Simultaneous determination of organotin,organolead, and organomercury compounds in environmental samples using capillary gas chromatography with atomic emission detection

As part of a continuing evaluation of new analytical and sample preparation techniques conducted by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the use of capillary gas chromatography with atomic emission detection (GC-AED) for the simultaneous determination of organotin, organolead, and organomercury compounds in environmental samples was investigated. Pentylmagnesium bromide was used to pentylate ionic organotin, organolead, and organomercury compounds; the pentyl derivatives were then separated by GC and determined by AED. Several important GC-AED parameters, including the type of injector inlet, carrier gas flow rate, and helium make-up gas flow rate, were optimized for the simultaneous determination of these organometallic compounds. Their minimum detectable concentrations were approximately 1.0 to 2.5 ng/mL using a 0.5-μL on-column injection. The calibration curves exhibited good linearity between 2.5 and 2500 ng/mL for organotin and organolead compounds, and between 2.5 and 10000 ng/mL for organomercury compounds.     

催化裂化汽油中硫化物类型分布的气相色谱-硫化学发光检测的方法研究

采用气相色谱-硫化学发光检测器(GC-SCD),建立了催化裂化汽油(FCC汽油)中各种硫化物类型分布的分析方法。考察了色谱条件对催化裂化汽油中各种硫化物分离的影响,定性了某催化裂化汽油中的58个硫化物。采用该方法,硫化物中的硫在其质量浓度为0.5~800.0 mg/L时,其峰面积与质量浓度呈较好的线性关系,相关系数达0.999,其响应与硫化物的类型无关。FCC汽油中几种主要硫化物(噻吩、正丁硫醇、2-甲基噻吩、3-甲基噻吩、2,4-二甲基噻吩)的浓度测定值的相对标准偏差(RSD)均小于5.0%。当信噪     

气相色谱法测定催化柴油中硫化物类型分布及数据对比

采用气相色谱-氢火焰离子化检测器-硫化学发光检测器（GC—FID—SCD）联用技术,建立了催化柴油中各种硫化物类型分布的分析方法。考察了色谱条件对催化柴油中各种硫化物分离的影响,定性了某催化柴油中的120多个硫化物,该方法还可以同时提供催化柴油中正构烷烃含量的分布信息。硫化物中的硫在1．5—700mg／L时其峰面积与质量浓度呈较好的线性关系,相关系数达0．9999,响应与硫化物的类型无关。催化柴油中苯并噻吩、4-甲基苯并噻吩、二苯并噻吩、4-甲基二苯并噻吩和4,6-二甲基二苯并噻吩等主要硫化物浓度测定的相对标准偏差（RSD）均小于5．0％。当信噪比（S／N）为3时,测得苯并噻吩硫的检出限为0．1mg／L。将该方法用于不同来源柴油中各种硫化物类型分布的研究,并与气相色谱一原子发射光谱检测器（GC—AED）测硫的数据进行了对比,两种检测器的定量结果大多数具有较好的相关性,相关系数大于0．95。     

Continuous liquid-liquid extraction combined on-line with capillary gas chromatography-atomic emission detection for environmental analysis

The on-line coupling of a liquid-liquid extraction system with capillary gas chromatography using atomic emission detection (GC-AED) has been studied. The required large volumes of about 100 μl of an iso-octane solution can be introduced into the GC-AED system by using the AED solvent vent and a solvent vapor exit in front of the capillary analytical column. Test solutions containing several pesticides were detected using the carbon, chlorine, nitrogen and sulfur channels. Analyte detectability (in concentration units) was improved significantly and low concentractions of the test compounds could be determined (1–5 ng/ml). Aqueous samples were on-line extracted and analyzed. The precision of the large-volume injection itself as well as the total extraction-GC-AED system was satisfactory (RSD of ca. 2 and 4%, respectively). As a real-life application, several ground water samples were screened.     

Speciation of organotin compounds in waters and marine sediments using purge-and-trap capillary gas chromatography with atomic emission detection

A procedure for the simultaneous determination of six organotin compounds, including methyl-, butyl- and phenyltins, in waters and marine sediments is developed. The analytes were leached from the solid samples into an acetic acid:methanol mixture by using an ultrasonic probe. The organotins were derivatized with sodium tetraethylborate (NaBEt₄) in the aqueous phase, stripped by a flow of helium, pre-concentrated in a trap and thermally desorbed. This was followed by capillary gas chromatography with microwave-induced plasma atomic emission spectrometry as the detection system (GC-AED). Each chromatographic run took 22 min, including the purge time. Calibration curves were obtained by plotting peak area versus concentration and the correlation coefficients for linear calibration were at least 0.9991. Detection limits ranged from 11 to 50 ng Sn l⁻¹ for tributyltin and tetramethyltin, respectively. The seawater samples analyzed contained variable concentrations of mono-, di- and tributyl- and monophenyltin, ranging from 0.05 to 0.48 μg Sn l⁻¹, depending on the compound. Some of the sediments analyzed contained concentrations of dibutyl- and tributyltin of between 6.0 and 13.0 ng Sn g⁻¹. Analysis of the certified reference material PACS-2, as well as of spiked water and sediment samples showed the accuracy of the method. The proposed method is selective and reproducible, and is considered suitable for monitoring organotin compounds in water and sediment samples.     

Identification of chlorinated sulfur compounds in pulp mill effluents by GC-MS and GC-AED

Summary Three chlorinated dimethyl sulfones and five chlorinated thiophenes have been identified in the alkaline extraction liquor from a bleach plant by gas chromatography with atomic emission detection (GC-AED) and with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The information on elemental content obtained by GC-AED enabled a rapid screening of the sulfur compounds and provided important structural information complementary to the mass spectral data. Quantitation was accomplished by GC-AED based on universal calibration.     

Determination of pesticides in waters by capillary gas chromatography with atomic emission detection

Capillary gas chromatography with atomic emission detection (GC-AED) was successfully used to separate and quantify 14 pesticides (organochlorines, organophosphorus compounds and pyrethrins) in water samples after liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl acetate. Monitoring the emission lines for elements such as chlorine, bromine and sulfur ensures nearly specific chromatograms for these elements, and markedly increases selectivity. Calibration curves were obtained by plotting peak area versus concentration and the correlation coefficients relating to linearity were at least 0.999. Each chromatographic separation takes 21 min and, since two injections are necessary, it requires approximately 1 h to analyze one sample. The method shows a precision of 4.3-8.2% (RSD), depending on the compound. The application of liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl acetate led to recoveries from spiked samples ranging from 76 to 113%. The sensitivity and linearity for the elements chlorine, sulfur, nitrogen and phosphorus were checked under the optimized conditions at their customary emission wavelength. The sensitivity and linearity for these compounds decreased in the order (atom and emission wavelength) Cl (479 nm)>S (181 nm)>P (178 nm)>N (174 nm). A study of the GC-AED system's response to chlorine concentration in eight pesticide molecules was performed and a linear relationship was found with a correlation coefficient of 0.987.     

Determination of brominated alkylbenzenes in nickel industry sludge by capillary gas chromatography

Summary Capillary gas chromatography coupled to both mass spectrometry (GCMS) and atomic emission spectroscopy (GC-AED) was studied for the analysis of bromine-containing alkylbenzenes present in sludge from a nickel refinery. Owing to the high abundance of chlorinated compounds, location of the brominated species was difficult based on GC-MS with electron ionization. In contrast, GC-MS with negative chemical ionization (GC-NCIMS) and GC-AED enabled bromine-selective detection and were utilized for an effective location of the brominated compounds. Bromine-selective detection by GC-NCIMS relied on the monitoring of Br⁻ (m/z 79/81) with CH₄ as ionization gas, while atomic emission (827.2 nm) from a helium plasma was utilized in the case of GC-AED. While GC-NCIMS was 30–500 times more sensitive than GC-AED, the latter technique was superior for quantitative purposes. Because the bromine response of the AED was independent of molecular structure, quantification was possible without reference material.     

Fast analysis of oxygen and sulfur compounds in gasoline by GC-AED

This paper describes a method for determining both the total sulfur content and the concentration of oxygenated additives in gasoline by gas chromatography with atomic emission detection (GC-AED). The AED provides selective detection of oxygen and sulfur compounds. Because the response factors for sulfur and oxygen are largely independent of the type of compound, calibration and determination of total element content are simplified. The use of a 0.1 mm i.d. capillary column enables complete elution of the components of the gasoline in under 10 minutes.     

Rapid determination of total sulfur in fuels using gas chromatography with atomic emission detection

The purpose of this study is to determine whether gas chromatography (GC)-atomic emission detection (AED) can be used in a low-resolution mode for rapid, accurate determinations of total sulfur in fuels at trace levels to complement other popular methods of total sulfur analysis. A method for the rapid determination of total sulfur in fuels (called "fast GC-AED") is developed. The method is tested on gasoline, jet fuel, kerosene, and diesel fuel with sulfur concentrations ranging from 125 mg/L down to 2.5 mg/L. Fast GC-AED shows better performance than traditional GC-AED for total sulfur determinations, especially for complex mixtures containing many different sulfur-containing compounds at trace levels. This method also shows that GC-AED can be used for both rapid determinations of total sulfur and traditional determinations of speciated sulfur without requiring equipment changes. Fast GC-AED is competitive with other popular methods for sulfur analysis. The 5-min program that is developed for fast GC-AED is comparable with the time scale of other methods, such as wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence and UV-fluorescence (2 to 5 min). Fast GC-AED also compares favorably with UV-fluorescence for trace sulfur determinations, demonstrating accuracy down to 2.5-mg/L sulfur.     

催化柴油中氮化物分布的气相色谱-原子发射光谱分析方法的研究

建立了催化柴油馏分中各种氮化物类型分布的气相色谱-原子发射光谱(GC-AED)分析方法,考察了色谱条件和不同的试剂气压力对各种氮化物分离和检测灵敏度的影响,定性(或归类)了某典型催化柴油中的73个氮化物,计算了程升条件下各种氮化物的保留指数,为不同实验室的定性比较提供了依据。以峰面积对质量浓度作图,氮化物在2.0~600 mg/L浓度范围内,AED检测器对不同氮化物有良好的线性响应,线性相关系数达0.998。几种氮化物(吲哚、1-甲基吲哚、C2-吲哚、咔唑、1-甲基咔唑、1,8-二甲基咔唑)峰面积的相对标     

Determination of volatile halogenated organic compounds in soils by purge-and-trap capillary gas chromatography with atomic emission detection

Nine volatile halogenated organic compounds (VHOCs), including four trihalomethanes (THMs), were determined in soils by capillary gas chromatography with microwave induced-plasma atomic emission spectrometry (GC-AED), using a purge-and-trap system (PT) for sample preconcentration. Analytes were previously extracted from the soil sample in methanol and the extract was preconcentrated before being chromatographed. Element-specific detection and quantification were carried out monitoring two wavelength emission lines, corresponding to chlorine (479 nm) and bromine (478 nm). Each chromatographic run took 21 min, including the purge step. The method showed a precision of 1.1-7.2% (R.S.D.) depending on the compound. Detection limits ranged from 0.05 to 0.55 ng ml⁻¹, for chloroform and dichloromethane, respectively, corresponding to 3.3 and 36.0 ng g⁻¹ in the soil samples. The chromatographic profiles obtained showed no interference from co-extracted compounds. Low levels of dichloromethane and chloroform ranging from 0.04 to 1.13 μg g⁻¹ were found in samples obtained from small gardens irrigated with tap water. The method is reliable and can be used for routine monitoring in soil samples.     

气相色谱/氢火焰离子化检测法分析烷基化物料中的C4氟代烃

以实验室合成的氟代叔丁烷、氟代仲丁烷、氟代正丁烷为参考,建立了烷基化物料中C4氟代烃的气相色谱/氢火焰离子化检测(GC/FID)分析方法。提出了利用气相色谱/原子发射光谱(GC/AED)按元素响应的特点求算C4氟代烃在GC/FID上相对校正因子的方法。方法采用OV-225(50 m×0.25 mm i.d.×0.25 μm)和SE-54(44 m×0.22 mm i.d.×0.25 μm)串联柱为分析柱,FID为检测器,校正归一化或间接外标方法进行定量,具有重复性好、应用移植便利、操作简单等特点,对氟代叔     

Solid phase extractive preconcentration coupled to gas chromatography-atomic emission detection for the determination of chlorophenols in water samples

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by derivatization and gas chromatography-atomic emission detection (GC-AED) was evaluated for the determination of five chlorophenols (CPs) in water samples. The derivatization was based on the esterification of phenolic compounds with ferrocenecarboxylic acid. The determination of the derivatized phenols was performed by GC-AED in the iron selective detection mode at 302 nm. The described method was tested on spiked water samples.The overall method gave detection limits of 1.6-3.7 ng L⁻¹ and recoveries of 90.9-104.5% for the examined mono- to trichlorophenols in 10 mL water samples. The CPs extracted from a 10 mL water sample with SPE were concentrated into 100 μL of organic solvent, a preconcentration factor of 100. The method was applied to lake and tap water samples, and CP contents between 6 and 51 ng L⁻¹ in lake water and between below the detection limit and 8 ng L⁻¹ in tap water were found for different CPs. The method is quick, simple and gives excellent recoveries, limits of detection and standard deviations.     

Simultaneous analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in water by headspace solid-phase microextraction with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-ITMS-MS) method has been developed and studied for the simultaneous determination of 15 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and 20 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in aqueous samples. To perform the HS-SPME polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) (7, 30 and 100 microm film thickness) and polydimethylsiloxane-divinylbenzene (PDMS-DVB) fibers were initially compared on the basis of their absorption capacities for the selected compounds, and PDMS 100 microm film thickness was selected to accomplish the rests of essays. The influence of various parameters on OCPs and PCBs extraction efficiency by HS-SPME was thoroughly studied using GC-electron capture detector (ECD). Parameters such as collision induced dissociation (CID) resonant excitation amplitude and RF storage level were optimized to increase specificity and sensibility for ITMS-MS analysis. The performance of proposed HS-SPME-GC-ITMS-MS methodology with respect to linearity, reproducibility and limit of detection (LOD) was evaluated by water spiked with target compounds. The linear range of most compounds was found to be between 0.01 and 1 ng mL(-1) and the limits of detection were between 0.4 and 26 pg mL(-1). The reproducibility of the method (n = 6), expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD), was between 5 and 21%. Finally, developed procedure was applied to determine selected OCPs and PCBs in river water samples in concentration below 0.1 ng mL(-1) can be easily carried out with ultra-selectivity and precision.     

Comparison of two derivatizing agents for the simultaneous determination of selenite and organoselenium species by gas chromatography and atomic emission detection after preconcentration using solid-phase microextraction

Two methods for the simultaneous determination of selenite and two organoselenium compounds, dimethylselenide (DMSe) and dimethyldiselenide (DMDSe), are proposed. Both methods involve sample preconcentration by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and capillary gas chromatography coupled to atomic emission detection (GC-AED). The main difference between the methods is the derivatizing agent used to complex the inorganic species: sodium tetraethylborate and 4,5-dichloro-1,2-phenylenediamine. The parameters affecting the derivatization and preconcentration steps, chromatographic separation as well as detection of the compounds were optimized. Direct immersion (DI) mode and a relatively long extraction time were selected for the method involving the formation of the piazselenol complex, better sensitivity being achieved for the three analytes under study. In this case, detection limits ranged between 3 and 25 ng L(-1), depending on the compound. Headspace mode (HS) and extraction times of 20 min were selected for the method involving tetraalkylborate, and detection limits of between 7.3 and 55 ng L(-1) were obtained. DMSe and Se(IV) were found in several of the water samples analyzed at concentrations of 0.07-1.0 ng mL(-1).     

Optimization of a Sample Preparation Procedure for the Speciation of Organotin Compounds in Sediment Samples Using GC-AED

Abstract

Results of a comprehensive study of all analytical steps involved in the sample preparation procedure for the speciation of butyl- and phenyltin compounds in sediments are presented. The proposed method is based on acid leaching (using aqueous acetic acid) and simultaneous extraction of the ionic species into an organic solvent (n-hexane/ethyl acetate) with the addition of a complexing agent (diethyl dithiocarbamic acid). After evaporation to dryness, the residue is derivatized with sodium tetraethylborate in an aqueous buffer solution (acetate buffer, 0.1 M, pH 5) and extracted into n-hexane. Cleanup is performed over basic alumina and the ethylated organotin species are analyzed with a gas chromatograph coupled to a microwave-induced helium plasma atomic emission detector (GC-AED). The optimized method was validated within an interlaboratory study for the certification of tributyltin, triphenyltin and their degradation products in a freshwater sediment, the BCR candidate reference material 646.     

Potential of capillary-column-switching liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the quantitative trace analysis of small molecules. Application to the on-line screening of drugs in water

We have investigated the potential of capillary-column-switching liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (cLC-MS-MS) for the quantitative on-line trace analysis of target compounds in aqueous solutions. The technical design of the nano-scale cLC system developed at our Institute for peptide and protein identification has been tested and evaluated for the direct trace analysis of drugs in water samples. Sulphametoxazole, bezafibrate, metoprolol, carbamazepine and bisoprolol occurring frequently in Dutch waters, were selected as test compounds. Adequate conditions for trapping, elution and MS-MS detection were investigated by employing laboratory made 200 microm i.d. capillary columns packed with 5 microm aqua C18 material. In the final cLC-MS-MS conditions, a 1 cm length trapping column and a 4 cm length analytical column were selected. Under these conditions, the target compounds could be directly determined in water down to a level of around 50 ng/l employing only 25 microl of water sample. Validation was done by recovery experiments in ground-, surface- and drinking-water matrices as well as by the analysis of water samples with incurred residues and previously analyzed with a conventional procedure involving off-line solid-phase extraction and narrow-bore LC with MS-MS detection. The new methodology provided recoveries (50-500 ng/l level) between 50 and 114% with RSDs (n = 3, each level) below 20% for most of the compounds. Despite the somewhat less analytical performance in comparison to the conventional procedure, the on-line approach of the new methodology is very suitable for screening of drugs in aqueous samples.     

New procedure for the examination of the degradation of volatile organonitrogen compounds during the treatment of industrial effluents

We present a new procedure for the determination of 32 volatile organonitrogen compounds in samples of industrial effluents with a complex matrix. The procedure, based on dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction followed by gas chromatography with nitrogen‐phosphorus and mass spectrometric detection, was optimized and validated. Optimization of the extraction included the type of extraction and disperser solvent, disperser solvent volume, pH, salting out effect, extraction, and centrifugation time. The procedure based on nitrogen‐phosphorus detection was found to be superior, having lower limits of detection (0.0067–2.29 μg/mL) and quantitation as well as a wider linear range. The developed procedure was applied to the determination of content of volatile organonitrogen compounds in samples of raw effluents from the production of bitumens in which 13 compounds were identified at concentrations ranging from 0.15 to 10.86 μg/mL and in samples of effluents treated by various chemical methods.     

Determination of odorous mixed chloro-bromoanisoles in water by solid-phase micro-extraction and gas chromatography-mass detection

A headspace-solid-phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method has been proposed for the simultaneous determination of odorous trihalogenated anisoles in water. Parameters affecting efficiency of HS-SPME procedure, such as the selection of the SPME coating, extraction time, temperature and ionic strength were optimized. The commercially available polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS 100 microm) fiber appears to be the most suitable for the simultaneous determination of these compounds. Run-to-run precision with relative standard deviations (R.S.D.s) between 5 and 15% were obtained for most of the compounds except for 2,5-dicloro-6-bromo-anisole, 2,3-dibromo-6-chloroanisole, pentachloro- and pentabromoanisole (>20%). The method was linear over two orders of magnitude, and detection limits were compound dependent and ranged from 0.03 ng/L for 2,4,6-trichloroanisole to 0.25 ng/L for 2,3-dibromo-6-chloroanisole. The HS-SPME-GC-MS procedure was tested using real samples and relatively good standard deviations were obtained when using p-iodoanisole as internal standard for quantification. This is the first time that the individual identification of odorous trihalogenated chloro-bromoanisoles has been reported, being HS-SPME-GC-MS a suitable method for simultaneous determination of these compounds in water at concentration levels below their odor limit of detection.