The quantitative effect of microextractor cell geometry on the analytical supercritical fluid extraction efficiencies of environmentally important compounds

Summary The quantitative effect of microextractor cell geometries on supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) efficiencies of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and methoxychlor from octadecyl-bonded sorbents has been evaluated and compared to similar effects seen upon increasing the supercritical fluid density. For the PAHs studied, correlations between the fused ring number and the relative increase in recoveries have been established. SFE recoveries can be increased by greater than a factor of two by decreasing the diameter to length ratio from 120 to 11. The relative recovery increase upon decreasing the diameter to length ratio of the extraction vessel is dependent on the analyte extractability, increasing in proportion to the fused ring number for the PAHs. Recoveries increased linearly as a function of supercritical fluid density for the PAHs studied. The change in the relative recovery upon increasing the supercritical carbon dioxide density again was dependent on the analyte type, decreasing linearly with fused ring number. Although fluid density generally had the greatest effect on achievable SFE recoveries, the cell geometry had effects of a similar order of magnitude, highly dependent on the initial extractability of the analyte.     

Supercritical fluid extraction of PCBs in tandem with high resolution gas chromatography in environmental analysis

A simple method has been developed for the direct coupling of supercritical fluid extractions (SFE) with a high resolution gas chromatograph (HRGC) equipped with an electron capture detector (ECD). SFE conditions have been investigated for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from sediments in terms of mobile phase, entrainer, pressure, temperature, and mass-flow through the extractor. Dynamic leaching and static steady-state extractions were compared. Extraction efficiencies of up to 100% in less than 15 minutes have been obtained. The extracted PCBs are quantitatively transferred into a fused silica open tubular column (OTC). Determination of PCBs was tested on certified sediment from National Water Research Institute and the results agreed well with certified values.     

Quantitative analysis of polymer additives in low density polyethylene using supercritical fluid extraction/supercritical fluid chromatography

Analysis of low concentration polymer additives has been a challenging problem. The commonly used methods of analysis involve the initial extraction of polymer additives with solvents, often in a Soxhlet apparatus, followed by liquid, size exclusion, or gas chromatography. This paper describes the on-line super-critical fluid extraction (SFE)-supercritical fluid chromatographic (SFC) determination of different additives from low density polyethylene. Cryogenic collection was used as an interface between SFE and SFC to focus the extraction eluate before transfer to an analytical SFC column for quantitative analysis.     

Theoretical optimization of analyte collection in analytical supercritical fluid extraction

Summary Optimizing the extracted analyte collection step in analytical supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) is of key importance in achieving high analyte recoveries and extraction efficiencies. Whereas the extraction step in SFE has been well characterized both theoretically and experimentally; the analyte collection step after SFE has few theoretical guidelines, aside from a few empirical studies which have appeared in the literature. In this study, we have applied several theoretical approaches using experimental data to optimize analyte trapping efficiency in SFE. A vapour-liquid equilibrium model has been formulated to predict the trapping efficiency for extracted solute collection in a open collection vessel. Secondly, a simple solution thermodynamic model for predicting solute (analyte) activity coefficients in various trapping solvents has been shown to have utility in predicting collection efficiencies. Finally, effective trapping efficiency after SFE using sorbent media is related to the extent of analyte breakthrough on the sorbent-filled trap after depressurization of supercritical fluid. Using experimental data determined via physico-chemical gas chromatographic measurements (i. e., specific retention volumes), we have shown the relationship between analyte breakthrough volume off of the trapping sorbent and volume of depressurized fluid through the collection trap. The above theoretical guidlines should prove of value to analysts in designing and optimizing the best conditions for trapping analytes after extraction via analytical SFE. Names are necessary to report factually on available data; however the USDA neither guarantees nor warrants the standard of the product, and the use of the name by USDA implies no approval of the products to the exclusion of others that may also be suitable.     

Considerations for analytical supercritical fluid extraction of sulfonyl ureas employing a modified fluid

Important considerations are discussed for analytical SFE method development employing methanol–modified carbon dioxide and solid-phase trapping. The focus of this study was to break the method development procedure into distinct steps so that the origins of low recoveries could be determined conclusively. Sulfonyl urea herbicides were used as probe analytes. Analyte solubility, analyte trapping, analyte trap removal (solid-phase), and extract analysis were all shown to be equally important in achieving quantitative SFE recoveries.     

On-line coupled supercritical fluid extraction and chromatography for the determination of thiolcarbamate herbicides in soil matrix

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) was on-line coupled with supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) for the determination of thiolcarbamate herbicides in soil matrix. Inert ODS-silica gel packings were used as a trap column for an interface between SFE and SFC and as an analytical column for the satisfactory separation of extracts. Thiolcarbamate herbicides could be extracted satisfactorily from the soil matrix, which had different characteristics. The results indicated that the proposed system was useful for the rapid determination of thiolcarbamate herbicides in soil matrices.     

Analysis of organic pollutants in sewage by supercritical fluid extraction

Summary Analytical methods have been developed for the determination of organic pollutants of intermediate polarity in sewage. Water samples are first passed through a solid phase adsorption cartridge. The analytes are then extracted from the absorbent with supercritical CO₂ into a small volume of trapping solvent. Finally, the extracts are analyzed directly by capillary gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometer. The various parameters (pressure, temperature, type and concentration of modifiers, trapping solvent, flow rate and volume of supercritical fluid and equilibrium time) influencing the efficiency of extraction were studied. Extraction efficiencies for the test compounds are >70%, and relative standard deviations are <4.6% (n=3). The methods established were applied to the analysis of sewage at the Lanzhou Wastewater Treatment Plant, China. 66 organic pollutants were detected, of which 15 compounds appeared in the list of priority pollutants suggested by the US EPA.     

Comparison of supercritical fluid extraction and liquid-liquid extraction for isolation of selected pesticides stored in freeze-dried water samples

Summary The stability of freeze-dried water samples spiked with eight agrochemicals (atrazine, simazine, linuron, carbaryl, propanil, fenitrothion, parathion and fenamiphos) were examined to evaluate their suitability as candidate reference materials for their determination in water samples. In addition, two different extraction procedures, liquid-liquid and supercritical fluid extraction, were compared for the isolation and trace enrichment of target analytes from freeze-dried water samples. Final analytical determinations were by gas chromatography-nitrogen phosphorus detection and electronic impact mass spectrometry, and by liquid chromatography-diode array detection. The whole methodology developed in this paper permitted the determination of pesticides spiked in water at levels varying from 0.03 to 6.9 g L^–1.     

Supercritical fluid extraction / capillary supercritical fluid chromatography / Fourier transform infrared microspectrometry of polycyclic aromatic compounds in a coal tar pitch

The combination of supercritical fluid extraction, high resolution capillary supercritical fluid chromatography, and Fourier transform infrared microspectrometry is described for the separation and identification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a coal tar pitch. The variable solvating power of the supercritical fluid was utilized to selectively fractionate the sample. The fluid extract was decompressed through a frit restrictor into the sample cavity of a cooled microvalve injector, where the analytes were deposited and concentrated for subsequent chromatographic analysis. Several of the analytes separated in the chromatograph were collected on a potassium bromide disc at a solvent elimination inter-face for subsequent infrared analysis involving the use of an infra-red microscope accessory. The spectra obtained show the power of this detection technique for distinguishing between isomers.     

Use of modifiers in on-line and off-line supercritical fluid extraction

For many applications using supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), modifiers may be required.This paper will present some findings regarding the use of various modifiers including methanol, hexane, acetone, chloroform, dichloromethane, toluene, and tributylphosphate, in on-line and off-line SFE with cryogenic adsorbent trapping. The specific applications involved the extractions of petroleum hydrocarbons and pesticides from naturally incurred soils.     

Determination of anabolic steroids in creatine nutritional supplements after supercritical fluid extraction

The effects of various parameters, i.e. extraction pressure, temperature, time, and modifier on the efficiency of extraction were investigated using an analytical-scale supercritical fluid extraction system. An optimal set of conditions for the extraction and determination by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of trimethylsilyl derivatives of 4-androstene-3,17-dione, 1,4-androstadiene-3,17-dione, nandrolone, and testosterone in nutritional supplements was developed. The optimum amount of creatine supplement was 1 g, while the optimum pressure and temperature were determined to be 35 MPa and 80 °C, respectively. The optimum dynamic extraction time was 45 min. The limit of detection (LOD) of the investigated compounds ranged from 5 to 25 ng · g⁻¹ of supplement, while recoveries ranged from 76.1 to 86.6%. Correspondence: Petra Mikulcikova, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Pardubice, nám. Cs. Legií 565, CZ 532 10 Pardubice, Czech Republic     

Enrichment of the thymoquinone content in volatile oil from Satureja montana using supercritical fluid extraction

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) of the volatile oil from Satureja montana L. was performed under different conditions of pressure (90 and 100 bar), temperature (40 and 50°C), mean particle sizes (0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 mm) and CO₂ flow rate (0.8, 1.1 and 1.3 kg/h) to understand the influence of these parameters on the composition and yield of this oil. The results were compared with those obtained for the essential oil isolated by hydrodistillation (HD). The volatile and the essential oil were analysed by GC and GC‐MS. The main compounds are carvacrol (52.2–62.0% for HD vs. 41.7–64.5% for SFE), thymol (8.6–11.0% for HD vs. 6.0–11.3% for SFE), p‐cymene (6.9–12.8% for HD vs. 6.0–17.8% for SFE), γ‐terpinene (6.4–9.4% for HD vs. 2.3–6.0% for SFE) and β‐bisabolene (2.0–2.7% for HD vs. 2.2–3.5% for SFE). The major difference between SFE and HD was the relative amount of thymoquinone, an oxygenated monoterpene with important biological activities, which can be ten‐fold higher in volatile oil (1.6–3.0 for SFE vs. 0.2% for HD). The morphology of the glandular trichomes of S. montana and the effect of the grinding process on them was also evaluated by SEM.     

The contribution of the pressure drop to analyte retention in coupled column supercritical fluid chromatography of lipids

Summary This paper reports the qualitative and quantitative effects of the column pressure drop on the retention of lipid components in a serially coupled capillary column SFC system. The contribution of the pressure drop consists of two components, the density effect and the flow effect. The magnitude of the flow effect,i. e. the change in retention which results from changes in the flow-rate when column pressures are changed, is determined by the difference in single column analyte k values. The effect will be positive compared with the uncorrected retention values when the column with largest k value is closest to the injector. With the columns in reversed order, the effect will be negative. The contribution from the density effect always resulted in larger coupled column k values and was in most instances of more significance than the flow effect component. Values calculated with and without pressure drop correction have been compared and it has been shown that for most of the eighteen model lipid compounds investigated, the deviations from the experimental retention factors were smaller when pressure drop corrections were made.     

Multiresidue analysis of four pesticide residues in water dropwort (Oenanthe javanica) via pressurized liquid extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, and liquid-liquid extraction and gas chromatographic determination

The primary objective of this study was to simultaneously analyze the residues of the most commonly used pesticides, chlorpyrifos-methyl, endosulfan, EPN, and iprodione in the water dropwort, via accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), and conventional solvent extraction (LLE) techniques. Residue levels were determined using GC with electron-capture detection (GC-ECD). The confirmation of pesticide identity was performed by GC-MS in a selected ion-monitoring (SIM) mode. In none of the ASE and SFE techniques were the extraction conditions optimized. Rather, the experimental variables were predicated on the author's experience. The ECD response for all pesticides was linear in the studied range of concentrations of 0.005-5.0 ppm, with correlation coefficients in excess of 0.9991. At each of the two studied fortification levels, the pesticides yielded recoveries in excess of 72% with RSDs between 1 and 19%. The LODs were achieved at a range of levels from 0.001 to 0.063 ppm, depending on the pesticide utilized. The LOQs, which ranged from 0.003 to 0.188 ppm, were lower than the maximum residue limits (MRLs) authorized by the Korean Food and Drug Administration (KFDA). All of the methods were applied successfully to the determination of pesticide residues in the real samples. It could, therefore, be concluded that any of the techniques utilized in this investigation might prove successful, given that the applied extraction conditions are wisely chosen.     

Determination of additives in cosmetics by supercritical fluid extraction on-line headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A new hyphenated technique couples supercritical fluid extraction in situ derivatization and on-line headspace solid-phase microextraction to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SFE in situ derivatization on-line HS-SPME-GC-MS) for the determination of paraben preservatives and polyphenolic antioxidants in cosmetics. The preservatives and antioxidants were extracted from the cosmetic matrices with supercritical carbon dioxide at a pressure of 13,840 kPa. The supercritical fluid extraction was performed at 55 °C for 10 min of static extraction then 15 min of dynamic extraction. The extractant subsequently was derivatized in situ with the silylation reagent N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide with 0.1% trimethylchlorosilane. The product was then adsorbed on a polyacrylate solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber in the headspace. Sea sand was used as a dispersive material in the SFE step. The analytical linear ranges for the preservatives and antioxidants were found to be from 10 to 1000 ng g⁻¹ with RSD values below 7.8%. The detection limits ranged from 0.5 to 8.3 ng g⁻¹. These results are better than those obtained by using only SPME or SFE for trace preservatives and antioxidants analysis in cosmetic matrices. The new method was successfully utilized to determine the amounts of preservatives and antioxidants in real cosmetics without the need for tedious pretreatments.     

The use of alternative fluids in on-line supercritical fluid extraction – capillary gas chromatography

A key feature differentiating analytical supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) from conventional liquid extraction is the possibility of varying the solvent strength of a supercritical fluid to achieve selective extractions of specific target compounds, or functional classes of compound, from complex matrices. This can be accomplished by using supercritical fluids other than carbon dioxide, for example, sulfur hexafluoride, nitrous oxide, or sulfur hexafluoride-modified carbon dioxide. The use of these fluids will be demonstrated by the characterization of complex environmental and petroleum matrices by directly coupled SFE – capillary GC. On-line SFE-GC involves the decompression of pressurized extraction fluid directly into the heated, unmodified capillary split injection port of the chromatograph. This paper will also show how, by adjustment of the extraction temperature and pressure, SFE selectivity may be further enhanced.     

The use of supercritical fluid extraction for the determination of 4-deoxynivalenol in grains: The effect of the sample clean-up and analytical methods on quantitative results

Summary Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the trichothecene mycotoxins produced byFusarium molds in grains. Polar cosolvents in supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) are needed to extract and isolate the polar DON moiety. This unfortunately results in the extraction of many interfering compounds from the grains into the extracts obtained by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). Analysis of DON by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using ultraviolet detection (UV) does not provide a specific detection method, although specific detection of DON can be enhanced by using purification steps after SFE. Alternatively, combining SFE with an immunoaffinity method can improve detection specificity and sample cleanup. In this study, SFE was employed to determine DON in grains and cereal products. The effectiveness of the SFE method was compared with two different solvent extraction methods. The extracted DON was quantitatively determined by HPLC-UV using external standardization or competitive enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In some cases, extracts were purified prior to quantitative analysis of the DON by using solvent partitioning, and/or solid phase extraction, or immunoaffinity columns. Therefore, this paper describes the analysis of DON in cereals using different extraction, cleanup and analysis methods. Names are necessary to report factually on available data: however, the USDA neither guarantees nor warrants the standard of the product, and the use of the name by USDA implies no approval of the products to the exclusion of others that may also be suitable.     

Evaluation of dithiocarbamates and beta-diketones as chelating agents in supercritical fluid extraction of Cd, Pb, and Hg from solid samples

The use of four dithiocarbamates and three fluorinated β-diketones as potential chelating agents for three transition metal ions (Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, and Hg²⁺) extracted from spiked sand and filter paper samples by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) was investigated. The extractions were performed at 45°C and 250 atm for spiked sand samples and at 60°C and 200 atm for filter paper samples using supercritical carbon dioxide modified with 5% methanol. At 250 atm and using carbon dioxide modified with 5% methanol, the recoveries of Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, and Hg²⁺ ions from spiked sand samples were 95% with lithium bis(trifluoroethyl)dithiocarbamate (LiFDDC) as the chelating agent; they ranged from 83–97% with diethylammonium diethyldithiocarbamate and from 87–97% with sodium di-ethyldithiocarbamate as chelating agents, and from 68–96% with trifluoracetylacetone, hexafluoroacetylacetone, and thenoylfluoroacetone as chelating agents. Ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate was not effective in the chelation SFE of Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, and Hg²⁺ ions from either spiked sand or spiked filter paper samples under the extraction conditions used. Supercritical carbon dioxide alone gave consistently lower analyte recoveries than supercritical carbon dioxide modified with 5% methanol. The results suggest that the solubility of the metal chelate in the supercritical fluid plays a more important role than the solubility of the chelating agent in the supercritical fluid, as long as sufficient chelating agent is present in the fluid phase. Fluorination of the chelating agent, as in the case of LiFDDC, increases the solubility of the metal chelate, and subsequently enhances the extraction efficiency for the metal ions.     

Identification and quantification of the volatile constituents in Cnidium monnieri using supercritical fluid extraction followed by GC‐MS

The volatile components of Cnidium monnieri were obtained by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and analyzed by GC‐MS (identification and determination of metabolites). The compounds were identified according to their retention times and mass spectra. The effects of different parameters, such as extraction pressure, temperature, dynamic extraction time, flow rate of CO₂, on the SFE of C. monnieri extracts were investigated. A total of 14 compounds of SFE extracts were identified. Osthole (69.52%), bornyl acetate (10.03%), α‐pinene (4.71%), and imperatorin (2.42%) were the major compounds identified in C. monnieri SFE extracts. The quantitation of osthole and imperatorin were then accomplished. The linear calibration ranges were all 5–1000 μg/mL for osthole and imperatorin by GC‐MS analysis. The recovery of osthole and imperatorin were in the range 96.5–101.8%. The LODs for osthole and imperatorin were 1.0 and 0.6 μg/mL, respectively.