Liquid chromatographic determination of microcystins in water samples following pre-column excimer fluorescence derivatization with 4-(1-pyrene)butanoic acid hydrazide

A method to measure the concentrations of microcystins (MCs) in water samples has been developed by incorporating pre-column fluorescence derivatization and liquid chromatography (LC). A solid-phase extraction for pretreatment was used to extract the MCs in water samples. The MCs were derivatized with excimer-forming 4-(1-pyrene)butanoic acid hydrazide (PBH). The MCs could then be detected by fluorescence after separation with a pentafluorophenyl (PFP)-modified superficially porous (core shell) particle LC column. The derivatization reactions of MCs with PBH proceeded easily in the presence of 4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl-4-methylmorpholinium (DMT-MM) as a condensation reagent, and the resulting derivatives could be easily separated on the PFP column. The derivatives were selectively detected at excimer fluorescence wavelengths (440–540 nm). The instrument detection limit and the instrument quantification limit of the MCs standards were 0.4–1.2 μg L⁻¹ and 1.4–3.9 μg L⁻¹, respectively. The method was validated at 0.1 and 1.0 μg L⁻¹ levels in tap and pond water samples, and the recovery of MCs was between 67 and 101% with a relative standard deviation of 11%. The proposed method can be used to quantify trace amounts of MCs in water samples.     

A comprehensive immunoassay for the detection of microcystins in waters based on polyclonal antibodies

Microcystins (MCs) are a group of closely related toxic cyclic heptapeptides produced by common cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), and microcystin-leucine-arginine (MC-LR) is among the most frequent and most toxic microcystin congeners. In this study, a free amino group was introduced to MC-LR at its seventh amino acid residue with 2-mercaptoethylamine, and the product aminoethyl-MC-LR was coupled to bovine serum albumin (BSA) and horseradish peroxidise (HRP) by glutaraldehyde to be complete antigen (MC-LR-BSA) and labelled hapten (MC-LR-HRP), respectively. Polyclonal antibodies against MC-LR were generated by immunization with MC-LR-BSA. A direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (dc-ELISA) was established to detect the MCs in waters, which showed a good cross-reactivity with MC-LR, MC-RR, MC-YR, MC-LF, MC-LW and nodularin, and have a detection limit for MC-LR 0.12 μg L⁻¹, the 50% inhibition concentration (IC₅₀) for MC-LR was 0.63 ± 0.06 μg L⁻¹ and the quantitative detection range was from 0.17 to 2.32 μg L⁻¹, the analysis result of water samples showed good recovery and reliability. So the comprehensive and reliable dc-ELISA will well potentially suit for sensitive analysis for total MCs in drinking as well as resource water samples.     

Generation and characterization of polyclonal antibodies against microcystins-Application to immunoassays and immunoaffinity sample preparation prior to analysis by liquid chromatography and UV detection

Polyclonal antibodies against microcystin-LR (MC-LR), a cyclic heptapeptide toxin, were generated in rabbits using MC-LR-BSA. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for the characterization of the antibodies and their potential use for analytical purposes. The concentration of MC-LR that inhibits 50% of antibody-antigen binding (IC₅₀) was 0.5 μg L⁻¹ for the indirect ELISA format and 0.9 μg L⁻¹ for the direct ELISA, using MC-LR-horseradish peroxidase conjugate. The limit of detection corresponding to IC₈₀ was found to be 0.06 μg L⁻¹, well below the Word Health Organization level for drinking water of 1 μg L⁻¹. The direct competitive ELISA was applied to water samples and was shown useful for screening purposes. The developed anti-microcystin antibodies were immobilized on solid supports for use in selective solid phase extraction (SPE) systems, prior to liquid chromatography (LC) quantification. An immunoaffinity cartridge (IAC), a Sepharose^®-based cartridge incorporating 2 mg of antibodies allowed the selective and quantitative recovery of a mixture of 0.2 μg of MCs showing potential use in sample preparation of real matrices. When applied to water and green algae samples, average recoveries from Sepharose^®-based cartridges were in the range of 86-113% for water samples and 85-92% for blue-green algae samples. Selectivity of the IAC clean-up was proven by comparison with non-specific solid phase extraction using octadecylsilica (ODS) sorbent. Results obtained using LC/UV after IAC clean-up agreed well with results obtained using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry detection (LC/MS and LC/MS/MS) after SPE-C18 clean-up, allowing therefore to validate the resulting technique.     

Determination of acrylamide in food by solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography-positive chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry

A method has been developed to determine acrylamide in aqueous matrices by using direct immersion solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to gas chromatography-positive chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry (GC-PCI-MS-MS) in the selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. The optimized SPME experimental procedures to extract acrylamide in water solutions were: use of a carbowax/divinylbenzene (CW/DVB)-coated fiber at pH 7, extraction time of 20 min and analyte desorption at 210 °C for 3 min. A detection limit of 0.1 μg L⁻¹ was obtained. The linear range was 1-1000 μg L⁻¹. The relative standard deviation was 10.64% (n = 7). The proposed analytical method was successfully used for the quantification of trace acrylamide in foodstuffs such as French fries (1.2 μg g⁻¹) and potato crisps (2.2 μg g⁻¹).     

Sensitive determination of hydrazine in water by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry after derivatization with ortho-phthalaldehyde

A gas chromatography–mass spectrometric (GC–MS) method has been established for the determination of hydrazine in drinking water and surface water. This method is based on the derivatization of hydrazine with ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA) in water. The following optimum reaction conditions were established: reagent dosage, 40 mg mL⁻¹ of OPA; pH 2; reaction for 20 min at 70 °C. The organic derivative was extracted with methylene chloride and then measured by GC–MS. Under the established condition, the detection and the quantification limits were 0.002 μg L⁻¹ and 0.007 μg L⁻¹ by using 5.0-mL of surface water or drinking water, respectively. The calibration curve showed good linearity with r² = 0.9991 (for working range of 0.05–100 μg L⁻¹) and the accuracy was in a range of 95–106%, and the precision of the assay was less than 13% in water. Hydrazine was detected in a concentration range of 0.05–0.14 μg L⁻¹ in 2 samples of 10 raw drinking water samples and in a concentration range of 0.09–0.55 μg L⁻¹ in 4 samples of 10 treated drinking water samples.     

Analysis of microcystins by capillary zone electrophoresis coupling with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

In this paper, a rapid and effective method based on capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) was established for the trace analysis of microcystin (MC) isomers in crude algae sample. The experimental conditions including the composition, acidity and concentration of buffer, separation voltage, injection time, and MS detection parameters were investigated in detail. A capillary separation system was as follows: a uncoated fused-silica capillary tube (50 μm i.d. × 90 cm), 40 mmol L⁻¹ ammonium acetate solution (pH 9.86) as running buffer, 25 kV as separation voltage, 20 kV × 3 s water first and 20 kV × 20 s for sample injection. Mass analysis was performed in ESI source, with sheath gas temperature 150 °C, sheath gas pressure 10 psi, and sheath gas flow 6 L min⁻¹. And sheath liquid was 7.5 mmol L⁻¹ acetic acid in 50% isopropanol-water (3 μL min⁻¹). Protonation and ammonium adduct molecular ions m/z 506.9 (MC-LR) and 532.0 (MC-YR) were used for the quantification of MCs. Under these conditions, two MCs were baseline separated within 9 min, the calibration curves were obtained in the range of 0.11-10.0 μg mL⁻¹ and 0.16-10.5 μg mL⁻¹ for MC-LR and MC-YR, respectively. Meanwhile, limits of detection were 0.05 and 0.08 μg mL⁻¹ for MC-LR and MC-YR, respectively. The recoveries for the two MCs were in the range of 95.8-108%. The developed approach had been successfully applied to the analysis of MCs in crude algae samples.     

Development of an inexpensive and sensitive method for the determination of low quantity of arsenic species in water samples by CPE-FAAS

The simple and rapid preconcentration technique using cloud point extraction (CPE) was applied for the determination of As(V) and total inorganic arsenic (As(V) plus As(III)) in water samples by means of FAAS. As(V) has formed an ion-pairing complex with Pyronine B in the presence of cetyl pyridinium chloride (CPC) at pH 8.0 and extracted into the non-ionic surfactant Triton X-114, after centrifugation the surfactant-rich phase was separated and diluted with 1.0 mol L⁻¹ HNO₃ in methanol. The proposed method is very versatile and economic because it exclusively used conventional FAAS. After optimization of the CPE conditions, a preconcentration factor of 120, the detection and quantification limits of 1.67 and 5.06 μg L⁻¹ with a correlation coefficient of 0.9978 were obtained from the calibration curve constructed in the range of 5.0-2200 μg L⁻¹. The relative standard deviation, RSD as a measure of precision was less than 4.1% and the recoveries were in the range of 98.2-102.4%, 97.4-101.2% and 97.8-101.1% for As(V), As(III) and total As, respectively. The method was validated by the analysis of standard reference materials, TMDA-53.3 and NIST 1643e and applied to the determination of As(III) and As(V) in some real samples including natural drinking water and tap water samples with satisfactory results. The results obtained (34.70 ± 1.08 μg L⁻¹ and 60.25 ± 1.07 μg L⁻¹) were in good agreement with the certified values (34.20 ± 1.38 μg L⁻¹ and 60.45 ± 1.78 μg L⁻¹).     

Determination of trace bisphenol A in complex samples using selective molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction coupled with capillary electrophoresis

The highly selective, fast and effective sample pretreatment technique molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) can overcome the low sensitivity of the highly efficient capillary electrophoresis-UV method (CE-UV). In this work, narrowly dispersible bisphenol A (BPA)-imprinted polymeric microspheres with a high capacity factor of k′ = 6.8 and an imprinted factor of I = 6.53 were investigated as selective solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbents for use in extraction of BPA from different sample matrices (tap water, wastewater, Yangtze River water, soil from the Yangtze River, shrimp and human urine). Washing and eluting protocols of MISPE were optimized. Under optimal conditions, recoveries of MISPE were investigated. Recoveries were basically constant and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was lower than 5.8% when loading volumes changed from 1 to 50 mL. Recoveries ranged from 71.20% to 86.23% for different sample matrices. Compared with C18 SPE, MISPE had higher selectivity and recovery for BPA. BPA was determined with good accuracy and precision in different complex samples using CE-UV coupled with MISPE. Spiked recoveries ranged from 95.20% to 105.40%, and the RSD was less than 7.2%. Because a large loading volume was achieved, the enrichment efficiency of pretreatment and the sensitivity of this method were improved. The limits of detection of this MISPE-CE-UV method for BPA in tap water, wastewater, Yangtze River water, soil from the Yangtze River, shrimp and human urine were 3.0 μg L^− 1, 5.4 μg L^− 1, 6.9 μg L^− 1, 2.1 μg L^− 1, 1.8 μg L^− 1 and 84 μg L^− 1, respectively.     

Determination of the steroid hormone levels in water samples by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction with solidification of a floating organic drop followed by high-performance liquid chromatography

In this study, the steroid hormone levels in river and tap water samples were determined by using a novel dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method based on the solidification of a floating organic drop (DLLME-SFO). Several parameters were optimized, including the type and volume of the extraction and dispersive solvents, extraction time, and salt effect. DLLME-SFO is a fast, cheap, and easy-to-use method for detecting trace levels of samples. Most importantly, this method uses less-toxic solvent. The correlation coefficient of the calibration curve was higher than 0.9991. The linear range was from 5 to 1000 μg L⁻¹. The spiked environmental water samples were analyzed using DLLME-SFO. The relative recoveries ranged from 87% to 116% for river water (which was spiked with 4 μg L⁻¹ for E1, 3 μg L⁻¹ for E2, 4 μg L⁻¹ for EE2 and 9 μg L⁻¹ for E3) and 89% to 102% for tap water (which was spiked with 6 μg L⁻¹ for E1, 5 μg L⁻¹ for E2, 6 μg L⁻¹ for EE2 and 10 μg L⁻¹ for E3). The detection limits of the method ranged from 0.8 to 2.7 μg L⁻¹ for spiked river water and 1.4 to 3.1 μg L⁻¹ for spiked tap water. The methods precision ranged from 8% to 14% for spiked river water and 7% to 14% for spiked tap water.     

Application of a modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for 3-amino-2-oxazolidinone residue in aquatic animals

Furazolidone has been banned from use in food animals because of its carcinogenicity and mutagenicity, but its continued misuse is widespread in aquacultures. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a simple, reliable, and rapid method for the detection of its marker residue, 3-amino-2-oxazolidinone (AOZ), in aquatic products. In this regard, we modified a simplified indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) to address this need. A good linearity was achieved over a concentration range of 0.05-12.15 μg L⁻¹, and the IC₅₀ value was 0.96 μg L⁻¹. The sample preparation was simple and effective included water bath treatments, acid hydrolysis combined with overnight derivatization of AOZ by benzaldehyde. The limit of detection and the limit of quantification were 0.15 and 0.3 μg kg⁻¹. The recoveries of AOZ in all tissues were between 78.0-95.3% at the levels of 0.3, 1.0, and 2.0 μg kg⁻¹. The inter-assay variability was less than 19.1%. The modified ic-ELISA was applied in quantification of AOZ elimination in carp. The results showed that AOZ was quite difficult to eliminate. Good correlations of the results obtained by ELISA and LC-MS/MS were observed in incurred carp muscle (r = 0.9923) and carp plasma (r = 0.9915) at the levels of 2.5-571.8 μg kg⁻¹ (μg L⁻¹). Better results were obtained by modified ic-ELISA when compared with commercial ELISA kit. Therefore, the present assay is considered a rapid, accurate, reliable, and inexpensive method for the detection of furazolidone-residues in the edible tissues of aquatic animals.     

Rapid quantification of total microcystins in cyanobacterial samples by periodate-permanganate oxidation and reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Microcystins (MCs) comprise a family of more than 80 related cyclic hepatotoxic heptapeptides. Oxidation of MCs causes cleavage of the chemically unique C₂₀ β-amino acid (2S, 3S, 8S, 9S)-3-amino-9-methoxy-2,6,8-trimethyl-10-phenyldeca-4,6-dienoic acid (Adda) amino to form 2-methyl-3-methoxy-4-phenylbutanoic acid (MMPB), which has been exploited to enable analysis of the entire family. In the present study, the reaction conditions (e.g. concentration of the reactants, temperature and pH) used in the production of MMPB by oxidation of cyanobacterial samples with permanganate-periodate were optimized through a series of well-controlled batch experiments. The oxidation product (MMPB) was then directly analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. The results of this study provided insight into the influence of reaction conditions on the yield of MMPB. Specifically, the optimal conditions, including a high dose of permanganate (≥50 mM) in saturated periodate solution at ambient temperature under alkaline conditions (pH ∼9) over 1-4 h were proposed, as indicated by a MMPB yield of greater than 85%. The technique developed here was applied to determine the total concentration of MCs in cyanobacterial bloom samples, and indicated that the MMPB technique was a highly sensitive and accurate method of quantifying total MCs. Additionally, these results will aid in development of a highly effective analytical method for detection of MMPB as an oxidation product for evaluation of total MCs in a wide range of environmental sample matrices, including natural waters, soils (sediments) and animal tissues.     

Development of a new multi-residue laser diode thermal desorption atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry method for the detection and quantification of pesticides and pharmaceuticals in wastewater samples

A new solid phase extraction (SPE) method coupled to a high throughput sample analysis technique was developed for the simultaneous determination of nine selected emerging contaminants in wastewater (atrazine, desethylatrazine, 17β-estradiol, ethynylestradiol, norethindrone, caffeine, carbamazepine, diclofenac and sulfamethoxazole). We specifically included pharmaceutical compounds from multiple therapeutic classes, as well as pesticides. Sample pre-concentration and clean-up was performed using a mixed-mode SPE cartridge (Strata ABW) having both cation and anion exchange properties, followed by analysis by laser diode thermal desorption atmospheric pressure chemical ionization coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LDTD-APCI-MS/MS). The LDTD interface is a new high-throughput sample introduction method, which reduces total analysis time to less than 15 s per sample as compared to minutes with traditional liquid-chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Several SPE parameters were evaluated in order to optimize recovery efficiencies when extracting analytes from wastewater, such as the nature of the stationary phase, the loading flow rate, the extraction pH, the volume and composition of the washing solution and the initial sample volume. The method was successfully applied to real wastewater samples from the primary sedimentation tank of a municipal wastewater treatment plant. Recoveries of target compounds from wastewater ranged from 78% to 106%, the limit of detection ranged from 30 to 122 ng L⁻¹ while the limit of quantification ranged from 90 to 370 ng L⁻¹. Calibration curves in the wastewater matrix showed good linearity (R² ≥ 0.991) for all target analytes and the intraday and interday coefficient of variation was below 15%, reflecting a good precision.     

A highly specific immunoassay for microcystin-LR detection based on a monoclonal antibody

Microcystins (MC) are cyanobacterial hepatotoxins responsible for animal-poisoning and human health incidents. Immunoassays provide a sensitive and fast means to detect these toxins, but cross-reactivity (CR) characteristic of different antibodies was variable. Here, we have produced and characterized a monoclonal antibody (Clone MC8C10) with highly specificity against the most frequent and most toxic variant of microcystins, MC-LR. MC8C10 is more specific against MC-LR among the reported antibodies before. The immunogen was synthesized from the modified MC-LR and bovine serum albumin (BSA). An indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) with MC8C10 was established to detect the MCs in waters, which showed highly specificity with MC-LR, and have a detection limit for MC-LR 0.1 μg L⁻¹, the 50% inhibition concentration (IC₅₀) for MC-LR was 1.8 ± 0.1 μg L⁻¹ and the quantitative detection range was from 0.3 to 10 μg L⁻¹. The [4-arginine] microcystins and the nodularin-R showed lower cross-reactivates (CR < 10%), and other MCs such as MC-LF and MC-LW are not recognized (CR < 10⁻⁴). The analysis results of real water samples with ic-ELISA showed that all the coefficients of variation were less than 15%, and the recovery was (100.3 ± 5.9)%. So the highly specific ic-ELISA will commendably suit for sensitive analysis for MC-LR in surface water as well as drinking water.     

A column-switching method for quantification of the enantiomers of omeprazole in native matrices of waste and estuarine water samples

This work reports the use of a two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC) system for quantification of the enantiomers of omeprazole in distinct native aqueous matrices. An octyl restricted-access media bovine serum albumin column (RAM-BSA C₈) was used in the first dimension, while a polysaccharide-based chiral column was used in the second dimension with either ultraviolet (UV-vis) or ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry (IT-MS/MS) detection. An in-line configuration was employed to assess the exclusion capacity of the RAM-BSA columns to humic substances. The excluded macromolecules had a molecular mass in the order of 18 kDa. Good selectivity, extraction efficiency, accuracy, and precision were achieved employing a very small amount (500 μL or 1.00 mL) of native water sample per injection, with detection limits of 5.00 μg L⁻¹, using UV-vis, and 0.0250 μg L⁻¹, using IT-MS/MS. The total analysis time was only 35 min, with no time spent on sample preparation. The methods were successfully applied to analyze a series of waste and estuarine water samples. The enantiomers were detected in an estuarine water sample collected from the Douro River estuary (Portugal) and in an influent sample from the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of São Carlos (Brazil). As far as we are concerned, this is the first report of the occurrence of (+)-omeprazole and (−)-omeprazole in native aqueous matrices.     

Determination of non-ionic and anionic surfactants in environmental water matrices

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) combined with liquid chromatography electrospray mass spectrometry (LC-(ESI)MS) was used to determine 16 non-ionic and anionic surfactants in different environmental water samples at ng L⁻¹ levels. The proposed method is sensitive and simple and has good linear range and detection limits (less than 50 ng L⁻¹) for most compound classes.The effect of ion suppression was studied in aqueous matrices from several treatment plants—including urban and industrial wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), drinking-water treatment plants (DWTPs) and seawater desalination plants (SWDPs)—and it was considered when quantifying our samples. In addition, conventional treatments and tertiary treatments that use advanced membrane technologies, such as ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) were evaluated in order to determine their efficiency in eliminating these compounds.The concentrations of non-ionic surfactants in the raw waters studied ranged from 0.2 to 100 μg L⁻¹. In effluents, the concentrations ranged from 0.1 to 5 μg L⁻¹, which reflects consistent elimination. Anionic surfactants were present in all waters studied at higher levels. Levels up to 3900 μg L⁻¹ of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LASs) and 32,000 μg L⁻¹ of alkyl ethoxysulfates (AESs) were detected in urban WWTP influents, while levels up to 25 μg L⁻¹ of LASs and 114 μg L⁻¹ of AESs were found in drinking-water and desalination treatment plants.The results indicate that conventional processes alone are not sufficient to completely remove the studied surfactants from waste streams. Tertiary treatments that use advanced membrane technologies such as UF and RO can further reduce the amount of target compounds in the effluent water.     

Quantitative analysis of poly- and perfluoroalkyl compounds in water matrices using high resolution mass spectrometry: Optimization for a laser diode thermal desorption method

An alternative analysis technique for the quantitation of 15 poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in water matrices is reported. Analysis time between each sample was reduced to less than 20 s, all target molecules being analyzed in a single run with the use of laser diode thermal desorption atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (LDTD/APCI) coupled with high resolution accurate mass (HRMS) orbitrap mass spectrometry. LDTD optimal settings were investigated using either one-factor-at-a-time or experimental design methodologies, while orbitrap parameters were optimized simultaneously by means of a Box–Behnken design. Following selection of an adequate sample concentration and purification procedure based on solid-phase extraction and graphite clean-up, the method was validated in an influent wastewater matrix. Environmentally significant limits of detection were reported (0.3–4 ng L⁻¹ in wastewater and 0.03–0.2 ng L⁻¹ in surface water) and out of the 15 target analytes, 11 showed excellent accuracies (±20% of the target values) and recovery rates (75–125%). The method was successfully applied to a selection of environmental samples, including wastewater samples in 7 locations across Canada, as well as surface and tap water samples from the Montreal region, providing insights into the degree of PFAS contamination in this area.     

Indirect determination of hexavalent chromium ion in complex matrices by adsorptive stripping voltammetry at a mercury electrode

A sensitive method for the determination of chromium ion(VI) in complex matrices such as crude oil and sludge is presented based on the decreasing effect of Cr(VI) on cathodic adsorptive stripping peak height of Cu-adenine complex. Under the optimum experimental conditions (pH 7.5 Britton-Robinson buffer, 5 × 10⁻⁵ M copper, 8 × 10⁻⁶ M adenine and accumulation potential −250 mV versus Ag/AgCl), a linear decrease of the peak current of Cu-adenine was observed, when the chromium(VI) concentration was increased from 5 μg L⁻¹ to 120 μg L⁻¹. Detection limit of 2 μg L⁻¹ was achieved for 120 s accumulation time. The relative standard deviations (R.S.D., %) were 1.8% and 4% for chromium(VI) concentrations of 18 μg L⁻¹ and 100 μg L⁻¹, respectively. The method was applied to the determination of chromium(VI) in the presence of high levels of chromium(III), in various real samples such as crude oil, crude oil tank button sludge, waste water and tap water samples. Effects of foreign ions and surfactants on the voltammetric peak and the influences of instrumental and analytical parameters were investigated in detail. The accuracy of the results was checked by ICP and/or AA.     

A novel capillary electrophoretic method for determining methylglyoxal and glyoxal in urine and water samples

Two non-electroactive biomarkers methylglyoxal (MGo) and glyoxal (Go) in urine and environmental water samples were determined for the first time by capillary electrophoresis with amperometric detection (CE-AD) after derivatizing with an electroactive compound 2-thiobarbituric acid. Experimental conditions of derivatization and CE-AD detection were optimized. Highly linear response was obtained for these two biomarkers over three orders of magnitude with good correlation (r² > 0.999). The limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantitation (LOQs) of MGo and Go were 0.2 μg L⁻¹ and 1.0 μg L⁻¹, 0.5 μg L⁻¹ and 2.0 μg L⁻¹, respectively. The average recovery and relative standard deviation (RSD) were within the range of 90.9–101.3% and 0.7–2.2%, respectively. The proposed CE-AD method provides a reliable and sensitive quantitative evaluation of MGo and Go in real sample matrices by employing relatively simple and inexpensive instrument.     

Multi-analyte quantification in bioprocesses by Fourier-transform-infrared spectroscopy by partial least squares regression and multivariate curve resolution

This paper presents the quantification of Penicillin V and phenoxyacetic acid, a precursor, inline during Pencillium chrysogenum fermentations by FTIR spectroscopy and partial least squares (PLS) regression and multivariate curve resolution – alternating least squares (MCR-ALS). First, the applicability of an attenuated total reflection FTIR fiber optic probe was assessed offline by measuring standards of the analytes of interest and investigating matrix effects of the fermentation broth. Then measurements were performed inline during four fed-batch fermentations with online HPLC for the determination of Penicillin V and phenoxyacetic acid as reference analysis. PLS and MCR-ALS models were built using these data and validated by comparison of single analyte spectra with the selectivity ratio of the PLS models and the extracted spectral traces of the MCR-ALS models, respectively. The achieved root mean square errors of cross-validation for the PLS regressions were 0.22 g L⁻¹ for Penicillin V and 0.32 g L⁻¹ for phenoxyacetic acid and the root mean square errors of prediction for MCR-ALS were 0.23 g L⁻¹ for Penicillin V and 0.15 g L⁻¹ for phenoxyacetic acid. A general work-flow for building and assessing chemometric regression models for the quantification of multiple analytes in bioprocesses by FTIR spectroscopy is given.     

Analysis of phenylurea and propanil herbicides by solid-phase microextraction and liquid chromatography combined with post-column photochemically induced fluorimetry derivatization and fluorescence detection

This study examines the application of solid-phase microextraction coupled with high performance liquid chromatography combined with post-column photochemically induced fluorimetry derivatization and fluorescence detection (SPME-HPLC-PIF-FD) for the determination of four phenylurea herbicides (monolinuron, diuron, linuron and neburon) and propanil in groundwater. Direct immersion (DI) SPME was applied using a 60 μm polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB) fiber for the extraction of the pesticides from groundwater samples. An AQUASIL C₁₈ column (150 mm × 4.6 mm i.d., 5 μm) was used for separation and determination in HPLC. The method was evaluated with respect to the limits of detection (LODs) and the limits of quantification (LOQs) according to IUPAC. The limits of detection varied between 0.019 μg L⁻¹ and 0.034 μg L⁻¹. Limits of quantification ranged between 0.051 μg L⁻¹ and 0.088 μg L⁻¹. These values meet the recommended limits for individual pesticides in groundwater (0.1 μg L⁻¹) established by the EU. Recoveries ranged between 86% and 105% and relative standard deviation values between 2% and 8%.