Investigation of Soot Deposition and Composition in a Radio Frequency Plasma of Benzene

A radio frequency (rf) discharge has been utilized to study the decomposition of benzene. SEM inspection has shown that the size of soot particles ranged from 0.5 to several μm. The soot deposited on silicon wafers was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). It was shown that the main components of the soot are polyphenyls (biphenyl and terphenyls) and a trace amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Acetylene and hydrogen have been detected by plasma diagnostics techniques using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and optical emission spectroscopic techniques. However, GC/MS analysis has shown that the relative yields of PAHs are much less than those of polyphenyls, which indicates that the conventional hydrogen abstraction-acetylene addition (HACA) model for soot formation is not applicable to the benzene plasma due to the reason of temperature. The rf power, the carrier gas flow-rate, the relative yields of polyphenyls, and plasma temperatures were correlated. The reaction pathways of benzene elimination and soot formation in plasma are discussed. This study has provided a new route to control the contamination due to PAHs.     

Coupled LC-GC-MS for on-line clean-up,separation, and identification of chlorinated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at picogram levels in urban air

Coupled liquid chromatography – gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (LC-GC-MS) has been applied for on-line clean up, separation, and identification of chlorinated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (CI-PAHs). A loop-type interface was used to couple the liquid chromatograph on-line with the GC-MS, and concurrent solvent evaporation was used for sample transfer. A back-flush technique was used in conjunction with a two-dimensional column system for isolation of CI-PAHs and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This fraction was transferred on-line to the GC and separated on a capillary column. Selective and sensitive detection of CI-PAHs in the GC eluate was obtained by negative ion chemical ionization (NICI) mass spectrometry and selected ion monitoring (SIM). The combined on-line system for isolation, separation, and identification showed high precision and accuracy, and demonstrated a linear response from 1 to 1000 pg for chlorinated PAHs. The estimated detection limit was 250 fg for 1-chloropyrene and 1,6-dichloropyrene. The technique was demonstrated by analysis of urban air samples. The low detection limit made it possible to use the technique for analysis of personally carried monitoring equipment for measurement of exposure to CI-PAHs in the work environment.     

Determination of polynuclear aromatic hydro-carbons and mononitrated derivatives in air and diesel particulates

A method is described for the determination of three- to six-ring polynuclear aromatic hydro-carbons (PAHs) and mononitrated PAHs (nitro-PAHs) in particulate matter. The procedure includes Soxhlet extraction followed by fractionation using gel filtration chromatography and normal-phase liquid chromatography with an aminosilane stationary phase. The resulting fractions were separated by capillary gas chromatography (GC) into individual PAHs and nitro-PAHs which were detected by a flame-ionization detector and a thermal energy analyzer, respectively. Commercially available standards were used for quantification. Individual peak assignments were confirmed by using both mass spectral and retention index data obtained through computerized capillary GC-mass spectrometry. Several samples were processed, including a certified diesel particulate reference material supplied by the National Bureau of Standards for the purpose of evaluating analytical methods. This method may also be applicable in the determination of certain carbonyl PAHs.     

掺混含氧燃料的柴油替代物部分预混火焰中多环芳香烃的荧光光谱和碳烟浓度

为研究不同含氧燃料与柴油掺混后碳烟降低机理, 本文在自行设计的燃烧器上构建部分预混层流火焰, 采用甲苯和正庚烷混合物(T20, 20%(体积分数)甲苯、80%正庚烷)作为柴油替代物,并分别添加甲醇、乙醇、正丁醇、丁酸甲酯和2,5-二甲基呋喃(DMF), 且保证混合燃料的含氧量均为4%. 进而应用激光诱导荧光法和激光诱导炽光法分别测量不同混合燃料的火焰中多环芳香烃(PAHs)的荧光光谱和碳烟浓度. 结果表明: 通过PAHs的荧光光谱可测量不同燃料火焰中PAHs的生成和增长历程. 四环芳香烃(A4)的生成氧化规律和碳烟基本一致, 说明通过分析A4变化可以预测碳烟变化. 添加含氧燃料后, T20燃料中甲苯含量降低是导致PAHs的荧光光谱强度降低和碳烟生成量减少的主要原因; 同时不同含氧燃料本身对多环芳香烃的生成贡献能力也是影响PAHs的荧光强度和碳烟生成的重要原因. 含氧量相当时, 掺混正丁醇后PAHs的荧光光谱强度和碳烟浓度比添加甲醇、乙醇、丁酸甲酯和DMF这四种含氧燃料的更低. 因此从含氧燃料结构来讲, 正丁醇掺混入T20燃料中降低PAHs和碳烟作用最显著.     

Simultaneous determination of two serine proteinases by hydrophobic interaction chromatography

Summary An LC clean-up procedure based upon a complexation between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and silica with chemically bonded 2,4-dinitroaniline has been combined with GC/MS. The LC pre-separation makes it possible to obtain a relatively clean fraction of PAHs free from alkanes, alkylbenzenes and naphthalenes, PCBs, chlorinated pesticides and many other interfering compounds. This fraction has been analyzed using capillary GC and mass selective detector (MSD). Substantial improvement of the MS spectra of PAHs with three or more fused benzene rings is achieved.     

Analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in environmental samples: a critical review of gas chromatographic (GC) methods

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are frequently measured in the atmosphere for air quality assessment, in biological tissues for health-effects monitoring, in sediments and mollusks for environmental monitoring, and in foodstuffs for safety reasons. In contemporary analysis of these complex matrices, gas chromatography (GC), rather than liquid chromatography (LC), is often the preferred approach for separation, identification, and quantification of PAHs, largely because GC generally affords greater selectivity, resolution, and sensitivity than LC. This article reviews modern-day GC and state-of-the-art GC techniques used for the determination of PAHs in environmental samples. Standard test methods are discussed. GC separations of PAHs on a variety of capillary columns are examined, and the properties and uses of selected mass spectrometric (MS) techniques are presented. PAH literature on GC with MS techniques, including chemical ionization, ion-trap MS, time-of-flight MS (TOF-MS), and isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), is reviewed. Enhancements to GC, for example large-volume injection, thermal desorption, fast GC, and coupling of GC to LC, are also discussed with regard to the determination of PAHs in an effort to demonstrate the vigor and robustness GC continues to achieve in the analytical sciences.     

Identification of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Produced During Combustion of Fuel With Carbon Disulfide as Additive

That polystyrene and benzene as additives to gasoline increase the amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been studied previously in our laboratory. This paper describes the use of carbon disulfide as the solvent instead of benzene brings a marked reduction of the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.     

Characterization of medieval proteinaceous painting media using gas chromatography and gas chromatography — mass spectrometry

Proteinaceous organic materials used as ancient painting media were investigated by capillary gas chromatography (GC) and capillary gas chromatography — mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Medieval wall paintings made by the tempera technique were considered and their binding media were studied by the characterization of their main chemical components. The basic methodology is based on the determination of amino acids in samples of paint layers after hydrolysis and derivatization and on the comparison with reference proteinaceous materials. Multivariate chemometric techniques were used to facilitate the recognition of the protein source from chromatographic data. To characterize the binders further, a method was developed for the determination of fatty acids, present as minor components, by GC/MS. The use of fused-silica capillary columns coated with selected stationary phases allowed the separation of amino acid and fatty acid derivatives in a single analytical run.     

色谱／质谱联用技术分析测定贻贝中的多环芳烃

介绍了ＧＣ－ＭＳ联用技术－物质征离子选择法测定贻贝中多环芳烃的分析方法，并就定性定量离子的选择，以及方法的准确度和精密度进行了探讨。结果表明，本方法适用于海洋生物贻贝，牡蛎中ＰＡＨｓ的分析测定。     

A Simple Extraction Method for Determination of High Molecular Weight Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Sediments by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

A simplified extraction method was developed for extracting high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from river sediments. The samples were extracted 3 times with 5 mL of solvent (toluene:methanol, 9 : 1, v/v) at 100 °C, 10 minutes for each extraction. After clean‐up and concentration, extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometer (GC‐MS). The extraction efficiency and accuracy was evaluated by the standard reference material (SRM‐1941b). Comparing to certified values, the average recoveries of high molecular weight PAHs with 3, 4, 5 and 6 fused benzene rings were 72.9∼113.2 % (R.S.D. 2.3∼6.3 %) except those of dibenz[a,h]anthracene (206.2±4.6 %). The average recoveries for PAHs spiked sediment samples were comparable with accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and Soxhlet methods. The simple extraction method consumes less solvent, fewer amount of sample than those of conventional methods. The lowest quantitation limit of PAHs is 1.1 μg/kg.     

Developments in the use of chromatographic techniques in marine laboratories for the determination of halogenated contaminants and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Chromatography has been an important tool in marine laboratories. Since the 1960s, marine laboratories have been involved in the analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and brominated flame retardants (BFRs). Column chromatography and liquid chromatography (LC) techniques have been used, mainly in the clean-up phase, while gas chromatography (GC) has been used extensively in the final determination of these contaminants. Developments have been observed from the use of packed GC columns, via capillary columns to the use of heart-cut multi-dimensional GC and comprehensive multi-dimensional GC. The progress made in interlaboratory studies and the availability of certified reference materials are discussed.     

Analysis of BTEX, PAHs and metals in the oilfield produced water in the State of Sergipe, Brazil

During oil and gas exploitation, large amounts of produced water are generated. This water has to be analyzed with relation to the chemical composition to deduce the environmental impact of its discharge after a treatment process. Therefore, a study was carried out to evaluate preliminarily the BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metals contents in produced water samples taken from effluents of the Bonsucesso treatment plant located in the city of Carmópolis, the most important oil and gas producer in the State of Sergipe, North-east of Brazil. Three methods were optimized to determine the target compounds. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were determined by gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC/MS), volatile aromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX) by gas chromatography with photoionization detector (GC/PID) and metals were analyzed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The results showed that concentrations of the target compounds in these samples ranged from 96.7 to 1397 μg L^− 1 for BTEX, from 0.9 to 10.3 μg L^− 1 for PAHs and from 0.003 to 4540 mg L^− 1 for metals.     

Analysis of turkish lignite tar by coupled LC/GC,GC/MS,and capillary SFC

This work describes the analysis of a pyrolysis product of a lignite sample obtained from the Turkish Goynuk reserve. The aliphatic, aromatic and polar compounds present in the tar are separated and identified by various chromatographic techniques: Capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), on-line high performance microbore liquid chromatography/capillary gas chromatography (LC/GC) and capillary supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). The suitability of each technique for this particular application is discussed, and semi-quantitative results are presented for the major components detected.     

毛细管色谱法测定苯类产品馏程

彩和毛细管色谱法,以OV101石英毛细管色谱柱为分离柱,用氢火焰离子化检测器（FID）和面积归一法计算出各影响苯类产品馏程的杂质百分含量,通过建立馏程与杂质百分含量关系式,建立了用毛细管色谱法测定杂质百分含量代替测定苯类产品馏程的国家标准方法GB／T3146－82（色谱法）中的峰高,方法测得的馏程数据与GB／T3146－82（色谱法）的测定值相一致,且操作简便,分析时间短。     

土壤中64种痕量半挥发性有机污染物的分析方法研究

利用超声提取技术将土壤中的半挥发性有机污染物(SVOC)提取出来, 经旋转蒸发浓缩至一定体积后, 用ODSC18柱净化, 再用氮吹浓缩后, 取1.0 μL注入气相色谱中, 用DB-5 ms柱分离, 用气相色谱质谱仪(GC-MS)进行定性定量分析. 本方法研究土壤中64种半挥发性有机污染物, 其中包括苯系物、苯酚类、苯胺类、硝基芳香烃类、氯代芳烃类、多环芳烃类和酞酸酯类等物质的提取、净化方法以及回收率、精密度和检测限的测定. 该方法回收率为52.5%～105%.     

Utility of ionic liquids in analytical separations

Ionic liquids (ILs), as separation media, have made significant contributions in the past decades in advancing research in gas chromatography (GC), liquid chromatography (LC), and capillary electrophoresis (CE). This review, covering reports published from the mid 1980s to early 2007, shows how ILs have been used so far in separation science, originally primarily as GC stationary phases and later as mobile phase additives (both millimolar and major percent levels) for LC and CE. Representative GC and LC chromatograms as well as CE electropherograms are shown. In addition, the very recent findings on the development of ionic liquids with surfactant properties and its applications for chiral and achiral analysis are discussed.     

Doping control analysis for adrafinil and its major metabolites in human urine

A new and reliable two‐step liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method in combination with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for the screening and confirmation of adrafinil and its major metabolites, modafinil and modafinil acid, in human urine has been developed and validated. The method involved reversed‐phase C18 solid‐phase extraction (SPE) cartridge extraction and MS analysis by means of LC/MS/MS and GC/MS. The study illustrated that the ESI capillary temperature played a key role in the formation of the protonated molecule. The limits of detection (LODs) of the developed method for the three compounds were lower than the minimum required performance limit (MRPL) of the World Anti‐Doping Agency (WADA). The human urine samples obtained after the oral administration of modafinil and from the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games were analyzed by using the described method, which has also been successfully applied to routine analyses and the WADA Proficiency Test. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Automated clean-up, separation and detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in particulate matter extracts from urban dust and diesel standard reference materials using a 2D-LC/2D-GC system

A multidimensional, on-line coupled liquid chromatographic/gas chromatographic system was developed for the quantification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). A two-dimensional liquid chromatographic system (2D-liquid chromatography (LC)), with three columns having different selectivities, was connected on-line to a two-dimensional gas chromatographic system (2D-gas chromatography (GC)). Samples were cleaned up by combining normal elution and column back-flush of the LC columns to selectively remove matrix constituents and isolate well-defined, PAH enriched fractions. Using this system, the sequential removal of polar, mono/diaromatic, olefinic and alkane compounds from crude extracts was achieved. The LC/GC coupling was performed using a fused silica transfer line into a programmable temperature vaporizer (PTV) GC injector. Using the PTV in the solvent vent mode, excess solvent was removed and the enriched PAH sample extract was injected into the GC. The 2D-GC setup consisted of two capillary columns with different stationary phase selectivities. Heart-cutting of selected PAH compounds in the first GC column (first dimension) and transfer of these to the second GC column (second dimension) increased the baseline resolutions of closely eluting PAHs. The on-line system was validated using the standard reference materials SRM 1649a (urban dust) and SRM 1975 (diesel particulate extract). The PAH concentrations measured were comparable to the certified values and the fully automated LC/GC system performed the clean-up, separation and detection of PAHs in 16 extracts in less than 24 h. The multidimensional, on-line 2D-LC/2D-GC system eliminated manual handling of the sample extracts and minimised the risk of sample loss and contamination, while increasing accuracy and precision.

Compound-specific stable isotope analysis of organic contaminants in natural environments: a critical review of the state of the art,prospects, and future challenges

Compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA) using gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/IRMS) has developed into a mature analytical method in many application areas over the last decade. This is in particular true for carbon isotope analysis, whereas measurements of the other elements amenable to CSIA (hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen) are much less routine. In environmental sciences, successful applications to date include (i) the allocation of contaminant sources on a local, regional, and global scale, (ii) the identification and quantification of (bio)transformation reactions on scales ranging from batch experiments to contaminated field sites, and (iii) the characterization of elementary reaction mechanisms that govern product formation. These three application areas are discussed in detail. The investigated spectrum of compounds comprises mainly n-alkanes, monoaromatics such as benzene and toluene, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and chlorinated hydrocarbons such as tetrachloromethane, trichloroethylene, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Future research directions are primarily set by the state of the art in analytical instrumentation and method development. Approaches to utilize HPLC separation in CSIA, the enhancement of sensitivity of CSIA to allow field investigations in the µg L^–1 range, and the development of methods for CSIA of other elements are reviewed. Furthermore, an alternative scheme to evaluate isotope data is outlined that would enable estimates of position-specific kinetic isotope effects and, thus, allow one to extract mechanistic chemical and biochemical information.Abbreviations BTEX benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes - MTBE methyl tert-butyl ether - PAHs polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons - VOCs volatile compounds - PCBs polychlorinated biphenyls - CSIA compound-specific (stable) isotope (ratio) analysis - GC-IRMS, GC/IRMS or GCIRMS gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry - GC-C-IRMS, GC/C/IRMS or GCC-IRMS gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry - irmGC/MS isotope ratio monitoring gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry - GC/P/IRMS gas chromatography-pyrolysis-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (used for D/H) - KIE kinetic isotope effect - PSIA position-specific isotope analysis (for intramolecular isotope distribution) - SNIF-NMR site-specific natural isotopic fractionation by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy