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.     

Determination of anatoxin-a in environmental water samples by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

In the present work, a method was developed and optimized aiming at the determination of anatoxin-a in environmental water samples. The method is based on the direct derivatization of the analyte by adding hexylchloroformate in the alkalinized sample (pH = 9.0). The derivatized anatoxin-a was extracted by a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) procedure, submersing a PDMS fiber in an amber vial for 20 min under magnetic stirring. GC-MS was used to identify and quantify the analyte in the SIM mode. Norcocaine was used as internal standard. The following ions were chosen for SIM analyses (quantification ions in italics): anatoxin-a: 191, 164, 293 and norcocaine: 195, 136, 168. The calibration curve showed linearity in the range of 2.5-200 ng/mL and the LOD was 2 ng/mL. This method of SPME and GC-MS analysis can be readily utilized to monitor anatoxin-a for water quality control.     

Dynamic solid phase microextraction for sampling of airborne sarin with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for rapid field detection and quantification

A portable dynamic air sampler and solid phase microextraction were used to simultaneously detect, identify, and quantify airborne sarin with immediate analysis of samples using a field portable gas chromatography-mass spectrometry system. A mathematical model was used with knowledge of the mass of sarin trapped, linear air velocity past the exposed sampling fiber, and sample duration allowing calculation of concentration estimates. For organizations with suitable field portable instrumentation, these methods are potentially useful for rapid onsite detection and quantification of high concern analytes, either through direct environmental sampling or through sampling of air collected in bags.     

Rapid determination of panaxynol in a traditional Chinese medicine of Saposhnikovia divaricata by pressurized hot water extraction followed by liquid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Panaxynol is a bioactive component in traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), such as Saposhnikovia divaricata and Panax ginseng. In the work, two solvent-free sample techniques of pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) and headspace liquid-phase microextraction (HS-LPME) were combined and developed for the determination of panaxynol in a TCM of S. divaricata. Panaxynol in the TCM samples from different growing areas was extracted by PHWE in dynamic mode, followed by extraction and concentration with HS-LPME and analysis with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The PHWE and HS-LPME parameters were optimized and the method validations were studied. Panaxynol in S. divaricata from four different growing areas was quantitatively analyzed by internal standard method. These results have shown that PHWE-LPME-GC-MS is a simple, rapid, efficient and low-cost method for the determination of panaxynol in TCMs and is a potential tool for TCM quality assessment.     

Determination of tricyclic antidepressants in human plasma using pipette tip solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A method for the simultaneous extraction of four tricyclic antidepressants from human plasma samples using pipette tip SPE with MonoTip C(18) tips is presented. Human plasma (0.1 mL) containing four tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline, amoxapine, imipramine, and trimipramine) and an internal standard (IS), protriptyline, was mixed with 0.4 mL of distilled water and 100 microL 1 M NaOH solution. After centrifugation of the mixture, the supernatant was extracted to the C(18) phase of the tip by 20 repeated aspirating/dispensing cycles using a manual micropipettor. The analytes retained in the tip were eluted with methanol by five repeated aspirating/dispensing cycles. Without evaporation and reconstitution, the eluate was directly injected into a gas chromatograph injector and detected by a mass spectrometer with SIM in the positive-ion electron impact mode. Recovery of the four antidepressants and IS spiked into human plasma was 80.2-92.1%. The regression equations for the four antidepressants showed excellent linearity in the range of 0.2-40 ng/0.1 mL. LODs and LOQs for the four drugs were 0.05-0.2 ng/0.1 mL and 0.2-0.5 ng/0.1 mL, respectively. Intra- and interday CVs for the four drugs in plasma were no greater than 9.5%.     

Development of microwave-assisted extraction followed by headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for quantification of camphor and borneol in Flos Chrysanthemi Indici

In the work, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) followed by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was developed for quantitative analysis of the bioactive components of camphor and borneol in a traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) of Flos Chrysanthemi Indici. After systematical investigation, the optimal experimental parameters microwave power (400 W), irradiation time (4 min), fiber coating (PDMS/DVB fiber), extraction temperature (40 °C), extraction time (20 min), stirring rate (1100 rpm), and salt effect (no salt added) were investigated. The optimized method provided satisfactory precision (RSD values less than 12%), good recovery (from 86% to 94%), and good linearity (R² > 0.999). The proposed method was applied to quantitative analysis of camphor and borneol in Flos Chrysanthemi Indici samples from 11 different growing areas. To demonstrate the method feasibility, steam distillation was also used to analyze camphor and borneol in Flos Chrysanthemi Indici samples from these different growing areas. The very close results were obtained by the two methods. It has been shown that the proposed ME-HS-SPME-GC-MS is a simple, rapid, solvent-free and reliable method for quantitative analysis of camphor and borneol in TCM, and a potential tool for quality assessment of Flos Chrysanthemi Indici.     

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.     

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.     

Determination of the fungicides vinclozolin and dicloran in soils using ultrasonic extraction coupled with solid-phase microextraction

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to ultrasonic extraction was evaluated for extracting trace amounts of two agrochemical fungicides, vinclozolin and dicloran, in soil samples. Extraction was performed following two experimental approaches prior to the submission of the aqueous extracts to SPME-GC analysis. In the first approach, extraction involved sample homogenization with a water solution containing 5% (v/v) acetone and centrifugation prior to fiber extraction. In the second approach, the extraction of the fungicides from the soil samples was conducted using acetone as organic solvent which was then diluted with water to give a 5% (v/v) content. The pesticides were isolated with fused silica fiber coating with 85 μm polyacrylate. Parameters that affect both the extraction of the fungicides by the soil samples and the trapping of the analytes by the fiber were investigated and their impact on the SPME-GC-MS was studied. The procedures with respect to repeatability and limits of detection were evaluated by soil spiked with both analytes. Repeatability was between 5.6 and 14.2% and the limits of detection were 2-13 ng g⁻¹. The efficiency of acetone/SPME was generally better than that for water/SPME procedure showing good linearity (R²>0.99) with coefficient variations below 9%, recoveries higher than 91% and limits of detection between 2 and 3 ng g⁻¹. Finally, the recoveries obtained with acetone/SPME procedure were compared with the conventional liquid-liquid extraction using real soil samples. The acetone/SPME method was shown to be an inexpensive, fast and simple preparation method for the determination of target analytes at low nanogram per gram levels in soils.     

Determination of chloro-s-triazines including didealkylatrazine using solid-phase extraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Chloro-s-triazines are a class of compounds comprising atrazine, simazine, propazine, cyanazine and their chlorinated metabolites. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that selected chloro-s-triazines--atrazine, simazine, propazine, deethylatrazine, deisopropylatrazine, and didealkylatrazine--have a common mode of toxicity related to endocrine disruption. In this paper, a dual-resin solid-phase extraction (SPE) gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method is reported that provides for each of these chloro-s-triazines including the polar metabolite, didealkylatrazine. The method utilizes deuterated internal standards for quantitation and terbuthylazine as a recovery standard. The limit-of-detection was 0.01 microg/L for simazine, deethylatrazine, deisopropylatrazine and didealkylatrazine, and 0.02 microg/L for atrazine and propazine in surface water. Mean recoveries for 0.5 and 3.0 microg/L spikes for atrazine, simazine, propazine, deethylatrazine, deisopropylatrazine and didealkylatrazine were 94, 104, 103, 110, 108 and 102%, respectively, in surface water. The method was also validated by matrix spikes into fourteen different raw and treated natural surface waters. This method is useful for monitoring "total chloro-s-triazines" in both raw and treated drinking waters.     

Highly porous silica-polyaniline nanocomposite as a novel solid-phase microextraction fiber coating

A highly porous fiber-coated SBA-15/polyaniline material was prepared for solid-phase microextraction (SPME). The SBA-15/polyaniline nanocomposite was synthesized via chemical polymerization. The prepared SBA-15/polyaniline particles were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy analysis. The prepared nanomaterial was immobilized onto a stainless steel wire for fabrication of the SPME fiber. The fiber was evaluated for the extraction of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from aqueous sample solutions in combination with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In optimum conditions (extraction temperature 60°C, extraction time 40 min, ionic strength 20%, stirring rate: 500 rpm, desorption temperature 260°C, desorption time 2 min), the repeatability for one fiber (n=3), expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD%), was between 5.3 and 8.6% for the test compounds. For deionized water, spiked with selected PAHs, the detection limits for the studied compounds were between 2 and 20 pg/mL.     

Determination of senkirkine and senecionine in Tussilago farfara using microwave-assisted extraction and pressurized hot water extraction with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

Tussilago farfara (Kuan Donghua) is an important Chinese herbal medicine which has been shown to contain many bioactive compounds and widely used to relieve cough and resolve phlegm. However, besides therapeutic bioactive compounds, this herb has been found to contain toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), mainly senkirkine and traces of senecionine. In this report, conditions for microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) were optimized for the extraction of the PAs. The results were compared against heating under reflux. It was found that the binary mixture of MeOH:H₂O (1:1) acidified using HCl to pH 2-3 was the optimal solvent for the extraction of the PAs in the plant materials. Liquid chromatography (LC) with ultra-violet (UV) detection and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) in the positive mode was used for the determination and quantitation of senkirkine and senecionine in the botanical extract. The proposed extraction methods with LC/MS allow for the rapid detection of the major and the minor alkaloids in T. farfara in the presence of co-eluting peaks. With LC/MS, the quantitative analysis of PAs in the extract was done using internal standard calibration and the precision was found to vary from 0.6% to 5.4% on different days. The limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantitation (LOQs) for MAE and PHWE were found to vary from 0.26 μg/g to 1.04 μg/g and 1.32 μg/g to 5.29 μg/g, respectively. The method precision of MAE and PHWE were found to vary from 3.7% to 10.4% on different days. The results showed that major and minor alkaloids extracted using MAE and PHWE were comparable to that by heating under reflux. Our data also showed that significant ion suppression was not observed in the analysis of senkirkine and senecionine in the botanical extracts with co-eluting peaks.     

Development of pressurized liquid extraction and solid‐phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography and flame photometric detection for the determination of organophosphate esters in sediments

Organophosphate esters have been extensively used as flame retardants and plasticizers. The analysis of organophosphate esters in the environment is a hot topic because many of them are toxic and persistent. We developed a novel procedure for determining organophosphate esters in sediment. In this work, pressurized liquid extraction and solid‐phase microextraction are used for sample preparation to extract and concentrate the analytes, which are then analyzed by gas chromatography with flame photometric detection. The extraction parameters of pressurized liquid extraction were investigated and optimized by orthogonal design and then evaluated by range analysis and analysis of variance. Under the optimal conditions, the proposed procedure showed wide linear ranges (0.90–100 ng/g) with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.9921 to 0.9990. The detection limits of the method were in the range of 0.009–0.280 ng/g with standard deviations ranging from 2.2 to 9.5%. Recoveries of the proposed method ranged from 82.3 to 108.9% with relative standard deviations <8.4%. The obtained method was applied successfully to the determination of organophosphate esters in real sediments with recoveries varying from 79.8 to 107.3%. The proposed method was proved to be simple, easy, and sensitive for analyzing organophosphate esters in sediment samples.     

Pressurised hot water extraction followed by simultaneous derivatization and headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of aliphatic primary amines in sewage sludge

In this paper we describe an environmentally friendly and sensitive method for the determination of ten primary amines in sewage sludge. The method is based on pressurised hot water extraction (PHWE) followed by simultaneous derivatization with pentafluorobenzaldehyde (PFBAY) and headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and subsequent gas-chromatography ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry (GC-IT-MS-MS) analysis. The influence of the main factors on the PHWE of sludge was optimized by a central composite design. For all species the optimal conditions were water at pH 4 as the extracting solvent, an extraction temperature of 100 °C and an extraction time of 15 min. The separation and detection of the ten amines by GC-IT-MS-MS took just 10 min and the entire process took approximately 1 h. Repeatability and reproducibility between days, expressed as RSD (%) (n = 5), were less than 19 and 24%, respectively. The average limit of detection (LOD) was of 65 μg kg⁻¹ s (range found 9-135) and the average limit of quantification (LOQ) was of 230 μg kg⁻¹ (range found 50-450) of dry weight (d.w.). Under optimized conditions we used this method to determine the compounds in industrial and municipal sewage sludge samples and in sludge from a potable water treatment plant. Methylamine and isobutylamine showed the highest levels in one of the industrial sewage sludge samples (404 and 543 mg kg⁻¹ (d.w.), respectively). To our knowledge, this paper presents for the first time the determination of ten primary amines in sewage sludge samples using PHWE.     

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。     

Combined solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry used for determination of chloropropanols in water

A sensitive and rapid derivatization method for the simultaneous determination of 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol (1,3-DCP) and 3-chloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) in water samples has been developed. The aim was to research the optimal conditions of the derivatization process for two selected reagents. A central composite design was used to determine the influence of derivatization time, derivatization temperature and reagent volume. A global desirability function was applied for multi-response optimization. The analysis was performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. During the optimization of the extraction procedure, four different types of solid-phase extraction (SPE) columns were tested. It was demonstrated that the Oasis HLB cartridge produced the best recoveries of the target analytes. The pH value and the salinity were investigated using a Doehlert design. The best results for the SPE of both analytes were obtained with 1.5 g of NaCl and pH 6. The proposed method provides high sensitivity, good linearity (R(2)≥0.999) and repeatability (relative standard deviations % between 2.9 and 3.4%). Limits of detection and quantification were in the range of 1.4-11.2 ng/mL and 4.8-34.5 ng/mL, respectively. Recoveries obtained for water samples were ca. 100% for 1,3-DCP and 3-MCPD. The method has been successfully applied to the analysis of different samples including commercially bottled water, an influent and effluent sewage.     

Development and optimization of a method for the analysis of phenols and chlorophenols from aqueous samples by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, after solid-phase extraction and trimethylsilylation

A 3-step analytical procedure was developed and optimized for the simultaneous determination of 6 phenols (phenol, o-, m-, p-cresol, catechol and resorcinol) and 19 chlorophenols (all mono-, di-, tri-, and tetrachlorophenol isomers and pentachlorophenol) from environmental water samples. The analytical scheme consists of (1) solid-phase extraction (SPE) carried out on hypercrosslinked styrene-divinylbenzene (Isolute ENV+) cartridge; (2) derivatization with trimethylsilyl-N,N-dimethylcarbamate (TMSDMC); (3) analysis of the derivatives with capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, in the selective ion monitoring mode. Ethyl acetate, ethyl acetate/acetic acid (5 v/v%) mixture, dichloromethane and acetonitrile were compared as to their ability to elute the phenols and chlorophenols from the ENV + sorbent in the smallest solvent volume possible. The optimized extraction step uses a minimal amount of organic solvent (4 mL ethyl acetate). Derivatization of the phenols and chlorophenols with TMSDMC was studied with respect to conversion, reagent excess, medium, temperature and the stability of the trimethylsilyl derivatives. If the reagent is applied in sufficient excess, the reaction takes place instantaneously at room temperature, and the derivatives remain stable for 24 h, making the procedure simple, fast and convenient. The overall method gave detection limits of 0.05-100 ng/L for all compounds except resorcinol which could not be retained on the SPE cartridge. The complete optimized analytical scheme was applied to ground water and river water samples collected in Hungary.     

Accurate analysis of trace earthy-musty odorants in water by headspace solid phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A simple and sensitive method was developed for the simultaneous separation and determination of trace earthy-musty compounds including geosmin, 2-methylisoborneol, 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine, 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, 2,3,4-trichloroanisole, 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, and 2,3,6-trichloroanisole in water samples. This method combined headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and used naphthalene-d(8) as internal standard. A divinylbenzene/carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane fiber exposing at 90°C for 30 min provided effective sample enrichment in HS-SPME. These compounds were separated by a DB-1701MS capillary column and detected in selected ion monitoring mode within 12 min. The method showed a good linearity from 1 to 100 ng L(-1) and detection limits within (0.25-0.61 ng L(-1)) for all compounds. Using naphthalene-d(8) as the internal standard, the intra-day relative standard deviation (RSD) was within (2.6-3.4%), while the inter-day RSD was (3.5-4.9%). Good recoveries were obtained for tap water (80.5-90.6%), river water (81.5-92.4%), and lake water (83.5-95.2%) spiked at 10 ng L(-1). Compared with other methods using HS-SPME for determination of odor compounds in water samples, this present method had more analytes, better precision, and recovery. This method was successfully applied for analysis of earthy-musty odors in water samples from different sources.     

Tandem use of solid-phase extraction and dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for the determination of mononitrotoluenes in aquatic environment

Solid‐phase extraction (SPE) in tandem with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) has been developed for the determination of mononitrotoluenes (MNTs) in several aquatic samples using gas chromatography‐flame ionization (GC‐FID) detection system. In the hyphenated SPE‐DLLME, initially MNTs were extracted from a large volume of aqueous samples (100 mL) into a 500‐mg octadecyl silane (C₁₈) sorbent. After the elution of analytes from the sorbent with acetonitrile, the obtained solution was put under the DLLME procedure, so that the extra preconcentration factors could be achieved. The parameters influencing the extraction efficiency such as breakthrough volume, type and volume of the elution solvent (disperser solvent) and extracting solvent, as well as the salt addition, were studied and optimized. The calibration curves were linear in the range of 0.5–500 μg/L and the limit of detection for all analytes was found to be 0.2 μg/L. The relative standard deviations (for 0.75 μg/L of MNTs) without internal standard varied from 2.0 to 6.4% (n=5). The relative recoveries of the well, river and sea water samples, spiked at the concentration level of 0.75 μg/L of the analytes, were in the range of 85–118%.