Determination of chlorinated volatile organic compounds in water and municipal wastewater using headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography

The aim of this work was to develop a fast and simple analytical method for the determination of 14 chlorinated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in water and wastewater samples. Headspace-solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography (GC) were used for the determination of the VOCs. The extraction parameters were investigated in order to optimize the HS-SPME-GC method. The quality parameters of the method were also investigated.     

Assessment of the degradation of polyurethane foams after artificial and natural ageing by using pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Polyurethane foams are widely present in museum collections either as part of the artefacts, or as a material for their conservation. Unfortunately many of PU foam artefacts are in poor condition and often exhibit specific conservation issues. Their fast thermal and photochemical degradations have been the aim of previous researches. It is now accepted that hydrolysis predominates for polyester-based polyurethane PU(ES) whereas oxidation is the principal cause of degradation for polyether-based polyurethane PU(ET) variety. Only a few studies have been devoted to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by polyurethanes and, to our knowledge, none were performed on polyurethane foams by using headspace-solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME). The objective of the work described here is to assess the impact of some environmental factors (humidity, temperature and daylight) on the degradation of PU foams by evaluating their volatile fractions. We investigated morphological changes, polymerized fractions and volatile fractions of (i) one modern produced PU(ES) foam and one modern PU(ET) foam artificially aged in different conditions as well as (ii) four naturally aged foams collected from various daily life objects and selected for the representativeness of their analytical data. Characterization procedure used was based on attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) and non-invasive headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC/MS). In this paper, the formation of alcohol and acid raw products for PU(ES) and glycol derivatives for PU(ET) during natural and artificial ageing is confirmed. These main products can be considered as degradation markers for PU foams. Results show that artificial and natural ageing provide similar analytical results, and confirm that the dominant degradation paths for PU(ES) and for PU(ET) are hydrolysis and photo-oxidation, respectively. Lastly, we highlight that non-invasive HS-SPME-GC/MS analysis allows to distinguish between PU(ES) and PU(ET) at any point of their degradations.     

Identification of volatile organic compounds emitted by a naturally aged book using solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) has been applied to the analysis of volatile organic compounds emitted from a naturally aged groundwood pulp paper originating from an old book in order to access the products produced through the decomposition reactions occurring in paper upon ageing. Two different extraction methods were developed and compared: headspace SPME and contact SPME. The influence of few extraction parameters were tested in order to define the best extraction conditions. An optimised non-destructive contact SPME method was elaborated and allowed the characterisation of more than 50 individual constituents.     

Response surface optimisation applied to a headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method for the analysis of volatile organic compounds in water matrices

A new method for the simultaneous determination of 12 volatile organic compounds (trans-1,2-dichloroethene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, benzene, 1,2-dichloroethane, trichloroethene, toluene, 1,1,2-trichloroethane, tetrachloroethene, ethylbenzene, m-, p-, o-xylene) in water samples by headspace solid phase microextraction (HS–SPME)–gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was described, using a 100?µm PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) coated fibre. The response surface methodology was used to optimise the effect of the extraction time and temperature, as well as the influence of the salt addition in the extraction process. Optimal conditions were extraction time and temperature of 30?min and ?20°C, respectively, and NaCl concentration of 4?mol?L^?1. The detection limits were in the range of 1.1?×?10^?3–2.3?µg?L^?1 for the 12 volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Global uncertainties were in the range of 4–68%, when concentrations decrease from 250?µg?L^?1 down to the limits of quantification. The method proved adequate to detect VOCs in six river samples.     

Fast analysis of volatile organic compounds and disinfection by-products in drinking water using solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A fast method was developed for the extraction and analysis of volatile organic compounds, including disinfection by-products (DBPs), with headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) techniques. A GC/time-of-flight (TOF)-MS instrument, which had fast acquisition rates and powerful deconvolution software, was used. Under optimum conditions total runtime was 45s. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including purgeable A and B compounds (listed in US Environmental Protection Agency method 624), were identified in standard water samples. Extraction times were 1min for more volatile compounds and 2min for less volatile compounds. The method was applied to the analysis of water samples treated under different disinfection processes and the results were compared with those from a liquid-liquid extraction method.     

Analysis of volatile organic compounds in polymers by dynamic headspace and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

An experimental method for the analysis of volatile organic compounds in polymers is described. The technique involves dynamic headspace sampling, collection, and concentration of the volatiles in a cold trap, followed by capillary column gas chromatography/mass spectometry. Flow switching is carried out by the Deans switching technique. Four technical polymers used as pharmaceutical packaging materials have been analyzed in order to demonstrate the method.     

吹扫捕集气相色谱-质谱法测定土壤中54种挥发性有机物

建立了土壤中54种挥发性有机物的吹扫捕集气相色谱质谱分析方法.54种挥发性有机物检测限在0.20 ～0.72μg/kg之间,平均加标回收率为92.5％～112.1％,各组分相对标准偏差为1.4％～8.8％.本方法适用于批量样品的分析.     

ZnO-coated glass fibers for the analysis of trihalomethanes by headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography

Li₂O-ZrO₂-BaO-SiO₂ glass fibers were produced and their surfaces were coated with zinc oxide. The fibers’ surface morphology was examined by scanning electron microscopy and the zinc oxide layer was characterized by mapping the K_α and L_α lines of zinc by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The results indicated that a homogeneous and porous layer of ZnO was formed on the fibers’ surface. This layer was subjected to a simultaneous determination of trihalomethanes using headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography. The study was conducted after evaluating the ideal time of incubation (15 min), extraction (15 min) and desorption (10 min), as well as the effect of the addition of salt (15%, m/v) on the analytical response. A good linear dynamic range was observed individually for trihalomethanes aqueous solutions containing 20 μg L⁻¹ and 500 μg L⁻¹ of trichloromethane, 15 μg L⁻¹ and 250 μg L⁻¹ of dichlorobromomethane and dibromochloromethane and 10 μg L⁻¹ and 100 μg L⁻¹ of tribromomethane, with all the compounds showing correlation coefficients higher than 0.9900.     

Direct quantitation of volatile organic compounds in packaging materials by headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

The quantification of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in flexible multilayer packaging materials using headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) was studied. The analytes imclude 22 compounds such as aldehydes. ketones, carboxylic acids and hydrocarbons formed by thermooxidative degradation of polyethylene during the extrusion coating process in the manufacture of the packaging, and many of them are involved in the unpleasant and undesirable odour of these materials. External standard calibration using a solution of the analytes in an appropriate solvent was the first approach studied. Aqueous solutions of the analytes provided low reproducibility and the reduction of aldehydes to alcohols under the HS-SPME conditions. Hexadecane was chosen as the solvent since its polarity is similar to that of polyethylene and its volatility is lower than that of the analytes. However, hexadecane should be added to the sample before the analysis as it modifies the absorption capacity of the fibre. A 75-microm Carboxen-poly(dimethylsiloxane) fibre was used to extract the VOCs from the headspace above the packaging in a 15-ml sealed vial at 100 degrees C after 5 min of preincubation. The influence of the extraction time on the amount extracted was studied for a standard solution of the analytes in hexadecane, together with the influence of the volume of the standard solution and the amount of the sample placed in the vial. Standard addition and multiple HS-SPME were also studied as calibration methods and the results obtained in the quantitative analysis of a packaging material were compared.     

Characterization of the volatile organic compounds of Italian 'Fossa' cheese by solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Fossa cheese is an Italian hard cheese, ripened for up to 3 months in underground pits dug into tuffaceous rock. During this period, the cheese develops a unique flavour and intense and somewhat piquant aroma. Solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS) was utilized to characterize the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of Fossa cheese. A total of 75 VOCs were separated and identified; in particular, the major class of compounds found in the cheeses ripened in the pits were the esters of fatty acids. Discriminant analysis of volatile profiles allowed us to distinguish between cheeses in different stages of seasoning (60-day-old cheese and cheese ripened an additional 90 days in and out of the pits).     

Full-range analysis of ambient volatile organic compounds by a new trapping method and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

This study investigated the feasibility of analyzing a full range of ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from C(3) to C(12) using gas chromatograph mass spectrometry (GC/MS) coupled with thermal desorption. Two columns were used: a PLOT column separated compounds lighter than C(6) and a DB-1 column separated C(6)-C(12) compounds. An innovative heart-cut technique based on the Deans switch was configured to combine the two column outflows at the ends of the columns before entering the MS. To prevent the resolved peaks from re-converging after combining, two techniques were attempted (hold-up vs. back-flush) to achieve the intended "delayed" elution of heavier components. Thus, the resulting chromatogram covering the full range of VOCs is a combination of two separate elutions, with the heavier section following the lighter section. With the hold-up method, band-broadening inevitably occurred for the delayed C(6)-C(7) DB-1 compounds while the light compounds eluted from the PLOT column. This broadening problem resulted in peak tailing that was largely alleviated by adding a re-focusing stage while the DB-1 compounds were back-flushed, and this modified technique is referred to as the back-flush method. With this modification, the separation of the C(6)-C(7) compounds improved dramatically, as revealed by the decrease in peak asymmetry (As) and increase in resolution. Linearity and precision for these peaks also improved, yielding R(2) and RSD values better than 0.9990 and 2.8%, respectively.     

Analysis of volatile compounds emitted from fresh Syringa oblata flowers in different florescence by headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

In this study, a simple and solvent-free method was developed for determination of the volatile compounds from fresh flowers of Syringa oblata using headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The SPME parameters were studied, the optimum conditions of a 65 μm polydimethylsiloxan/divinylbenezene (PDMS/DVB), extraction temperature of 25 °C and extraction time of 30 min were obtained and applied to extraction of the volatile compounds emitted from fresh flowers of S. oblata. The volatile compounds released from fresh flowers of S. oblata were separated and identified by GC-MS. Lilac aldehyde A, lilac aldehyde B, lilac aldehyde C, lilac aldehyde D, lilac alcohol A, lilac alcohol B, lilac alcohol C, lilac alcohol D, α-pinene, sabinene, β-pinene, myrcene, d-limonene, eucalyptol, cis-ocimene, benzaldehyde, terpinolene, linalool, benzene acetaldehyde, α-terpineol, p-methoxyanisole, p-anisaldehyde, (Z,E)-α-farnesene and (E,E)-α-farnesene were the most abundant volatiles released from fresh flowers of S. oblata var. alba. The relative contents of main volatile fragrance were found to be different in emissions from two varieties of S. oblata flowers (white or purple in color). The four isomers of lilac alcohol and four isomer lilac aldehyde were the characteristic components of the scent of fresh flowers of S. oblata. The main volatile fragrance from fresh flowers of S. oblata var. alba in different florescence ((A) flower buds; (B) at the early stage of flower blooming; (C) during the flower blooming; (D) at the end of flower blooming; (E) senescence) were studied in this paper. The results demonstrated that headspace SPME-GC-MS is a simple, rapid and solvent-free method suitable for analysis of volatile compounds emitted from fresh flowers of S. oblata in different florescence.     

Determination of oxygenated volatile organic compounds in ambient air using canister collection-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

This research attempts to establish a method to measure 11 kinds of oxygenated volatile organic compound (OVOC) in ambient air by using the canister collection-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method. Since several compounds such as acetone exhibited high blank concentrations due to their laboratory use, stringent quality control was conducted for the VOC-free added water and the VOC-free nitrogen gas. In order to prevent the decline of recovery rates due to lack of sufficient relative humidity, it is necessary to add VOC-free water when pressurizing and diluting the air samples. Thus, all the target compounds in ambient air were obtained from the canisters at high recovery rates without significant contamination. Furthermore, the canister collection-GC/MS method makes it possible to apply simultaneous air monitoring of OVOCs as well as volatile hazardous air pollutants without additional sampling.     

Detection of volatile organic sulfur compounds in water by headspace gas chromatography and membrane inlet mass spectrometry

Two gas chromatographic methods, GC-FID (flame ionization detection) and GC-ELCD (electrolytic conductivity detector) are compared in tlie analysis of volatile organic sulfur compounds (VOSCs) in water samples with a membrane inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS) technique. Carbon disulfide, ethanethiol, dimethyl sulfide, ethyl-methyl sulfide, thiophene, and dimethyl disulfide were used as test compounds. Linear dynamic ranges were found to be two decades with the GC-ELCD method and four decades with the GC-FID and MIMS methods. Detection limits were at low (μg/1 levels with the two gas chromatographic methods and clearly below μg/1 level with the MIMS method. Analysis of one sample takes 40 min with the gas chromatographic methods and five minutes with the MIMS method. The selectivity was good, especially with the GC-ELCD and the MIMS method. In addition, quantitative results obtained with spiked water samples by the three methods are compared.     

Simultaneous quantification of polar and non-polar volatile organic compounds in water samples by direct aqueous injection-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

A direct aqueous injection-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (DAI-GC/MS) method for trace analysis of 24 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in water samples is presented. The method allows for the simultaneous quantification of benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylenes (BTEX), methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), tert-butyl alcohol (TBA), as well as a variety of chlorinated methanes, ethanes, propane, enthenes and benzenes. Applying a liquid film polyethylene glycol or a porous layer open tubular (PLOT) divinylbenzene GC capillary column to separate the water from the VOCs, volumes of 1-10 microL aqueous sample are directly injected into the GC. No enrichment or pretreatment steps are required and sample volumes as low as 100 microL are sufficient for accurate quantification. Method detection limits determined in natural groundwater samples were between 0.07 and 2.8 microg/L and instrument detection limits of <5 pg were achieved for 21 out of the 24 evaluated VOCs. DAI-GC/MS offers both good accuracy and precision (relative standard deviations 相似文献   

Solid-phase microcolumn extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry identification of volatile organic compounds emitted by paper

A rapid non-destructive sampling technique for the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by paper sheets is described. A capillary, which is connected to a microcolumn packed with Tenax TA, is inserted between two sheets at the centre of a paper stack encapsulated inside a PET/Al/PE composite foil. The other end of the microcolumn is connected to a gas-tight syringe and an appropriate volume of gaseous phase is aspirated. The microcolumn is then thermally desorbed in a modified GC inlet (modification is presented) and analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In the chromatogram from the analysis of artificially aged paper sample 21 compounds were identified. Advantages of the method including the short sampling time (1 min), simplicity and economic aspect are discussed.     

Importance of enhanced mass resolution in removing interferences when measuring volatile organic compounds in human blood by using purge-and-trap gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

The number of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can be purged from human blood is so great that they cannot be separated completely by capillary gas chromatography. As a result, the single-mass chromatograms used for quantitating the target compounds by mass spectrometry have many interferences at nominal (integer) mass resolution of a quadrupole mass spectrometer. The results of these interferences range from small errors in quantitation to completely erroneous results for the target VOCs. By using a magnetic sector mass spectrometer, these interferences at nominal mass can be removed at higher resolution by lowering the ion chromatogram windows around the masses of interest. At 3000 resolution (10% valley definition), unique single-ion chromatograms can be made for the quantitation ions of the target VOCs. Full-scan mass data are required to allow the identification of unknown compounds purged from the blood. By using isotope-dilution mass spectrometry, most target VOCs can be detected in the low parts per trillion range for a 10-mL quantity of blood from which the VOCs have been removed by a purge-and-trap method.     

Analysis of volatile organic compounds in pleural effusions by headspace solid‐phase microextraction coupled with cryotrap gas chromatography and mass spectrometry

Headspace solid‐phase microextraction coupled with cryotrap gas chromatography and mass spectrometry was applied to the analysis of volatile organic compounds in pleural effusions. The highly volatile organic compounds were separated successfully with high sensitivity by the employment of a cryotrap device, with the construction of a cold column head by freezing a segment of metal capillary with liquid nitrogen. A total of 76 volatile organic compounds were identified in 50 pleural effusion samples (20 malignant effusions and 30 benign effusions). Among them, 34 more volatile organic compounds were detected with the retention time less than 8 min, by comparing with the normal headspace solid‐phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry method. Furthermore, 24 volatile organic compounds with high occurrence frequency in pleural effusion samples, 18 of which with the retention time less than 8 min, were selected for the comparative analysis. The results of average peak area comparison and box‐plot analysis showed that except for cyclohexanone, 2‐ethyl‐1‐hexanol, and tetramethylbenzene, which have been reported as potential cancer biomarkers, cyclohexanol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, n‐heptane, ethylbenzene, and xylene also had differential expression between malignant and benign effusions. Therefore, the proposed approach was valuable for the comprehensive characterization of volatile organic compounds in pleural effusions.     

Development of a headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography method to determine organohalogen contamination in drinking water

The formation of organohalogen compounds in waters treated by chlorination has drawn increasing scientific attention due to the potentially hazardous health effects of this class of substances. Today, chlorination is the most widely used technology for civil water disinfection. In this study, headspace-solid phase microextraction coupled with GC-electron capture detector was used to determine organohalogen compounds in drinking water sampled from aqueducts and artesian wells in Italy. Experimental parameters, such as sample volume, stirring, salting out, extraction temperature, and extraction time, were evaluated and optimized. The LODs ranged from 1 to 10 ng/L and LOQs from 5 to 50 ng/L. A linear response was confirmed by correlation coefficients ranging from 0.9443 to 0.9999. Quantifiable organohalogen residues were found in 11 water samples, with concentration up to 11.3 +/- 0.5 microg/L for the sum of all trihalomethanes and 0.66 +/- 0.03 microg/L for the sum of trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene. These concentrations are lower than the current regulatory limits in Italy.