Ultrapreconcentration and determination of organophosphorus pesticides in water by solid‐phase extraction combined with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and high‐performance liquid chromatography

Solid‐phase extraction coupled with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction was developed as an ultra‐preconcentration method for the determination of four organophosphorus pesticides (isocarbophos, parathion‐methyl, triazophos and fenitrothion) in water samples. The analytes considered in this study were rapidly extracted and concentrated from large volumes of aqueous solutions (100 mL) by solid‐phase extraction coupled with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and then analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography. Experimental variables including type and volume of elution solvent, volume and flow rate of sample solution, salt concentration, type and volume of extraction solvent and sample solution pH were investigated for the solid‐phase extraction coupled with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction with these analytes, and the best results were obtained using methanol as eluent and ethylene chloride as extraction solvent. Under the optimal conditions, an exhaustive extraction for four analytes (recoveries >86.9%) and high enrichment factors were attained. The limits of detection were between 0.021 and 0.15 μg/L. The relative standard deviations for 0.5 μg/L of the pesticides in water were in the range of 1.9–6.8% (n = 5). The proposed strategy offered the advantages of simple operation, high enrichment factor and sensitivity and was successfully applied to the determination of four organophosphorus pesticides in water samples.     

Determination of three estrogens and bisphenol A by functional ionic liquid dispersive liquid‐phase microextraction coupled with ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography and ultraviolet detection

A hydroxyl‐functionalized ionic liquid, 1‐hydroxyethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, was employed in an improved dispersive liquid‐phase microextraction method coupled with ultra high performance liquid chromatography for the enrichment and determination of three estrogens and bisphenol A in environmental water samples. The introduced hydroxyl group acted as the H‐bond acceptor that dispersed the ionic liquid effectively in the aqueous phase without dispersive solvent or external force. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated that the hydroxyl group of the cation of the ionic liquid enhanced the combination of extractant and analytes through the formation of hydrogen bonds. The improvement of the extraction efficiency compared with that with the use of alkyl ionic liquid was proved by a comparison study. The main parameters including volume of extractant, temperature, pH, and extraction time were investigated. The calibration curves were linear in the range of 5.0–1000 μg/L for estrone, estradiol, and bisphenol A, and 10.0–1000 μg/L for estriol. The detection limits were in the range of 1.7–3.4 μg/L. The extraction efficiency was evaluated by enrichment factor that were between 85 and 129. The proposed method was proved to be simple, low cost, and environmentally friendly for the determination of the four endocrine disruptors in environmental water samples.     

Development of organic solvents‐free mode of solidification of floating organic droplet–based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction for the extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from honey samples before their determination by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

In this study, a green mode of solidification of floating organic droplet – based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction has been developed for the extraction of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from honey samples before their determination by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. In this method, an appropriate volume of menthol:decanoic acid deep eutectic solvent (as an extraction solvent) is added on a sugar cube (as a disperser agent). In the following, the cube is released into the diluted honey sample placed in a tube. After manual shaking a cloudy state is obtained as a result of dispersing the extraction solvent droplets throughout the sample solution and the analytes are extracted into them. After placing the tube in an ice bath, the droplet of the extractant is solidified on the top of the solution. This drop is taken and after dissolving in acetonitrile, an aliquot of the solution is injected into the separation system. Under optimum conditions, the suggested approach had high extraction recoveries (76–93%) and enrichment factors (380–465), low limits of detection (14–52 ng/kg) and quantification (47–173 ng/kg), and satisfactory repeatability (relative standard deviation ≤ 9%).     

Sensitive determination of methadone in human serum and urine by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on the solidification of a floating organic droplet followed by HPLC–UV

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic droplet was developed for the extraction of methadone and determination by high‐performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. In this method, no microsyringe or fiber is required to support the organic microdrop due to the usage of an organic solvent with a low density and appropriate melting point. Furthermore, the extractant droplet can be collected easily by solidifying it at low temperature. 1‐Undecanol and methanol were chosen as extraction and disperser solvents, respectively. Parameters that influence extraction efficiency, i.e. volumes of extracting and dispersing solvents, pH, and salt effect, were optimized by using response surface methodology. Under optimal conditions, enrichment factor for methadone was 134 and 160 in serum and urine samples, respectively. The limit of detection was 3.34 ng/mmL in serum and 1.67 ng/mL in urine samples. Compared with the traditional dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction, the proposed method obtained lower limit of detection. Moreover, the solidification of floating organic solvent facilitated the phase transfer. And most importantly, it avoided using high‐density and toxic solvents of traditional dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of methadone in serum and urine samples of an addicted individual under methadone therapy.     

An efficient biosorption‐based dispersive liquid‐liquid microextraction with extractant removal by magnetic nanoparticles for quantification of bisphenol A in water samples by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry detection

In this work, a simple, fast, sensitive, and environmentally friendly method was developed for preconcentration and quantitative measurement of bisphenol A in water samples using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. The preconcentration approach, namely biosorption‐based dispersive liquid‐liquid microextraction with extractant removal by magnetic nanoparticles was performed based on the formation of microdroplet of rhamnolipid biosurfactant throughout the aqueous samples, which accelerates the mass transfer process between the extraction solvent and sample solution. The process is then followed by the application of magnetic nanoparticles for easy retrieval of the analyte‐containing extraction solvent. Several important variables were optimized comprehensively including type of disperser solvent and desorption solvent, rhamnolipid concentration, volume of disperser solvent, amount of magnetic nanoparticles, extraction time, desorption time, ionic strength, and sample pH. Under the optimized microextraction and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry conditions, the method demonstrated good linearity over the range of 0.5–500 µg/L with a coefficient of determination of R² = 0.9904, low limit of detection (0.15 µg/L) and limit of quantification (0.50 µg/L) of bisphenol A, good analyte recoveries (84–120%) and acceptable relative standard deviation (1.8–14.9%, n = 6). The proposed method was successfully applied to three environmental water samples, and bisphenol A was detected in all samples.     

Ultrasound‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction coupled with capillary gas chromatography for simultaneous analysis of nine pyrethroids in domestic wastewaters

A simple and rapid ultrasound‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method coupled with GC‐flame ionization detection was developed for simultaneous determination of nine pyrethroids in domestic wastewater samples. An ultrasound‐assisted process was applied to accelerate the formation of the fine cloudy solution using small volume of disperser solvent, which markedly increased the extraction efficiency and reduced the equilibrium time. Various parameters affecting the extraction efficiency were investigated, including the type and volume of extraction solvent and disperser solvent, extraction and ultrasonic time. Good linearity was obtained for all analytes in the range of 0.8–100 μg/L with the correlation coefficient (r²)≥0.998. The recoveries at three spiking levels ranged from 75.3 to 101.2% with the RSD less than 8.7% (n=5). Under the optimum condition, the enrichment factors for the nine pyrethroids ranged from 728‐ to 1725‐fold. This method offered a good alternative for routine analysis due to its simplicity and reliability.     

High‐density extraction solvent‐based solvent de‐emulsification dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction combined with MEKC for detection of chlorophenols in water samples

For the first time, the high‐density solvent‐based solvent de‐emulsification dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (HSD‐DLLME) was developed for the fast, simple, and efficient determination of chlorophenols in water samples followed by field‐enhanced sample injection with reverse migrating micelles in CE. The extraction of chlorophenols in the aqueous sample solution was performed in the presence of extraction solvent (chloroform) and dispersive solvent (acetone). A de‐emulsification solvent (ACN) was then injected into the aqueous solution to break up the emulsion, the obtained emulsion cleared into two phases quickly. The lower layer (chloroform) was collected and analyzed by field‐enhanced sample injection with reverse migrating micelles in CE. Several important parameters influencing the extraction efficiency of HSD‐DLLME such as the type and volume of extraction solvent, disperser solvent and de‐emulsification solvent, sample pH, extraction time as well as salting‐out effects were optimized. Under the optimized conditions, the proposed method provided a good linearity in the range of 0.02–4 μg/mL, low LODs (4 ng/mL), and good repeatability of the extractions (RSDs below 9.3%, n = 5). And enrichment factors for three phenols were 684, 797, and 233, respectively. This method was then utilized to analyze two real environmental samples from wastewater and tap water and obtained satisfactory results. The obtained results indicated that the developed method is an excellent alternative for the routine analysis in the environmental field.     

Development of a dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method with a new sequence of steps and its comparison with a conventional method

In this paper, a dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method with a new sequence of steps from the view of salt addition has been developed for the extraction and preconcentration of some organophosphorous pesticides from aqueous samples before analysis by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. In this method, an appropriate mixture of extraction and disperser solvents is rapidly injected by a syringe into the aqueous sample. Then, sodium chloride is added into the solution to increase its ionic strength. The obtained results by the proposed method are compared with those of the conventional dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction in which the salt is added into the aqueous phase before dispersion of the extraction solvent. Some effective parameters on the method efficiency including type and volume of extraction and disperser solvents, type and percent of salt, etc. are investigated. Under the optimal conditions, limits of detection and quantification of the proposed method compared to conventional one were improved by a factor between 1.4–2.2 and 1.3–2.3, respectively. Extraction recoveries and enrichment factors of the proposed method with respect to conventional one enhanced from 43–60 to 72–99% and 1433–2000 to 2404–3285, respectively.     

Determination of aromatic amines from textiles using dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction

A dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction procedure coupled with GC‐MS is described for preconcentration and determination of banned aromatic amines from textile samples. Experimental conditions affecting the microextraction procedure were optimized. A mixture of 30 μL chlorobenzene (extraction solvent) and 800 μL ACN (disperser solvent), 5 min extraction time, and 5 mL aqueous sample volume were chosen for the best extraction efficiency by the proposed procedure. Satisfactory linearity (with correlation coefficients >0.9962) and repeatability (<9.78%) were obtained for all 20 aromatic amines; detection limits attained were much lower than the standardized liquid–liquid method. The proposed method has advantages of being quicker and easier to operate, and lower consumption of organic solvent.     

Simultaneous derivatization and air‐assisted liquid–liquid microextraction of some parabens in personal care products and their determination by GC with flame ionization detection

A simultaneous derivatization/air‐assisted liquid–liquid microextraction technique has been developed for the sample pretreatment of some parabens in aqueous samples. The analytes were derivatized and extracted simultaneously by a fast reaction/extraction with butylchloroformate (derivatization agent/extraction solvent) from the aqueous samples and then analyzed by GC with flame ionization detection. The effect of catalyst type and volume, derivatization agent/extraction solvent volume, ionic strength of aqueous solution, pH, numbers of extraction, aqueous sample volume, etc. on the method efficiency was investigated. Calibration graphs were linear in the range of 2–5000 μg/L with squared correlation coefficients >0.990. Enhancement factors and enrichment factors ranged from 1535 to 1941 and 268 to 343, respectively. Detection limits were obtained in the range of 0.41–0.62 μg/L. The RSDs for the extraction and determination of 250 μg/L of each paraben were <4.9% (n = 6). In this method, the derivatization agent and extraction solvent were the same and there is no need for a dispersive solvent, which is common in a traditional dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction technique. Furthermore, the sample preparation time is very short.     

Ultrasonic nebulization extraction assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction followed by gas chromatography for the simultaneous determination of six parabens in cosmetic products

A simple, rapid, and efficient method of ultrasonic nebulization extraction assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction was developed for the simultaneous determination of six parabens in cosmetic products. The analysis was carried out by gas chromatography. Water was used as the dispersive solvent instead of traditional organic disperser. The experimental factors affecting the extraction yield, such as the extraction solvent and volume, extraction time, dispersive solvent and volume, ionic strength, and centrifuging condition were studied and optimized in detail. The limit of detections for the target analytes were in the range of 2.0–9.5 μg/g. Good linear ranges were obtained with the coefficients ranging from 0.9934 to 0.9969. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of six parabens in 16 cosmetic products. The recoveries of the target analytes in real samples ranged from 81.9 to 108.7%, and the relative standard deviations were <5.3%.     

Dispersive solid‐phase extraction followed by vortex‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on the solidification of a floating organic droplet for the determination of benzoylurea insecticides in soil and sewage sludge

A novel dispersive solid‐phase extraction combined with vortex‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic droplet was developed for the determination of eight benzoylurea insecticides in soil and sewage sludge samples before high‐performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. The analytes were first extracted from the soil and sludge samples into acetone under optimized pretreatment conditions. Clean‐up of the extract was conducted by dispersive solid‐phase extraction using activated carbon as the sorbent. The vortex‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic droplet procedure was performed by using 1‐undecanol with lower density than water as the extraction solvent, and the acetone contained in the solution also acted as dispersive solvent. Under the optimum conditions, the linearity of the method was in the range 2–500 ng/g with correlation coefficients (r) of 0.9993–0.9999. The limits of detection were in the range of 0.08–0.56 ng/g. The relative standard deviations varied from 2.16 to 6.26% (n = 5). The enrichment factors ranged from 104 to 118. The extraction recoveries ranged from 81.05 to 97.82% for all of the analytes. The good performance has demonstrated that the proposed methodology has a strong potential for application in the multiresidue analysis of complex matrices.     

Ionic‐liquid‐based,manual‐shaking‐ and ultrasound‐assisted,surfactant‐enhanced emulsification microextraction for the determination of three fungicide residues in juice samples

A novel manual‐shaking‐ and ultrasound‐assisted surfactant‐enhanced emulsification microextraction method was developed for the determination of three fungicides in juice samples. In this method, the ionic liquid, 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide, instead of a volatile organic solvent was used as the extraction solvent. The surfactant, NP‐10, was used as an emulsifier to enhance the dispersion of the water‐immiscible ionic liquid into an aqueous phase, which accelerated the mass transfer of the analytes. Organic dispersive solvent typically required in common dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction methods was not necessary. In addition, manual shaking for 15 s before ultrasound to preliminarily mix the extraction solvent and the aqueous sample could greatly shorten the time for dispersing the ionic liquid into aqueous solution by ultrasound irradiation. Several experimental parameters affecting the extraction efficiency, including type and volume of extraction solvent, type and concentration of surfactant, extraction time, and pH, were optimized. Under the optimized conditions, good linearity with the correlation coefficients (γ) higher than 0.9986 and high sensitivity with the limit of detection ranging from 0.4 to 1.6 μg/L were obtained. The average recoveries ranged from 61.4 to 86.0% for spiked juice, with relative standard deviations from 1.8 to 9.7%. The proposed method was demonstrated to be a simple, fast, and efficient method for the analysis of the target fungicides in juice samples.     

Polyol‐enhanced dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction coupled with gas chromatography and nitrogen phosphorous detection for the determination of organophosphorus pesticides from aqueous samples,fruit juices,and vegetables

Polyol‐enhanced dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction has been proposed for the extraction and preconcentration of some organophosphorus pesticides from different samples. In the present study, a high volume of an aqueous phase containing a polyol (sorbitol) is prepared and then a disperser solvent along with an extraction solvent is rapidly injected into it. Sorbitol showed the best results and it was more effective on the extraction recoveries of the analytes than inorganic salts such as sodium chloride, potassium chloride, and sodium sulfate. Under the optimum extraction conditions, the method showed low limits of detection and quantification within the ranges of 12–56 and 44–162 pg/mL, respectively. Enrichment factors and extraction recoveries were in the ranges of 2799–3033 and 84–92%, respectively. The method precision was evaluated at a concentration of 10 ng/mL of each analyte, and relative standard deviations were found to be less than 5.9% for intraday (n = 6) and less than 7.8% for interday (n = 4). Finally, some aqueous samples were successfully analyzed using the proposed method and four analytes (diazinon, dimethoate, chlorpyrifos, and phosalone) were determined, some of them at ng/mL level.     

Deep eutectic solvent based gas‐assisted dispersive liquid‐phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography and flame ionization detection for the determination of some pesticide residues in fruit and vegetable samples

In this study, a gas‐assisted dispersive liquid‐phase microextraction method using a deep eutectic solvent as the extraction solvent combined with gas chromatography and flame ionization detection was developed for the extraction and determination of some pesticide residues in vegetable and fruit juice samples. In this method, choline chloride and 4‐chlorophenol at a molar ratio of 1:2 were mixed. By heating and vortexing, a clear, water‐immiscible, and homogeneous liquid was formed. The obtained deep eutectic solvent was added to an aqueous solution of the analytes in a conical test tube. Air was bubbled into the aqueous solution and a cloudy solution was obtained. During this step, the analytes were extracted into the fine droplets of the extraction solvent. After centrifugation, an aliquot of the settled phase was injected into the separation system. Under the optimum extraction conditions, enrichment factors, and extraction recoveries were obtained in the ranges of 247–355 and 49–71%, respectively. The obtained values for the limits of detection and quantification were in the ranges of 0.24–1.4 and 0.71–4.2 μg/L, respectively. The proposed method is simple, fast, efficient, and inexpensive.     

Simple field‐based automated dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction of trace level phthalate esters in natural waters with gas chromatography and mass spectrometric analysis

A small, simple, and field‐based automated dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method followed by gas chromatography mass spectrometric analysis was developed for trace level phthalate esters analysis in natural waters. With a single syringe pump that is coupled with a multiposition valve, the whole extraction procedure including cleaning, sampling, mixing of extractant and disperser solvents, extraction, phase separation, and analytes collection was carried out in a totally automated way with a sample throughput of 21 h^?1. Key factors, such as type and ratio of the extractant and disperser solvent, aspiration flow rate, extraction time, and matrix effect, were thoroughly investigated. Under the optimum conditions, linearity was found in the range from 0.03 to 60 μg/L. Limits of detection ranged from 0.0015 to 0.003 μg/L. Enrichment factors were in a range of 106–141. Reproducibility and recoveries were assessed by testing a series of three natural water samples that were spiked with different concentration levels. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied in analysis of real surface waters. The developed system is inexpensive, light (2.6 kg), simple to use, applicable in the field, with high sample throughput, and sensitive enough for trace level phthalate esters analysis in natural waters.     

Sensitive determination of amide herbicides in environmental water samples by a combination of solid‐phase extraction and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction prior to GC–MS

In this paper, solid‐phase extraction (SPE) in combination with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) has been developed as a sample pretreatment method with high enrichment factors for the sensitive determination of amide herbicides in water samples. In SPE–DLLME, amide herbicides were adsorbed quantitatively from a large volume of aqueous samples (100 mL) onto a multiwalled carbon nanotube adsorbent (100 mg). After elution of the target compounds from the adsorbent with acetone, the DLLME technique was performed on the resulting solution. Finally, the analytes in the extraction solvent were determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Some important extraction parameters, such as flow rate of sample, breakthrough volume, sample pH, type and volume of the elution solvent, as well as salt addition, were studied and optimized in detail. Under optimum conditions, high enrichment factors ranging from 6593 to 7873 were achieved in less than 10 min. There was linearity over the range of 0.01–10 μg/L with relative standard deviations of 2.6–8.7%. The limits of detection ranged from 0.002 to 0.006 μg/L. The proposed method was used for the analysis of water samples, and satisfactory results were achieved.     

Dispersion‐solidification liquid–liquid microextraction for volatile aromatic hydrocarbons determination: Comparison with liquid phase microextraction based on the solidification of a floating drop

Two microextraction techniques – liquid phase microextraction based on solidification of a floating organic drop (LPME‐SFO) and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction combined with a solidification of a floating organic drop (DLLME‐SFO) – are explored for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and o‐xylene sampling and preconcentration. The investigation covers the effects of extraction solvent type, extraction and disperser solvents' volume, and the extraction time. For both techniques 1‐undecanol containing n‐heptane as internal standard was used as an extracting solvent. For DLLME‐SFO acetone was used as a disperser solvent. The calibration curves for both techniques and for all the analytes were linear up to 10 μg/mL, correlation coefficients were in the range 0.997–0.998, enrichment factors were from 87 for benzene to 290 for o‐xylene, detection limits were from 0.31 and 0.35 μg/L for benzene to 0.15 and 0.10 μg/L for o‐xylene for LPME‐SFO and DLLME‐SFO, respectively. Repeatabilities of the results were acceptable with RSDs up to 12%. Being comparable with LPME‐SFO in the analytical characteristics, DLLME‐SFO is superior to LPME‐SFO in the extraction time. A possibility to apply the proposed techniques for volatile aromatic hydrocarbons determination in tap water and snow was demonstrated.     

Preconcentration and determination of ceftazidime in real samples using dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and high‐performance liquid chromatography with the aid of experimental design

A rapid and simple method for the extraction and preconcentration of ceftazidime in aqueous samples has been developed using dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography analysis. The extraction parameters, such as the volume of extraction solvent and disperser solvent, salt effect, sample volume, centrifuge rate, centrifuge time, extraction time, and temperature in the dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction process, were studied and optimized with the experimental design methods. Firstly, for the preliminary screening of the parameters the taguchi design was used and then, the fractional factorial design was used for significant factors optimization. At the optimum conditions, the calibration curves for ceftazidime indicated good linearity over the range of 0.001–10 μg/mL with correlation coefficients higher than the 0.98, and the limits of detection were 0.13 and 0.17 ng/mL, for water and urine samples, respectively. The proposed method successfully employed to determine ceftazidime in water and urine samples and good agreement between the experimental data and predictive values has been achieved.     

In‐syringe‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction coupled to gas chromatography with mass spectrometry for the determination of six phthalates in water samples

A fully automated method for the determination of six phthalates in environmental water samples is described. It is based in the novel sample preparation concept of in‐syringe dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction, coupled as a front end to GC–MS, enabling the integration of the extraction steps and sample injection in an instrumental setup that is easy to operate. Dispersion was achieved by aspiration of the organic (extractant and disperser) and the aqueous phase into the syringe very rapidly. The denser‐than‐water organic droplets released in the extraction step, were accumulated at the head of the syringe, where the sedimented fraction was transferred to a rotary micro‐volume injection valve where finally was introduced by an air stream into the injector of the GC through a stainless‐steel tubing used as interface. Factors affecting the microextraction efficiency were optimized using multivariate optimization. Figures of merit of the proposed method were evaluated under optimal conditions, achieving a detection limit in the range of 0.03–0.10 μg/L, while the RSD% value was below 5% (n = 5). A good linearity (0.9956 ≥ r² ≥ 0.9844) and a broad linear working range (0.5–120 μg/L) were obtained. The method exhibited enrichment factors and recoveries, ranging from 14.11–16.39 and 88–102%, respectively.