Determination of Trace Metal Species in the Suspended Matter of Riverine and Estuarine Waters

A sequential extraction technique was used to determine the chemical species of six metals (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd) in suspended matter of the Kaoping and Tsengwen river basins. The samples were taken to cover the fresh and marine characteristics. The precision of the species determination was estimated by the relative difference between the concentration of total metal and the sum concentation of the five species. The accuracy for the measurement of total metal was examined from the recovery of metal spiking. The accuracy of the total determination is better than 94% and the precision of speciation is greater than 90%. Most of the studied metals were found in the Fe-Mn oxides and residual fractions except that Cd, Zn and Cu have significant amounts in the exchangeable, carbonate, and organic matter phases, respectively. Species other than residual fraction are generally considered as potentially available for biota in aquatic systems, and in most cases, metal pollution could be reflected from the variation of fraction distributions.     

Application of Single Drop Extraction (SDE) Gas Chromatography Method for the Determination of Carbonyl Compounds in Spirits and Vodkas

Abstract

The application of single drop extraction (SDE) for isolation and enrichment of carbonyl compounds after derivatization with O‐(2,3,4,5,6‐pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine in spirits and vodkas is discussed. The optimal parameters (extraction volume, drop volume, content of ethyl alcohol, sample volume, temperature and time of extraction) for isolation and preconcentration of C₁–C₆ aldehydes from alcoholic matrices were established. The developed SDE‐gas chromatography (GC)‐electron capture detection (ECD), an extraction method, allows the determination of low molecular aldehydes at level lower than 1 µg dm^?3. The overall analysis time without derivatization is 35 minutes. The procedure was applied for the determination of aldehydes in real alcoholic beverages (vodkas). The simplicity and cost‐effectiveness of the proposed procedure makes it a good alternative to solid phase microextraction (SPME) and other more labor‐intensive methods.     

Trace Element Speciation in Soils and Sediments Using Sequential Chemical Extraction Methods

Abstract

Several commonly used sequential chemical extraction procedures of heavy metals in soils and sediments are compared, and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed focusing on selected case studies. In particular, problems caused by handling of anoxic samples, and of specific phases (e.g. organic fractions and sulfides) are addressed.

Eventually, recommendations for the improvement of extraction selectivity as well as the reduction of readsorption effects are given.     

Determination of Methylamines and Methylamine-N-oxides in Particulate Matter Using Solid Phase Extraction Coupled with Ion Chromatography

Currently, the concentrations of methylamines in fine particulate matter (PM) are most often measured by aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A novel method for identification and determination of methylamines and methylamine-N-oxides in fine particles based on solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled with ion chromatography (IC) was developed. The experimental conditions including SPE conditions and chromatographic conditions were optimized. The quartz filter loaded with particulate matter (PM) samples was ultrasonically extracted with 20 mL of methanol and water (1:3, V/V) and the extraction process was repeated twice. After extraction, a total of 60 mL of extraction solvent was dropped into the extraction equipment for SPE. The Agilent AccuBond C₁₈ was chosen for enriching the methylamine, dimethylamine, trimethylamine and trimethylamine-N-oxide in fine particles. Under the optimum conditions, the target species on Agilent AccuBond C₁₈ were washed by 0.5 mL of acetonitrile solution and then concentrated (2 mL) before injecting into IC for analysis. A PRP X-200 (250 mm × 4 mm i.d.) was used for separation of analytes at 25 °C. The mobile phase was a mixture of 3% (V/V) acetonitrile solution and 5 mM nitric acid with the flow rate of 1 mL min^–1. The four aliphatic amine species were fully resolved and completely separated within 30 min. The linearity of the four compounds ranged from 0.45 μg kg^–1 to 1000 μg kg^–1 with precisions of 2%–4% and detection limits of 0.002–0.003 μg m^–3. The recoveries of the four aliphatic amine species in real PM samples were higher than 90%. This method was successfully applied in the analysis of real fine PM samples collected in Beijing. The concentrations of trimethylamine and methylamine-N-oxides were in the range of (0.01 ± 0.001) μg m^–3–(0.08 ± 0.002) μg m^–3 and (0.05 ± 0.001) μg m^–3–(0.14 ± 0.002) μg m^–3 for Beijing dust and haze PM samples, respectively.     

单液滴萃取衍生化技术用于烟气中小分子醛类物质的分析

本实验利用单液滴衍生化萃取技术(EDSD),并与基质辅助激光解吸-傅立叶变换离子回旋共振质谱方法(MALDI-FTICR-MS)结合起来,建立了一种用于分析烟气中小分子醛类物质的方法.选择吉拉尔特试剂T作为衍生化试剂,烟气中的小分子醛类物质可以形成季铵盐,其在MALDI-FTMS中的灵敏度显著提高.采用上述方法实现了对单口烟气中乙醛和丙烯醛的含量的分析.该分析方法易于实现自动化,为检测卷烟烟气中小分子醛类物质提供了一种简单、快速、准确的分析方法.     

微流控芯片电泳/电化学检测人单个肝癌细胞中的谷胱甘肽

采用微流控装置结合电化学检测研究了测定人单个血红细胞中谷胱甘肽(GSH)的方法。在该方法中,细胞的进样、定位、溶膜以及细胞中谷胱甘肽的转移和检测都在配有通道端安培检测器的双T形芯片中完成。单个细胞用液压导入到双T的交界面,在电泳缓冲液中毛地黄皂苷的作用下,细胞膜被穿孔。再施加直流电压,细胞被溶膜。释放出来的GSH被此直流电压电迁移至通道端并在Au/Hg电极上被检测。用校正曲线法可以定量测定单个细胞中的GSH。     

Sensitive Method for Trace Determination of Mercury in Wines Using Electrothermal Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

An accurate, simple and precise method for total mercury determination in wines is described. Liquid/liquid extraction of inorganic and organic mercury species directly from untreated wine samples is recommended as a preconcentration procedure prior to determination by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS). Ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate was used as complexation agent. The optimal instrumental parameters for ETAAS measurement of mercury species extracted are proposed. The detection limit for total mercury determination is 0.2µgL^–1. The relative standard deviation is 15–22% for mercury in wine in the range of 0.2–5µgL^–1. The proposed procedure has been successfully applied to the determination of mercury in bottled wines in Bulgaria and Macedonia.     

Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction for the Evaluation of Element Mobility in Bottom Sediment Collected at Mining and Smelting Pb–Zn Ores Area in Poland

The current BCR procedure for metal fractionation recommended by the Standard Measurement and Testing Programme requires rather time-consuming sample pretreatment. Ultrasonic energy seems to be an attractive alternative for leaching metal from solid samples into a liquid extractant phase. This study aims at optimizing ultrasonic extraction in order to replace the BCR method of leaching using acetic acid and to apply the procedure of assessing element mobility in bottom sediment rich in moderately soluble carbonate minerals. The application of ICP-MS allowed the determination of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, Tl and Zn in extracts, in a wide range of concentration without any special treatment. Finally, 40’min extraction in an ultrasonic bath was proposed for evaluation of the mobile fraction of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn as an assessment of environmental risk. The recovery of the ultrasound-assisted extraction in comparison to the shake-filter method, as applied in the common BCR procedure, was slightly higher than 100% for As, Cr and Pb, reasonably high (about 70%) for Cd, Zn and Cd, but did not exceed 21% for Tl. Also, the mobility and extractability (relative mobility) of the studied elements from sediment collected over one year were compares. According to the results obtained after 40’min of ultrasound-assisted extraction it can be concluded that mobility did not change over one year for Cr, Cu, As, Cd, Ni and Tl, but noticeable differences for Zn and Pb were observed. The total content of all studied elements was almost the same in samples taken in the years 2003 and 2004, respectively.     

Minor and Trace Element Analysis in Breast Milk Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)

 Thirty-two breast milk samples provided voluntarily by healthy women living in the Dongting Lake area were investigated by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP/MS). Eleven minor and trace elements (Na, Mg, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Se and Pb) were quantified and compared with literature reports. The results provide useful data for further studies in the nutritional field. Author for correspondence. E-mail: zhengmh@mail. rcees.ac.cn Received September 4, 2002; accepted February 11, 2003 Published online May 15, 2003     

Screening of Fish Tissue for Methyl Mercury Using the Enzyme Invertase in a Solvent Interface

This paper describes a simple and rapid screening system for the extraction and determination of methyl mercury in tissue samples from fish. A novel clean-up procedure based on the use of two immiscible phases, an organic one containing methyl mercury and an aqueous one containing invertase, was developed. Methyl mercury was selectively extracted from the organic into the aqueous phase by its irreversible reaction with thiol groups of invertase, and the resulting inhibition of enzymatic activity served as a measure of methyl mercury concentration. Enzyme activity was measured with a spectrophotometric method using 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid as a reagent. After parameter optimisation including pH, substrate concentration, and enzyme reaction time, it was possible to determine methyl mercury in the ppb range with this technique. Concentrations as low as 10ppb of methyl mercury in the extract, corresponding to 0.2ppm of methyl mercury in fish, were detected. The proposed procedure was successfully demonstrated as a simple screening method for methyl mercury in fish samples.     

A Collection of Molecular Fingerprints of Single Aerosol Particles in Air for Potential Identification and Detection Using Optical Trapping-Raman Spectroscopy

Characterization, identification, and detection of aerosol particles in their native atmospheric states remain a challenge. Recently, optical trapping-Raman spectroscopy (OT-RS) has been developed and demonstrated for characterization of single, airborne particles. Such particles in different chemical groups have been characterized by OT-RS in recent years and many more are being studied. In this work, we collected single-particle Raman spectra measured using the OT-RS technique and began construction of a library of OT-RS fingerprints that may be used as a reference for potential detection and identification of aerosol particles in the atmosphere. We collected OT-RS fingerprints of aerosol particles from eight different categories including carbons, bioaerosols (pollens, fungi, vitamins, spores), dusts, biological warfare agent surrogates, etc. Among the eight categories, spectral fingerprints of six groups of aerosol particles have been published previously and two other groups are new. We also discussed challenges, limitations, and advantages of using single-particle optical trapping-Raman spectroscopy for aerosol-particle characterization, identification, and detection.     

Calculations of Isoelectronic Series of He Using Noninteger n‐Slater Type Orbitals in Single and Double Zeta Approximations

Using integer and noninteger n-Slater type orbitals in single- and double-zeta approximations, the Hartree-Fock-Roothaan calculations were performed for the ground states of first ten cationic members of the isoelectronic series of He atom. All the noninteger parameters and orbital exponents were fully optimized. In the case of noninteger n-Slater type orbitals in double zeta basis sets, the results of calculations obtained are more close to the numerical Hatree-Fock values and the average deviations of our ground state energies do not exceed 2×10^－6 hartrees of their numerical results.     

Solid Phase Extractive Preconcentration of Cobalt and Nickel in Hair Samples Using Ethyl Xanthate Modified Benzophenone

The ethyl xanthate complexes of cobalt and nickel are quantitatively retained on benzophenone in the pH range of 8.0–10.0. The solid mixture consisting of metal complex together with benzophenone is dissolved in 5mL of dimethyl formamide, and the cobalt and nickel contents were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The calibration graphs are rectilinear over the concentration range of 0–75 (Co) and 0–100 (Ni) µgL^–1. The detection limits of flame AAS for cobalt and nickel are lowered by a factor of 200 due to the solid phase extraction preconcentration procedure. NIES CRM Human Hair No. 5 and IAEA Reference Hair HH-1 certified reference materials were used in order to verify the accuracy of the developed preconcentration method in analysing human hair samples. The results obtained were found to be in excellent agreement with certified values. Furthermore, hair samples collected from various inhabitants of different age groups and sex living in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu were successfully analysed by flame AAS in conjunction with the solid phase extraction preconcentration procedure developed for cobalt and nickel.     

Preconcentration and Determination of Tin in Water Samples by Using Cloud Point Extraction and Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

A method based on cloud point extraction and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) was developed for the analysis of trace tin in water samples. After cloud point extraction, the tin in the water samples was preconcentrated and successfully separated from most interferents. During the procedure, 8-hydroxyquinoline (8-HQ) was used as chelating reagent, and Triton X-114 was added as surfactant. The parameters affecting the sensitivity and the extraction efficiency, such as solution pH, concentration of 8-HQ and Triton X-114, equilibration temperature and centrifuge time, were evaluated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, a preconcentration factor of 96.2 was obtained for a 20 mL water sample. The detection limit (LOD) was as low as 0.012 ng mL⁻¹, and the analytical curve was linear in the range of 0.05–2.0 ng mL⁻¹ with satisfactory precision (RSD <4.1%). The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of trace tin in water samples with recoveries in the range of 85.0–112.0%.     

Spectrophotometric Determination of Polyoxyethylene Nonionic Surfactants in Ground Waters Using Triple-Stage Solid-Phase Extraction Followed by an Improved Ferric Thiocyanate Complexation Method

A practical spectrophotometric determination method for polyoxyethylene nonionic surfactants in ground waters was established, which is based on a ferric thiocyanate complexation colorimetric method preceded by a triple-stage solid-phase extraction technique using SCX, SAX, and C18 cartridges interconnected. Cationic and anionic surfactants interfere with the determination and were therefore effectively trapped and isolated by the SCX and SAX solid phases, respectively. Nonionic surfactants (NSs) were finally introduced and concentrated in the C18 cartridge. The analyte was quantitatively eluted from the C18 sorbent, and the residue was subjected to the colorimetric determination. The calibration line was linear (r² = 0.9997) up to 200µgL^–1 of heptaoxyethylenedodecylether when analyzing sample sizes of 100mL. Overall recoveries were 95–97% with an RSD of less than 3%. The method was applied to the analysis of river water, and 6.4µgL^–1 of NSs as heptaoxyethylenedodecylether was found by means of the standard addition method. The proposed method is very practical and features minimum consumption of chemicals.     

A Pre-Concentration Procedure Using Cloud Point Extraction for the Determination of Manganese in Saline Effluents of a Petroleum Refinery by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

This paper describes the development of a cloud point extraction procedure for the determination of manganese in saline effluents by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The optimization step was performed using the Doehlert matrix involving the following variables: buffer concentration, pH and centrifugation time. The validation process was assessed as: parameters of the analytical curve, precision, effect of other ions in the proposed procedure, robustness test and accuracy. The proposed procedure allows the determination of manganese with a detection limit (3δ/S) of 0.60 μg L⁻¹, and a precision expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD) of 2.2 (n = 8) and 1.5% (n = 8) for a manganese concentration of 1 and 5 μg L⁻¹, respectively. The pre-concentration factor obtained was 84. The recovery achieved for the determination of manganese in the presence of several other metal ions demonstrated that this procedure could be satisfactorily applied to the analysis of environmental samples. The accuracy was confirmed by the analysis of CRM trace elements in water (NIST 1643d). This procedure was applied to the determination of manganese in saline effluents of a petroleum refinery. For three analyzed samples the manganese content varied between 44.9 and 67.9 μg L⁻¹.     

Selective Preconcentration of U(VI) and Th(IV) in Trace and Macroscopic Levels Using Malonamide Grafted Polymer from Acidic Matrices

A novel polymeric sorbent for selective extraction of U(VI) and Th(IV) from highly acidic wastes was prepared by modifying Merrifield chloromethylated resin with N,N,N′,N′-tetrahexylmalonamide. The functionalized resin was characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, CPMAS NMR spectroscopy, CHN elemental analysis and thermo-gravimetric analysis. Various physiochemical parameters responsible for quantitative extraction of metal ions were studied by static and dynamic methods. The resin exhibited very good extractability over a wide range of acidity (0.01–10 M) with a faster exchange rate (saturation possible within 20 min) and high sorption capacities (0.645 and 0.558 mmol g⁻¹) for U(VI) and Th(IV), respectively. Quantitative metal desorption was achieved by using 0.5 M (NH₄)₂CO₃ for both analytes. The significant feature of the resin is the possibility of sequential separation and the ability to elute only U(VI) with water, thus offering the possibility of sequential separation of U(VI) and Th(IV). Interference studies with commonly encountered metal ions, rare earth ions and electrolytes were conducted. Enrichment factors of 400 and 350 with a limit of quantification of 20 ng mL⁻¹ and 50 ng mL⁻¹ were achieved for the two analytes. All the analytical data were within 3.8% RSD, reflecting the reproducibility and reliability of the method.     

盐析辅助液液萃取交联聚维酮净化-靶向单一离子监测/高分辨质谱法测定蜂蜜中新烟碱类农药残留

基于盐析辅助液液萃取(LLE)交联聚维酮(PVPP)净化技术,建立了蜂蜜中7种新烟碱类农药的靶向单一离子监测(TSIM)/高分辨质谱检测方法。样品用乙腈基于盐析辅助LLE-PVPP提取净化,采用BEH C18色谱柱为分析柱,甲醇-水体系(两相均含0.1%甲酸和5 mmol/L甲酸铵)作为流动相,梯度洗脱,采用高分辨质谱TSIM模式检测目标化合物,内标法定量。结果表明,盐析辅助LLE-PVPP净化技术可实现提取净化一步式样品制备,TSIM扫描模式则显示了更宽的线性动态范围和更高的灵敏度与准确度。7种新烟碱类农药在0.01~100μg/L或0.02~100μg/L范围内具有良好的线性关系(r20.999);方法检出限为0.03~0.07μg/kg,定量下限为0.1~0.2μg/kg。在0.2、2、20μg/kg 3种加标水平下,7种新烟碱类农药在蜂蜜中的平均回收率为84.8%~112.7%,日内精密度(RSDr)为0.9%~5.7%,日间精密度(RSDR)为3.7%~9.7%。该方法前处理简单快速、成本较低,灵敏度高、重现性好,可广泛应用于蜂蜜中新烟碱类农药残留的快速检测。     

Cloud Point Extraction Simultaneous Spectrophotometric Determination of Zn(II), Co(II) and Ni(II) in Water and Urine Samples by 1-(2-Pyridylazo)2-Naphthol Using Partial Least Squares Regression

A cloud-point extraction (CPE) process using the nonionic surfactant Triton X-114 to simultaneous extraction and spectrophotometric determination of Zn(II), Co(II) and Ni(II) from aqueous solution using partial least squares (PLS) regression is investigated. The method is based on the color reaction of these cations with 1-(2-pyridylazo)2-naphthol and subsequent micelle-mediated extraction of products. The optimum extraction and reaction conditions such as pH, reagents concentration and effect of time have been studied. Linearity was obeyed in the range 2–150, 5–250 and 2–150 ng mL⁻¹ of Zn(II), Co(II) and Ni(II) respectively. The relative standard error (RSE) for the simultaneous determination of 15 test samples of different concentrations of Zn(II), Co(II) and Ni(II) was 4.38%;, 1.18% and 2.42%, respectively. The total relative standard error (RSE_t) for applying the PLS method to 15 synthetic samples in the linear ranges of these metals was 2.36%. The interference effect of some anions and cations was also tested. The method was applied to the simultaneous determination of Zn(II), Co(II) and Ni(II) in water and human urine samples.