stranded DNA with malachite green

In pH 3.5 Britton—Robinson buffer solution double-stranded (ds) DNA can react with malachite green (MG) to form an interaction complex, which resulted in the decrease of the electrochemical response of MG, MG had a well-defined second-order derivative linear sweep voltammetric peak at −0.73 V (vs. SCE). After the addition of dsDNA into MG solution, the reductive peak current decreased with the positive shift of peak potential, which was the typical characteristic of intercalation. Based on the interaction, an indirect electrochemical determination method for dsDNA was established. The optimum conditions for the reaction were investigated and there were little or no interferences from the commonly coexisting substances. The decrease of peak current was linear with the concentration of dsDNA over the range of 0.8–12.0 μg cm⁻³ with the linear regression equation as ΔI _p″/nA = 91.70 C/(μg cm⁻³) + 74.55 (n = 10, γ = 0.990). The detection limit was calculated as 0.46 μg cm⁻³ (3σ). The method had high sensitivity and was further applied to the dsDNA synthetic samples with satisfactory result. The interaction mechanism was discussed with the intercalation of DNA-MG to form a supramolecular complex and the stoichiometry of the supramolecular complex was calculated by electrochemical method with the binding number 3 and the binding constant 2.35 × 10¹⁵ (mol dm⁻³)⁻³.     

Multi-syringe flow injection system for the determination of the scavenging capacity of the diphenylpicrylhydrazyl radical in methanol and ethanolic media

A multi-syringe flow injection system for the determination of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH^•) scavenging capacity using methanol or ethanolic solutions as reaction media is presented. A stopped flow approach was implemented in order to monitor the DPPH^• consumption using spectrophotometry at 517 nm. The kinetic profile for the first 3 min of reaction was determined for several antioxidant compounds and the number of DPPH^• molecules reduced by one molecule of antioxidant was calculated whenever the absorbance value was stable within the period of measurement. For ascorbic acid, trolox, isoeugenol and quercetin in methanol, the values obtained were similar to those reported in the literature. It was possible to perform 14 determinations per hour, consuming 0.34 μmol of DPPH^• per determination, which accounts for the application of this system as a screening tool for fast scavenger compounds.     

Simple High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic Assay, with Post-Column Derivatization, for Simultaneous Determination of Mycophenolic Acid and its Glucuronide Metabolite in Human Plasma and Urine

Two simple high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) methods have been established for simultaneous determination of mycophenolic acid (MPA) and its glucuronide metabolite (MPAG) in human urine, and of their total and unbound forms in human plasma. For total MPA and MPAG analysis sample preparation entailed precipitation of protein with acetonitrile and isolation of the free analytes from the plasma by ultrafiltration. For urine samples, fivefold dilution with water was used. MPAG was determined by UV detection whereas MPA was quantified by fluorescence detection after post-column derivatization with 0.2 M sodium hydroxide solution. For plasma, response was found to be linearly dependent on concentration over the ranges 0.1–40 μg mL^-1 and 0.01–1 μg mL^-1 for total and free MPA, respectively, and 10–200 μg mL^-1 and 2.5–100 μg mL^-1 for total and free MPAG, respectively. For urine, linearity was observed from 0.1 to 50 μg mL^-1 for MPA and 10 to 500 μg mL^-1 MPAG in the urine before dilution. The methods reported were found to be accurate and reproducible for quantifying the level of MPA and MPAG and can thus be used for clinical pharmacokinetic studies and for therapeutic drug monitoring. Contributed equally to this work An erratum to this article is available at .     

Liquid Chromatographic Analysis of Arabinosylcytosin and 1-β-D-Arabinofuranosyluracil in Treatment with Cyclophosphamide and Pirarubicin

A reversed-phase liquid chromatographic (RPLC) method has been developed for determination of arabinosylcytosin (Ara-C) and its metabolite 1-β-D-arabinofuranosyluracil (Ara-U) on a 250 mm × 4.6 mm i.d., 5 μm particle, Diamonsil C₁₈ column. The mobile phase was a mixture of 5% methanol and 95% 10 mmol L⁻¹ phosphate buffer adjusted to pH 5.5. The flow-rate was 1.0 mL min⁻¹ and the injection volume 20 μL. Eluting compounds were detected at 270 nm by use of an ultraviolet detector. Under these LC conditions cyclophosphamide (CTX) and pirarubicin (THP), two other medicines given with Ara-C in clinical treatment, do not interfere with measurement of Ara-C and Ara-U. Individual calibration plots of peak area against concentration generated from analysis of standard solutions were used to calculate the concentrations of Ara-C and Ara-U in sample solutions. The calibration plot was linear in the range 2.5–100 μg mL⁻¹, the average recovery of Ara-C and Ara-U was more than 98% (RSD < 2.5%), and between-day and within-day precision, expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD), were below 4.0%. LOQ for both Ara-C and Ara-U was 2 μg mL⁻¹. The method is rapid, simple, accurate and reproducible, and especially useful for application to patient samples.     

Comparison of the cold vapor generation using NaBH4 and SnCl2 as reducing agents and atomic emission spectrometry for the determination of Hg with a microstrip microwave induced argon plasma exiting from the wafer

A 2.45 GHz low power microwave microstrip plasma (MSP) exiting the wafer and operated with Ar at atmospheric pressure was used for the optical emission spectrometric determination of Hg with the aid of a miniaturized optical fiber spectrometer with a CCD detector and the cold vapor (CV) generation technique using NaBH₄ and SnCl₂ as reductants. The experimental conditions were optimized with respect to the relative intensity of the Hg I 253.6 nm line and its signal-to-background intensity ratio (SBR). So as to understand the results of the optimization experiments, the excitation temperatures as measured from Ar I lines (T _exc) and the electron number densities (n _e) for the Ar MSP loaded with Hg vapors were determined and found to be in the range from 5500 to 6300 K and from 1.4 to 2.0 × 10¹⁴ cm⁻³, respectively. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limit for Hg of the CV-MSP-OES using SnCl₂ as the reducing agent was found to be much lower (0.11 ng mL⁻¹) than in the case where NaBH₄ was used (9 ng mL⁻¹). The linearity range was found to be up to 1 μg mL⁻¹ while the precision was of the order of 0.7–5%. The procedure with SnCl₂ as reductant was used for the determination of Hg at a concentration of 0.2 μg mL⁻¹ in synthetic water samples containing 1 to 4% (m/v) of NaCl with an accuracy of 3% as well as in a solution of the domestic sludge standard reference material (NIST SRM 2781) with a certified concentration for Hg of 3.64 ± 0.25 μg g⁻¹ for which 3.55 ± 0.41 μg g⁻¹ was found. Correspondence: J. A. C. Broekaert, Institut für Anorganische und Angewandte Chemie, Universit?t Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany     

A Rapid Tandem Mass Spectrometric Assay for Determination of Ursolic Acid – Application to Analysis of Ursolic Acid in Four Species of Staphylea L. and Leaves of Staphylea Pinnata L. Gathered During Ontogenesis

Plant extracts of Staphylea L. exhibit a number of biological activities which are presumably attributed to ursolic acid. A rapid and specific tandem mass spectrometric (MS-MS) assay for the quantification of ursolic acid in the leaves of four species of Staphylea L. (Bladdernut) and in the leaves of S. pinnata L. during ontogenesis, was developed and validated. The samples were analyzed by flow injection analysis without chromatographic separation using a transport liquid of methanol/water/formic acid (80:20:0.1 v/v/v) at a flow-rate of 0.2 mL min⁻¹. The run cycle time was ~2-3 min injection-to-injection. Quantification was achieved using multiple reaction monitoring at MRM transition m/z 439 > 203. Calibration curves were linear over the concentration range of 2–20 μg mL⁻¹ with a lower limit of quantification of 2 μg mL⁻¹ (1.8 ± 0.297, RSD: 0.165). Validation data showed that the RSD% values were in the range of 1.8 to 6.8%, whereas the % DEVs ranged from −18 to −2% indicating reasonable and acceptable precision and accuracy, respectively. A recovery percent of 106.8 ± 10.3 of ursolic acid from spiked extracts samples, indicated the specificity and reliability of tandem mass procedure for determination of ursolic acid in the plant extracts. The derived data of sample analysis showed different contents of ursolic acid among various Staphylea species. The highest content of ursolic acid was found in the leaves extract of S. pinnata L. Additionally, the highest amount of ursolic acid accumulated in the leaves of S. pinnata L. was in the August /September period of the year. Smaller amounts of ursolic acid were found in samples collected before and after that time. The results obtained serve as a justification of determining the most appropriate time for collecting plant material as a source of ursolic acid.     

Speciation Analysis of Inorganic Tin (Sn(II)/Sn(IV)) by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry Following Ion-Exchange Separation

A new method based on anion exchange resin separation and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) detection is proposed for the determination of inorganic tin species. The result showed that Sn(IV) was quantitatively retained on the resin when [HCl] = 9.0 mol · L⁻¹, but Sn(II) could not be adsorbed on the resin under the same condition. Thus, a separation of Sn(II) and Sn(IV) has been realized. When the concentration of NaOH solution was between 2.0–7.0 mol · L⁻¹, Sn(IV) that adsorbed on the resin could be eluated from the resin completely. Meanwhile, under the atmosphere and the nitrogen states, the translation between Sn(II) and Sn(IV) was investigated. Under the optimal conditions, the detection limit of Sn(IV) is 0.40 μg · L⁻¹ with RSD of 2.3% (n = 5, c = 2.0 μg · L⁻¹). The proposed method was applied to the speciation analysis of tin in different water samples and the recovery of total Sn was in the range of 98.7–101.7%. In order to verify the accuracy of the method, a certified reference water sample was analyzed and the results obtained were in good agreement with the certified value.     

Determination of Protocatechuic Aldehyde, Danshensu, Salvianolic Acid B and Gallic Acid in Chinese Medicine 'SHUANGDAN' Granule by MEKC

A simple, accurate and effective micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC) method for the separation and determination of protocatechuic aldehyde (PA), danshensu (DSS), salvianolic acid B (SAB) and gallic acid (GA) in Chinese medicine 'SHUANGDAN' granule was developed in this work. The separation was carried out in a 50.0 cm (42.0 cm to the detector) × 75 μm i.d. fused-silica capillary using the optimum buffer solution containing 5.0 mM borate, 15 mM phosphate, 35 mM SDS and 10% (v/v) acetonitrile. The linear relationships between the concentration of the analytes and the corresponding peak areas were investigated, and excellent linear behavior over the investigated concentration ranges was revealed (R²: 0.9985 for PA, 0.9994 for DSS, 0.9989 for SAB and 0.9991 for GA, respectively). The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of these four active components contained in 'SHUANGDAN' granule. The recoveries of these four components were 97.6–101.2%, 97.6–100.5%, 96.9–101.6% and 97.6–102.9%, respectively.     

HPLC determination of cefotaxime and cephalexine residues in milk and cephalexine in veterinary formulation

An HPLC method was developed and validated for the determination of the cephalosporins cefotaxime and cephalexine in skimmed bovine milk. The analytical column, Kromasil C₁₈ (250 mm × 4.0 mm, 5 μm) was operated at ambient temperature. Mobile phase consisted of CH₃OH-acetate buffer (pH = 4.0) and it was delivered isocratically at a flow rate of 1.0 mL · min⁻¹. Total analysis time was less than 5 min. Caffeine was used as internal standard (5 ng · μL⁻¹). UV detection was performed at 265 nm. Method validation was performed by means of intra-day (n = 5) and inter-day accuracy and precision (n = 8), sensitivity and linearity. Limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ) were 0.1 and 0.3 ng · μL⁻¹, respectively. The method was applied to the analysis of a veterinary drug (CEPOREX) containing cephalexine. The results were quite accurate with the relative error varying from −8.0 to −3.5%. Solid-phase extraction was applied to remove all matrix interference from milk samples. High extraction recoveries (average 84–121%) were achieved by using Abselut NEXUS cartridges with acetonitrile as eluent and a rinsing step with water and n-butanol. A pre-concentration step was necessary in a 1/10 level to reach the EU MRL concentration level (100 μg · kg⁻¹). RSD values were less than 7% for both cephalosporins. Correspondence: Ioannis N. Papadoyannis, Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessaloniki, Greece     

Magnetic, spectral, and thermal behaviour of 2-chloro-4-nitrobenzoates of Co(II), Ni(II), and Cu(II)

Some physicochemical properties of 2-chloro-4-nitrobenzoates of Co(II), Ni(II), and Cu(II) were studied. The complexes were obtained as mono-and dihydrates with a metal ion—ligand mole ratio of 1: 2. All complexes are polycrystalline compounds. Their colours depend on the kind of central ion: pink for Co(II) complex, green for Ni(II), and blue for Cu(II) complexes. Their thermal decomposition was studied only in the range of 293 K–523 K because it was found that on heating in air above 523 K 2-chloro-4-nitrobenzoates decompose explosively. Hydrated complexes lose crystallization water molecules in one step. During dehydration process no transformation of the nitro group to nitrito one took place. Their solubilities in water at 293 K are of the orders of 10⁻³-10⁻² mol dm⁻³. The magnetic moment values of 2-chloro-4-nitrobenzoates determined in the range of 76 K–303 K change from 3.48μ_B to 3.82μ_B for Co(II) complex, from 2.24μ_B to 2.83μ_B for Ni(II) 2-chloro-4-nitrobenzoate, and from 0.31μ_B to 1.41μ_B for Cu(II) complex. 2-Chloro-4-nitrobenzoates of Co(II) and Ni(II) follow the Curie—Weiss law, but the complex of Cu(II) forms dimer.     

Determination of rhodium in water samples using cloud point extraction (CPE) coupled with flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS)

Cloud point extraction was applied as a method for preconcentration of rhodium after formation of a complex with 2-propylpiperidine-1-carbodithioate (2-PPC), and later determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry using TritonX-114 as surfactant. Rhodium was complexed with 2-PPC in an aqueous phase and kept for 15 min in a thermostatted bath at 40 °C. Separation of the two phases was accomplished by centrifugation for 15 min at 4000 rpm. The chemical variables affecting the cloud point extraction were optimized and successfully applied to rhodium determination in various water samples. Under optimized conditions, the preconcentration system (100 mL sample) permitted an enhancement factor of 50. The detection limits obtained under optimal conditions was 0.052 ng mL⁻¹. The extraction efficiency was investigated at different rhodium concentrations (7.0–42.0 μg mL⁻¹), and good recoveries (96.42–99.14%) were obtained using this method. It has been applied to the determination of rhodium in water and was compared with reported methods in terms of Student’s ‘t’-test and variance ratio ‘f’-test.     

X-Ray Emission from Thin Films on a Substrate – Calculation and Experiments

 Monte Carlo simulation of electron transport in solids is widely used in electron microscopy, spectroscopy and microanalysis. The reliability of physical models incorporated in a Monte Carlo code is usually checked by comparing with experimental results. Elastic or inelastic collisions are usually considered as the basic interactions of electrons with atoms. In our Monte Carlo code the single scattering model is employed for simulation of X-ray emission from thin films of Au on the Si substrate. The electron beam energy was in the range 10–30 keV, the take-off-angle was 40°. The simulated values of X-ray production were calculated in our Monte Carlo code using several models of ionisation cross-sections. For the emitted intensities the depths of inelastic collision and X-ray absorption were taken into account, then the k-ratios were calculated. These data were compared with experimental values of k-ratios calculated from X-ray intensities of Au M and Au L characteristic lines. We followed mainly the dependence of the k-ratios of the film element on film thickness. The film thickness was in the range 0.05–1 μm. Reasonably good agreement was found for dependences of X-ray intensity on film thickness in the whole energy range and for both lines, especially for Powell’s model of the ionisation cross-section.