Ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction with simultaneous derivatization coupled to fibre optics-based cuvetteless UV-vis micro-spectrophotometry for formaldehyde determination in cosmetic samples

In this work, ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction in combination with fibre optics-based cuvetteless UV-vis micro-spectrophotometry has been proposed as a novel method for the determination of formaldehyde in water-based cosmetics such as shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. The use of a powerful cup-horn sonoreactor allows simultaneous extraction and derivatization of the samples without any pre-treatment. The type and volume of organic extractant solvent, need for a disperser solvent, sonication conditions (sonication time and amplitude), ionic strength and centrifuging time have been carefully studied. Matrix effects were also evaluated. The European official method for quantification of formaldehyde in cosmetic products was used for comparison purposes. An important improvement in sensitivity and sample throughput as well as miniaturization was achieved. A limit of detection of 0.02 μg g⁻¹ of formaldehyde and a repeatability expressed as relative standard deviation of 5.9% were obtained.     

Determination of dimethylselenide and dimethyldiselenide in milk and milk by-products by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography with atomic emission detection

A method based on solid-phase microextraction (SPME) followed by gas chromatography with microwave-induced plasma atomic emission detection for determining dimethylselenide (DMSe) and dimethyldiselenide (DMDSe) in milk and milk by-products is proposed. Parameters affecting the SPME, such as sample volume or mass, ionic strength, adsorption and desorption times and temperatures were optimized in the headspace mode. The matrix effect was evaluated for the different samples studied, concluding that standard additions calibration was required for quantification purposes. The detection limits ranged from 70 to 110 pg mL⁻¹ for DMSe and from 80 to 400 pg mL⁻¹ for DMDSe, depending on the sample under analysis. None of the twenty-three samples analyzed contained the studied compounds at concentrations above the corresponding detection limits.     

Gas chromatographic determination of carbonyl compounds in biological and oil samples by headspace single-drop microextraction with in-drop derivatisation

A suitable method for the gas chromatographic determination of 10 characteristic carbonyls in biological and oil samples based on the in-drop formation of hydrazones by using 2,4,6-trichlorophenylhydrazine (TCPH), has been developed. The derivatisation-extraction procedure was optimized separately for aqueous and oil samples with respect to the appropriate organic drop solvent, drop volume, in-drop TCPH concentration, sample stirring rate, temperature during single-drop microextraction (SDME), reaction time and headspace-to-sample volume ratio. The optimization showed differentiation of optimum values between the studied matrices. The limits of detection were found to range from 0.001 to 0.003 μg mL⁻¹ for the aqueous biological samples and from 0.06 to 0.20 μg mL⁻¹ for the oil samples. The limits of quantification were in the range of 0.003-0.010 μg mL⁻¹ and 0.020-0.059 μg mL⁻¹ for aqueous and oil samples, respectively. The overall relative standard deviations of the within-day repeatability and between-day reproducibility were <4.4% and <8.2% for the aqueous biological samples and <3.9% and <7.4% for the oxidized oil samples.     

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%.     

Determination of formaldehyde by flow injection analysis with spectrophotometric detection exploiting brilliant green-sulphite reaction

A method for the determination of formaldehyde by flow injection analysis with spectrophotometric detection is proposed, based on retarding the reaction between brilliant green and sulphite by the addition of formaldehyde; this was investigated for formaldehyde quantification in extracts from wood-based panels. For the first time, a heating step was explored, providing a sample throughput of 50 analyses per hour, with a limit of detection of 0.02 mg L^?1 and linearity of 0.20–3.0 mg L^?1, which was adequate for the expected range of formaldehyde concentration in the extracts. The mean recovery observed for actual samples was in the range of 92–106 %, with a maximum relative standard deviation of 6.0 %. The paired t-test revealed no significant difference between this method and the official Nash method, demonstrating an appropriate accuracy and precision; the method is proposed as a simple, fast and inexpensive alternative for the routine determination of formaldehyde in an aqueous medium.     

Ultrasound-assisted surfactant-enhanced emulsification microextraction for the determination of carbamate pesticides in water samples by high performance liquid chromatography

A novel ultrasound-assisted surfactant-enhanced emulsification microextraction (UASEME) coupled with high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection has been developed for the extraction and determination of six carbamate pesticides (metolcarb, carbofuran, carbaryl, pirimicarb, isoprocarb and diethofencarb) in water samples. In the UASEME technique, Tween 20 was used as emulsifier, and chlorobenzene and chloroform were used as dual extraction solvent without using any organic dispersive solvent that is normally required in the previously described common dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method. Parameters that affect the extraction efficiency, such as the kind and volume of the extraction solvent, the type and concentration of the surfactant, ultrasound emulsification time and salt addition, were investigated and optimized for the method. Under the optimum conditions, the enrichment factors were in the range between 170 and 246. The limits of detection of the method were 0.1–0.3 ng mL⁻¹ and the limits of quantification were between 0.3 and 0.9 ng mL⁻¹, depending on the compounds. The linearity of the method was obtained in the range of 0.3–200 ng mL⁻¹ for metolcarb, carbaryl, pirimicarb, and diethofencarb, 0.6–200 ng mL⁻¹ for carbofuran, and 0.9–200 ng mL⁻¹ for isoprocarb, with the correlation coefficients (r) ranging from 0.9982 to 0.9998. The relative standard deviations varied from 3.2 to 4.8% (n = 5). The recoveries of the method for the six carbamates from water samples at spiking levels of 1.0, 10.0, 50.0 and 100.0 ng mL⁻¹ were ranged from 81.0 to 97.5%. The proposed UASEME technique has demonstrated to be simple, practical and environmentally friendly for the determination of carbamates residues in river, reservoir and well water samples.     

Determination of aldehydes in rainwater using micro-solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography

A simple and rapid extraction procedure was developed for determining aldehydes in rainwater samples. This extraction technique involved the use of micro-solid-phase extraction in which the sorbent was held within a polypropylene membrane envelope, followed by high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis. Aldehydes such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde and valeraldehyde were used as model compounds. Extraction conditions were optimized. The method linearity ranged between 0.5 and 50 μg l⁻¹ with the correlation coefficient of 0.987–0.999. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of the method ranged from 7 to 12%. Method detection limits were in the range of 0.07–0.15 μg l⁻¹, which is lower than those previously reported for solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography–mass spectrometric techniques. The proposed extraction technique was used for determination of aldehydes in rainwater samples to demonstrate the applicability of the method.     

Liquid‐phase microextraction based on two immiscible organic solvents followed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry as an efficient method for the preconcentration and determination of cocaine,ketamine, and lidocaine in human urine samples

A new type of liquid‐phase microextraction based on two immiscible organic solvents was optimized and validated for the quantification of lidocaine, ketamine, and cocaine in human urine samples. A hollow‐fiber based microextraction technique followed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry detection was used to reduce matrix interferences and improve limits of detection. The analytes were extracted from aqueous sample with pH 11.0, into a thin layer of organic solvent (n‐dodecane) sustained in the pores of a hollow fiber, and then into a second organic acceptor (acetonitrile) located inside the lumen of the hollow fiber. With the application of optimized values, good linearity was obtained in the range of 1–500 μg/L for lidocaine and ketamine and 2–500 μg/L for cocaine with the determination coefficient values (r²) >0.9943. The preconcentration factors and limits of detection (S/N > 3) were 250–350 and 0.01–0.05 μg/L, respectively. Intra and interassay precision values were <7.3 and 9.3%, respectively. The method was successfully applied for the determination and quantification of target analytes in human urine samples.     

Determination of nitrogen in hydrolyzed protein formulations by continuous vapour phase FTIR

An on-line system with vapour generation (VG) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometric detection has been developed for the determination of free ammonium and organic nitrogen in agrochemical formulations containing hydrolyzed proteins. Commercial samples were digested, in batch mode, with sulphuric acid and the obtained solution was alkalinized on-line to transform the NH₄⁺ to NH₃ that was continuously monitored by FTIR. Free ammonium was determined in the same system after simple dilution of undigested samples with water. Different gas phase separators were assayed in order to introduce gaseous NH₃ into a home made IR gas cell of 10 cm pathlength, where the corresponding FTIR spectra were acquired by accumulating 10 scans per spectrum. The 967.0 cm⁻¹ band was used for the quantification of ammonia. The figures of merit of the proposed method involve a linear range up to 100 mg L⁻¹, a limit of detection (3σ) of 1.4 mg L⁻¹ of N, a limit of quantification (10σ) of 4.8 mg L⁻¹ of N, a precision (R.S.D.) of 3.0% for 10 replicate determinations of a 10.0 mg L⁻¹ of N and a sample measurement frequency of 60 h⁻¹. The method was successfully applied to the determination of free ammonium and total N in commercial amino acid formulations and results compare well with those obtained by the Kjeldhal method.     

Matrix solid-phase dispersion coupled with magnetic ionic liquid dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction for the determination of triazine herbicides in oilseeds

A novel method was developed for the determination of six triazine herbicides from oilseeds by matrix solid-phase dispersion combined with magnetic ionic liquid dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (MSPD-MIL-DLLME), followed by ultrafast liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (UFLC-UV). The MIL, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrachloroferrate ([C₄mim][FeCl₄]), was used as the microextraction solvent to simplify the extraction procedure by magnetic separation. The effects of several important experimental parameters, including type of dispersant, ratio of sample to dispersant, type and volume of collected elution solvent, type and volume of MIL, were investigated. Using the present method, UFLC-UV gave the limits of detection (LODs) of 1.20–2.72 ng g⁻¹ and the limits of quantification (LOQs) of 3.99–9.06 ng g⁻¹ for triazine herbicides. The recoveries were ranged from 82.9 to 113.7% and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were equal or lower than 7.7%. The present method is easy-to-use and effective for extraction of triazine herbicides from oilseeds and shows the potentials of practical applications in the treatment of the fatty solid samples.     

Determination of trace formaldehyde in blood plasma by resonance fluorescence technology

A novel method for the determination of trace formaldehyde in blood plasma has been established by using resonance fluorimetry technique. It was based on the fact that oxidation of pyronine Y by potassium bromate was catalyzed by formaldehyde in sulfuric acid. When the wavelength interval was at Δλ = 0 nm, it was found that the decreased intensity (ΔF) of resonance fluorescence at 574.6 nm was proportional to the concentration of formaldehyde in the range of 1.27 × 10⁻² to 2.28 μg mL⁻¹. The limit of detection and the average recovery for formaldehyde were 3.80 ng mL⁻¹ and 101.6% (n = 6), respectively. The present method had been applied to the determination of trace formaldehyde in blood plasma, and the obtained results were in good agreement with those obtained by the resonance light scattering method.     

Determination of dimethylsulfide and dimethylselenide in human urine by portable gas chromatography–photoionization detection with headspace sampling

A simple and sensitive method for the determination of dimethylsulfide (DMS) and dimethylselenide (DMSe) employing a gas chromatograph–photoionization detector with headspace sampling (HS-GC-PID) was developed. Parameters affecting the HS-GC-PID sensitivity including matrix effect, heating temperature, extraction time and carrier gas flow-rate were optimized. The matrix effect was required for standard addition calibration method for quantification purposes. The method has been validated when rectilinear relationship was between the concentrations of analytes and peak area in the range of 0.2–50 ng mL^{− 1} for DMSe and 0.5–100 ng mL^{− 1} for DMS, the correlation coefficients were from 0.995–0.998, and the limits of detection for DMS and DMSe were 25 pg mL^{− 1} and 48 pg mL^{− 1}, respectively. The proposed method was further applied to quantification of DMS and DMSe in urine samples.     

Spectrofluorimetric determination of formaldehyde in air after collection onto silica cartridges coated with Fluoral P

In the present work, a sensitive and selective fluorimetric method for formaldehyde determination in air samples is described. The method is based in the reaction between formaldehyde and Fluoral P producing 3,5-diacetyl-1,4-dihydrolutidine, which, when excited at 410 nm, emits fluorescence at 510 nm.The Fluoral P was prepared by the reaction of 0.3 ml of acetic acid, 0.2 ml of acetylacetone and 15.4 g of ammonium acetate. Then, the volume was completed to 100 ml with deionized water. The Fluoral P obtained, if stored under refrigeration in the dark, can be used, safely, for 60 days.The calibration curve obtained with concentrations of formaldehyde in the range of 12 to 192 ng ml⁻¹ (n=9) was Intensity=1.11C+0.06 (R²=0.9920). In the quantification of formaldehyde, air samples were passed at 1 l min⁻¹, during 120 min, through glass impingers containing 40 ml of Fluoral P, followed by direct fluorescence measuring, or through two SEP PAK silica cartridges, coated with Fluoral P. The cartridges were eluted with 10 ml of Fluoral P solution and quantified by spectrofluorimetry. Under these conditions, the detection limit (S/N=3) obtained was 2.0 ng ml⁻¹.The new methodology was validated by comparison with a well-known HPLC method in which formaldehyde was collected into SEP PAK C18 cartridges coated with 2,4 dinitrophenylhydrazine. The application of the t_95% test did not show significant differences between the HPLC and either fluorimetric methodologies.This method has been used in the determination of gas phase formaldehyde in both indoor and outdoor sites. For the indoor site, the measured concentrations were in the range of 9.0 to 67.7 μl l⁻¹, while for the outdoor site they were in the range of 16.8 to 38.8 μl l⁻¹. Further, due to the ease of handling in field studies, the SEP PAK cartridges coated with Fluoral P were used. The formaldehyde concentrations thus determined, in outdoor sites, were in the range of 2.09 to 25.1 μl l⁻¹. The main advantage of this analytical procedure is its selectivity for formaldehyde, without interferences from bisulfite and other aldehydes, especially acetaldehyde, and low blank level, resulting in low detection limits. In addition, very little sample preparation is required.     

Development of novel detection reagent for simple and sensitive determination of trace amounts of formaldehyde and its application to flow injection spectrophotometric analysis

In this paper, a novel detection reagent for formaldehyde determination is proposed, and is applied to a simple and highly sensitive flow injection method for the spectrophotometric determination of formaldehyde. The method is based on the reaction of formaldehyde with methyl acetoacetate in the presence of ammonia. The increase in the absorbance of the reaction product was measured at 375 nm. An inexpensive light emitting diode (LED)-based UV detector (375 nm) was, for the first time, used. Under the optimized experimental conditions, formaldehyde in an aqueous solution was determined over the concentration range from 0.25 to 20.0 × 10⁻⁶ M with a liner calibration graph; the limit of detection (LOD) of 5 × 10⁻⁸ M (1.5 μg L⁻¹) was possible. The relative standard deviation of 12 replicate measurements of 5 × 10⁻⁶ M formaldehyde was 1.2%. Maximum sampling throughput was about 21 samples/h. The effect of potential interferences such as metals, organic compounds and other aldehyde was also examined. The analytical performance for formaldehyde determination was compared with those obtained by the conventional acetylacetone method, which uses visible absorption spectrophotometry. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of formaldehyde in natural water samples.     

Extraction of pesticides in water samples using vortex-assisted liquid–liquid microextraction

A simple solvent microextraction method termed vortex-assisted liquid–liquid microextraction (VALLME) coupled with gas chromatography micro electron-capture detector (GC-μECD) has been developed and used for the pesticide residue analysis in water samples. In the VALLME method, aliquots of 30 μL toluene used as extraction solvent were directly injected into a 25 mL volumetric flask containing the water sample. The extraction solvent was dispersed into the water phase under vigorously shaking with the vortex. The parameters affecting the extraction efficiency of the proposed VALLME such as extraction solvent, vortex time, volumes of extraction solvent and salt addition were investigated. Under the optimum condition, enrichment factors (EFs) in a range of 835–1115 and limits of detection below 0.010 μg L⁻¹ were obtained for the determination of target pesticides in water. The calculated calibration curves provide high levels of linearity yielding correlation coefficients (r²) greater than 0.9958 with the concentration level ranged from 0.05 to 2.5 μg L⁻¹. Finally, the proposed method has been successfully applied to the determination of pesticides from real water samples and acceptable recoveries over the range of 72–106.3% were obtained.     

Surfactant‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction of nitrazepam and lorazepam from plasma and urine samples followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography with UV analysis

Surfactant‐assisted liquid–liquid microextraction followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography with UV detection has been developed for the simultaneous preconcentration and determination of lorazepam and nitrazepam in biological fluids. In this study, an ionic surfactant (cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide) was used as an emulsifier. The predominant parameters affecting extraction efficiency such as the type and volume of extraction solvent, the type and concentration of surfactant, sample pH, and the concentration of salt added to the sample were investigated and opted. Under the optimum conditions (extraction solvent and its volume, 1‐octanol, 70 μL; surfactant and its concentration, 1 mL of ultra‐pure water containing 2 mmol L^?1 cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide; sample pH = 9 and salt content of 10% NaCl w/v), the preconcentration factors were obtained in the range of 202–241 and 246–265 for nitrazepam and lorazepam, respectively. The limits of quantification for both drugs were 5 μg L^?1 in water sample and 10 μg L^?1 in biological fluids with R² values higher than 0.993. The suitability of the proposed method was successfully confirmed by the extraction and determination of the target drugs in human urine and plasma samples in the range of microgram per liter.     

Development of a New Dynamic Headspace Liquid-Phase Microextraction Method

A new technique, namely dynamic headspace liquid-phase microextraction, has been developed for the extraction of 1,4-dioxane in cosmetic and hygiene samples followed by gas chromatography–flame ionization detection. In this method, the sample is mixed with acetone as a diluent solvent. Then, a few microliters of n-octanol are added into a home-made extraction vessel placed in the headspace of the sample. By heating, the target analyte is transferred to the headspace of the sample and then extracted into n-octanol. Under the optimized conditions, the method showed a good linearity in the range of 3.24–1000 μg kg⁻¹ with a coefficient of determination 0.998. Figures of merit such as enrichment factor of 375, extraction recovery of 94 %, limits of detection and quantification 0.97 and 3.24 μg kg⁻¹, respectively, and relative standard deviation 4.7 % (n = 6, C = 30 μg kg⁻¹) of the proposed method were satisfactory for determination of the target analyte. Finally, the method was successfully applied in determination of 1,4-dioxane in various cosmetic and hygiene samples including shampoo, toothpaste, lotion, washing liquid, and dishwashing liquid.

     

Enzyme-assisted extraction and ionic liquid-based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction followed by high-performance liquid chromatography for determination of patulin in apple juice and method optimization using central composite design

A simple and highly sensitive analytical methodology for isolation and determination of patulin in apple-juice samples, based on enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE) and ionic liquid-based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (IL-DLLME) was developed and optimized. Enzymes play essential roles in eliminating interference and increasing the extraction efficiency of patulin. Apple-juice samples were treated with pectinase and amylase. A mixture of 80 μL ionic liquid and 600 μL methanol (disperser solvent) was used for the IL-DLLME process. The sedimented phase was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Experimental parameters controlling the performance of DLLME, were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) based on central composite design (CCD). Under optimum conditions, the calibration curves showed high levels of linearity (R² > 0.99) for patulin in the range of 1–200 ng g⁻¹. The relative standard deviation (RSD) for the seven analyses was 7.5%. The limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ) were 0.15 ng g⁻¹ and 0.5 ng g⁻¹, respectively. The merit figures, compared with other methods, showed that new proposed method is an accurate, precise and reliable sample-pretreatment method that substantially reduces sample matrix interference and gives very good enrichment factors and detection limits for investigation trace amount of patulin in apple-juice samples.     

Determination of phthalate esters in water samples by ionic liquid cold-induced aggregation dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography

A novel method, termed ionic liquid cold-induced aggregation dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (IL-CIA-DLLME), combined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed for the determination of three phthalate esters in water samples. Several important parameters influencing the IL-CIA-DLLME extraction efficiency, such as the type of extraction and disperser solvent, the volume of extraction and disperser solvent, temperature, extraction time and salt effect, were investigated. Under optimal extraction conditions, the enrichment factors and extraction recoveries ranged from 174 to 212 and 69.9 to 84.8%, respectively. Excellent linearity with coefficients of correlation from 0.9968 to 0.9994 was observed in the concentration range of 2–100 ng mL⁻¹. The repeatability of the proposed method expressed as relative standard deviations ranged from 2.2 to 3.7% (n = 5). Limits of detection were between 0.68 and 1.36 ng mL⁻¹. Good relative recoveries for phthalate esters in tap, bottled mineral and river water samples were obtained in the ranges of 91.5–98.1%, 92.4–99.2% and 90.1–96.8%, respectively. Thus, the proposed method has excellent potential for the determination of phthalate esters in the environmental field.     

Hollow fibre-supported graphene oxide nanosheets modified with a deep eutectic solvent to be used for the solid-phase microextraction of silver ions

A deep eutectic solvent (DES) of choline chloride and thiourea was synthesised, immobilised on the surface of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets and reinforced inside the pores of the hollow fibre (DES-GO-HF). Then, solid-phase microextraction flame atomic absorption spectrometry was designed for separation, preconcentration and determination of trace amounts of silver. Various parameters affecting the extraction recovery of the analyte, such as pH, sample volume, type of DES, extraction time, length of the hollow fiber, nature, as well as the volume and concentration of the eluent, were investigated and optimised. Under optimum conditions, the method showed good linearity in the concentration range of 1.0–40.0 µg L^?1 with the determination coefficient of (r²) 0.9990 for silver. The method was very sensitive and has limits of detection and quantification (defined as 3S_b/m and 10S_b/m) of 0.2 and 0.7 µg L^?1, respectively. The method was successfully applied for the determination of Ag(I) in water, wastewater, ore and hair samples. The accuracy of the method was evaluated through the recovery experiments and the analysis of certified reference materials.