Optimal design of diffusive samplers

Some commercially available diffusive samplers use two layers of adsorbent placed in series. After sampling is completed, the time weighted average concentration of analyte is estimated from the weighted sum of the uptake of analyte on these two layers. It is known that such a division into layers can increase the permissible sampling time. Here the principles underlying this sampling procedure are analyzed through a fundamental application of the theory of diffusion. Using a trial and error procedure, the optimal division of adsorbent was calculated, and the increase in sampling time that such a division can give was confirmed theoretically. Also, should the uptake in the backup layer exceed a predetermined fraction of the total uptake, this will indicate misuse of the diffusive sampler.     

The determination of benzene in human blood as an indicator of environmental exposure to volatile aromatic compounds

Summary For the determination of ecologically caused benzene levels in human blood samples and for the evaluation of reference values for the general population a sensitive and reliable method was developed. The determination is performed by dynamic head space chromatography and FID-detection. The detection limit is 80 ng/l blood. The main problem is the avoidance of contamination during the preanalytical phase; precautions and recommendations are given. The mean benzene levels of nonsmokers are 176±62 ng/l, of smokers 211±85 ng/l; active smokers showed levels of 365±178 ng/l.     

Analytical methods for the quantification of volatile aromatic compounds

The investigation of odorants is not an easy task, which needs to be undertaken in the context of fit-for-purpose quality systems. To date, great attention has been paid to determination of the volatile fractions of odorants, since they are responsible for the attributes of global flavor [i.e. a combination of olfactory (aroma) and gustatory (taste) sensations produced by chemicals]. This kind of determination can be carried out by analytical techniques [e.g., gas chromatography (GC) combined with mass spectrometry and/or olfactometric GC]. Methods complementary to GC analysis are available, allowing assessment of the olfactory impact by an electronic nose (e-nose) or a panel of selected individuals. Also, we consider some innovative analytical techniques to study the effects of odorants in food during consumption.     

Optimization of analytical quality control for long-term monitoring of metals and volatile organic compounds in groundwater

Statistical analysis of historical results for matrix spikes (MS), matrix spike duplicates (MSD), and laboratory control samples (LCS) from aqueous samples analyzed for metals and volatile organic compounds was performed to determine whether the MS/MSD provided substantive information apart from that provided by the LCS. The statistical analysis showed that the mean recovery of all analytes from MS/MSD closely approximated the mean recovery of all analytes from the LCS. Average bias, skewness, and kurtosis were also assessed for both data sets. The evaluation provided strong evidence for the use of LCS recoveries as performance indicators of probable MS/MSD recoveries of metals and volatile organic compounds from groundwater.     

Air-monitoring of volatile aromatic compounds in the town of Viterbo

Results obtained by using Analyst, a long term diffusive sampler, for monitoring volatile aromatic compound in the town of Viterbo are presented. Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and also the three xylene isomers are evaluated during six months of measurements. The obtained values and also the ratios of some pollutants are reported and discussed.     

Rapid identification of volatile compounds in aromatic plants by automatic thermal desorption — GC-MS

Summary Thermal desorption is a valuable method for the fractionation of plant volatile components, which can be carried out on-line with GC analysis. The use of coupled GC-MS affords additional qualitative information, of special interest for plant species whose composition has not been previously studied. Some examples of the application of automatic thermal desorption, coupled to GC-MS to the identification and characterization of volatile components of plants of different families are given.     

Simple analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere using passive samplers.

A simple analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as benzene, toluene, m,p-xylene, and o-xylene, at low levels in the atmosphere was conducted using passive samplers. The methods were applied to analyzing the behavior and origin of VOCs in Kyoto City. The passive samplers were exposed for 7 - 14 days at sampling sites in Kyoto City and for 30 days in the mountains (Mt. Hiei and Mt. Daimonji). Shibata gas-tube samplers packed with activated carbon were used for the determination of VOCs. The absorbed VOCs were extracted into carbon disulfide (CS2) and measured by FID-GC. The determination limits and relative standard deviations for VOCs were 0.3 microg/m3 and 3%, respectively. The samplers were set up at 5 sites in March, 2001 and at 13 stations on Mt. Hiei in November, 2002. The average concentrations of ambient benzene, which were higher than the environmental criterion (3.0 microg/m3), except for those on Mt. Daimonji from March, 2001, to February, 2002, decreased to below 3.0 microg/m3 from March, 2002, to February, 2003. The decrease in ambient benzene may have been due to a decrease in the benzene content in gasoline by the end of 1999, and also by implementation of the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) Act in 2001.     

Some new approaches to modifying aromatic and heteroaromatic compounds by means of fluorine-containing substituents

Modification of physiologically active substances by means of fluorine atoms or fluoroalkyl groups is known in numerous cases to lead to compounds with a markedly higher activity. The optimum change in the properties is considered to be achieved by inserting 1-3 fluorine atoms into the molecule. Therefore modifications of compounds by such groups as CHF₂, CF₃, CH₂F are most frequently used in synthesis of fluorine-containing pharmaceutical and agricultural chemicals.

At the same time, the data obtained in recent years indicate the existence of some others regularities. Thus, in a number of cases highly active drugs have been revealed among highly fluorinated substances containing polar groups of atoms in the molecule. The physiological activity of fluorine-containing compounds seems to be determined not so much by the degree of fluorination as by the relationship between the hydrophobic and the hydrophilic properties. This conclusion is quite justified, since it is the compound's lipophilic-hydrophilic balance that determines its transport in biosystems and the possibility of the interaction with the lipoprotein sites of biomembranes. Moreover, compounds with a heightened fluorine con-     

Determination of volatile polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in air from particulate profiles by means of partial least-squares regression

The possibility of estimating the total (particulate and gaseous) concentrations of volatile polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's) in air on the basis of measured concentrations of PAH's in particles by means of partial least-squares regression (PLS), is discussed. The results show that the estimation can be good for samples exposed to the same source and collected under similar weather conditions.     

Oxidation reactions of some natural volatile aromatic compounds: anethole and eugenol

trans-Anethole [1-methoxy-4-(trans-prop-1-en-1-yl)benzene] was isolated from anise seed oil (Pimpinella anisum). Its photochemical oxidation with hydrogen peroxide gave the corresponding epoxy derivative together with 4-methoxybenzaldehyde. The thermal oxidation of trans-anethole with 3-chloroperoxybenzoic acid at room temperature resulted in the formation of dimeric epoxide, 2,5-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)-3,6-dimethyl-1,4-dioxane, as the only product. Photochemical oxygenation of trans-anethole in the presence of tetraphenylporphyrin, Rose Bengal, or chlorophyll as sensitizer led to a mixture of 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-yl hydroperoxide and 4-methoxybenzaldehyde. Eugenol was isolated from clove oil [Eugenia caryophyllus (Spreng.)]. It was converted into 2-methoxy-4-(prop-2-en-1-yl)phenyl hydroperoxide by oxidation with hydrogen peroxide under irradiation. Thermal oxidation of eugenol with 3-chloroperoxypenzoic acid at room temperature produced 2-methoxy-4-(oxiran-2-ylmethyl)phenol, while sensitized photochemical oxygenation (in the presence of Rose Bengal or chlorophyll) gave 4-hydroperoxy-2-methoxy-4-(prop-2-en-1-yl)cyclohexa-2,5-dien-1-one. Published in Russian in Zhurnal Organicheskoi Khimii, 2008, Vol. 44, No. 6, pp. 834–841. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Synthesis of aromatic organoindium compounds of the glass Ar3In by means of grignard reagents

Conclusions A method was developed for preparing organoindium compounds of the class Ar₃In by means of Grignard reagents.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 2410–2412, October, 1968.     

Convenient synthesis of 3,3,3-trifluoropropenyl compounds from aromatic aldehydes by means of the TBAF-mediated Horner reaction

A simple synthesis of 3,3,3-trifluoropropenyl compounds by means of the TBAF-mediated Horner reaction is described. The reagent, 2,2,2-trifluoroethyldiphenylphosphine oxide, was readily prepared either by Arbuzov reaction of ethyl diphenylphosphinite with 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl iodide or by treating chlorodiphenylphosphine with trifluoroacetic acid and water. Treatment of the phosphine oxide with aromatic aldehydes in the presence of TBAF at room temperature afforded the corresponding 3,3,3-trifluoropropenyl compounds in good yields. The present method is very convenient for preparing 3,3,3-trifluoropropenyl compounds from aromatic aldehydes in terms of availability of the reagent, operational simplicity, and good yields of the products.     

Atmospheric monitoring of volatile organic compounds using programmed temperature vaporization injection

A method has been developed for the automated determination of C₅ C₁₀ and C₂ C₆ volatile organic compounds in urban and rural air, using programmed temperature vaporization injection from a sorbent tube trap. A single activated charcoal sorbent tube was repeatedly used to collect samples of air with trapped VOCs being subsequently desorbed onto either a wide bore dimethyl polysiloxane (C₅ C₁₀) or porous layer open tubular (C₂ C₆) gas chromatography column without use of intermediate cryogenic refocussing. The high flow rates of helium used during the analysis resulted in the sample tube being cleaned and ready to reuse following the analytical separation. Examples of analysis of aromatic VOCs in urban air, and biogenic emissions in rural air, collected in a Sitka Spruce forest are presented. Using this method it is possible to quasi-continuously monitor concentrations of VOCs in locations where high sensitivity in situ analysis is required, but where cryogenic coolants may not be readily available or desirable.     

Computer monitoring of sugars,acids and volatile compounds in fermentations

Head-space gas chromatography coupled to computer-assisted mass spectrometry is used to follow the formation kinetics of ethanol in fermentations. High-performance liquid chromatography, coupled to a computerized integrator, is used to follow the kinetics of disappearance of sugars and the formation of acids during the fermentation process. Flow injection analysis is used to monitor feed streams of low sugar content during downstream processing and recovery of the lactic acid. The kinetics pattern of volatile and nonvolatile products can be used in order to control fermentation parameters.     

Validation and modelling of a novel diffusive sampler for determining concentrations of volatile organic compounds in air

A novel diffusive sampler that combines radial and axial diffusion has been developed that improves upon existing commercially available designs. The POcket Diffusive (POD) sampler has been validated under laboratory and field conditions for the measurements of VOCs in ambient air. Laboratory tests varied sampling conditions of temperature (−30–40 C), humidity (10–80%), wind velocity (0.1–4 m s⁻¹), and concentration (0.5–50 μg m⁻³) for a number of specific VOCs. An overall uncertainty of circa 9% for the measurement of benzene is calculated for the validation tests, in compliance with the data quality objectives of the EU air quality directive 2008/50/EC. A semi-empirical diffusion model has been developed to estimate sampling rates for compounds that were not tested, and for conditions outside of tested ranges during validation. The diffusion model (and validation tests) shows a low influence of environmental conditions on the sampling rate for the POD sampler. Average reproducibility values of circa 3% are reported with overall sampling uncertainties ranging from 9% to 15%, for the whole range of tested conditions, depending on the compound. The adsorbent cartridge is compatible with existing thermal desorption systems in the market. The diffusive sampler can modify the sampling rate by changing the diffusive body within a range of different porosities. Field tests, conducted in parallel with independent quality controlled canister sampling, confirmed the ease of use and quality of VOC measurements with the POD sampler, for compounds that were, and were not, evaluated during laboratory tests.     

新型多孔芳香骨架材料用于硝基爆炸物的检测

采用付玫瑰苯胺与对苯二甲醛通过希夫碱偶联反应制备了新型的多孔芳香骨架材料.经过FTIR,TGA,PXRD,SEM,TEM和Ar吸附等分析方法对多孔芳香骨架材料的成键方式和骨架结构进行了表征.分析结果显示,该多孔芳香骨架材料具有优异的热稳定性(350℃仅失重5%)和溶剂稳定性,其Langmuir比表面积约为472m~2/g.紫外光谱和荧光光谱测试分析表明,该材料在苯、甲苯和氯苯等芳香化合物环境中无明显的荧光强度变化.然而在硝基爆炸物环境中会发生灵敏的、专一的荧光淬灭现象.该多孔材料可应用于硝基爆炸物的检测.     

Transformation of acridines and azepines into the corresponding 3-oxo-heterocycles by means of hypervalent aromatic iodine compounds

Summary The acridines3,5, and6, as well as the dibenzo[b,f]-azepine4 were converted into the 3-oxo-derivatives7–10 using hypervalent iodine compounds (iodosylbenzene and bis-(trifluoroacetoxy)iodopentafluorobenzene).

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Oxidation von Acridinen und Azepinen in ihre 3-Oxoderivate mit Hilfe von hypervalenten aromatischen Jodverbindungen (Kurze Mitt.)

Zusammenfassung Die Acridine3,5 und6 sowie das Dibenzo[b,f]azepin4 wurden mit Hilfe der beiden hypervalenten Jod-Verbindungen Jodosobenzol (1) und Bis-trifluoroacetoxyiodbenzol (2) zu den entsprechenden 3-Acridinonen7,9 und10 sowie zum Dibenzoazepin-3-on8 oxidiert.