HPLC Coupled with in-line photolysis, hydride generation and flame atomic-absorption spectrometry for the speciation of tin in natural waters

The use of an in-line photolysis coil in a continuous-flow system of high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with hydride generation and flame atomic-absorption spectrometry for the speciation of tin in natural waters is described. Irradiation with ultraviolet light is shown to convert tributyltin into organic tin(IV), from which a volatile hydride can be produced in the conventional way. The effect of various conditions on the analytical performance is discussed. A detection limit of 2 ng for tin was obtained, and the tin species could be completely separated within 6 min. Use of the technique for quantification of tributyltin compounds in local coastal waters is described.     

Determination of butyltin stabilizers in PVC using Liquid-Phase microextraction with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A rapid and highly sensitive method is described for the extraction and determination of di- and tributyltin in PVC samples using headspace liquid phase microextraction followed by an analysis with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (HSLPME/ GFAAS). The analytes were derivatized in situ with sodium tetraethylborate and concentrated in a 2 ??l microdrop of benzyl alcohol suspended from the tip of a conventional GC microsyringe. The ethylated species then were directly transferred into a graphite furnace and quantified. The extractions were carried out for 5 ml sample solution (8 ml vial) adjusted at pH 5, with derivatization at 22 °C for 15 min in a 2% sodium tetraethylborate. The experimental parameters impacting the performance of HS-LPME were also investigated. According to the analysis, the linearity range was from 5.0 to 250.0 ng l^-1 with a detection limit of 0.5 ng l^-1 for dibutyltin and from 1.7 to 170.0 ng l^-1 with a detection limit of 0.17 ng l^-1 for tributyltin. Method RSD values were below 1.5%. Finally, the analysis of spiked PVC and water samples revealed that matrix had little effect upon extraction.     

Speciation and determination of tin(IV) and organotin compounds in sea-water by hydride generation-atomic-absorption spectrometry with an electrically heated long absorption cell

A method is described for the determination of nanogram or subnanogram amounts of Sn(IV) and the halides of methyltin, dimethyltin, trimethyltin, n-butyltin, dibutyltin, and tributyltin. These compounds are volatilized from water samples by hydride generation, collected on a chromatographic stationary phase, desorbed in order of increasing boiling point, and detected by atomic-absorption spectrometry with atomization in a long electrothermally heated alumina tube furnace. The absolute detection limits are in the range 0.4-1.5 ng with a reproducibility of 4-15% for inorganic tin and organotin compounds.     

Speciation of n-butyltin compounds by atomic absorption spectrometry with an electrothermal quartz furnace after hydride generation

A method is described for the speciation of n-butyltin compounds. The compounds are volatilized from aqueous solution, trapped on a chromatographic packing material contained in a teflon column, and separated on the basis of differing boiling points. The column is attached directly to an electrothermal quartz furnace of an atomic absorption spectrometer for detection at 224.61 nm. Absolute detection limits (3σ) are 11–45 pg as tin, calibration curves are linear to 13 ng, and reproducibility at the 2-ng level ranges from 5% for mono-n-butyltin to 18% for tri(n-butyl)tin.     

Speciation of organotin compounds in marine sediments by capillary column gas chromatography-atomic absorption spectrometry coupled with hydride generation

A method for speciation of organotin compounds in marine sediments by solvent extraction combined with hydride generation gas chromatography-atomic absorption spectrometry has been developed. Sediment samples spiked with tributyltin and triphenyltin chlorides were homogenized in hydrochloric acid. The chlorides were extracted twice into toluene. Recoveries of the organotin compounds from the spiked sediment samples were improved by the addition of 8-quinolinol. Tributyltin and triphenyltin chlorides form ion-associates with 8-quinolinol in aqueous hydrochloric acid. The method was optimized with respect to derivatization reactions and extraction conditions. Interferences from Sn(II/IV) and additional 13 ions were investigated. Recoveries of 84-100% for tributyltin and 86-100% for triphenyltin were achieved using this method. The detection limits obtained for tributyltin and triphenyltin chlorides were 95 and 145 pg, respectively, corresponding to a relative detection limit of 95 and 145 ng kg(-1) in the sediment.     

Determination of total tin and tributyltin in marine biological materials by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

Total tin and tributyltin in marine biological tissue are determined at the sub-μg g^?1 level by graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Total tin is extracted by digestion with nitric acid, and tributyltin is extracted by n-hexane after treatment with hydrochloric acid. A matrix modifier (ammonium dihydrogenphosphate), and a stabilized-temperature platform furnace are used to overcome matrix effects. Zeeman background correction is used. Results of analyses of oyster (Crassostrea gigas), salmon (Salmo salar) and a reference material (Bowen's kale) are presented. The detection limit for both methods is ca. 30 ng of tin with a relative standard deviation (n = 6) of 7.8% for a sample containing 200 ng of tin.     

Application of a heated electrospray interface for on-line connection of the AAS detector with HPLC for detection of organotin and organolead compounds

A heated electrospray interface that affords high sensitivity and long-term signal stability for AAS detection of metal-containing analytes in organic or organic-water solvents after HPLC separation is described. The vitreous body of the electrospray interface is externally heated above the boiling point of the solvent and quartz furnace AAS is used for detection. Interface working conditions were optimized with a full experimental design for the detection of tin- (tetramethyl-, tetraethyl-, tetrabutyl-, and tetrapentyltin, tributyltin chloride, dibutyltin dichloride, and butyltin trichloride) and lead- (tetraethyl- and tetraphenyllead) containing compounds in the column eluate. The heated electrospray interface enables use of a wide range of flow rates - from 50 to 1000 micro L min(-1). The measurement sensitivity and detection limit achieved were compared with those obtained by use of the thermospray interface and post-column conversion of the organotin compounds to gaseous hydrides. The detection limits for the low-molecular weight species of the homologous series (2.8+/-0.1 ng (140+/-5 ng mL(-1)) for tetramethyltin and 3.1+/-0.2 ng (155+/-10 ng mL(-1)) for tetraethyltin) were obtained approximately one order of magnitude lower than those obtained by use of the thermospray interface. With this HPLC-ES-QFAAS system the tributyltin content of BCR reference material 477, mussel tissue, was analyzed. This system was also applied to analysis of tetraethyllead in gasoline samples.     

Atomic-absorption spectrophotometric determination of traces of manganese with thenoyltrifluoroacetone

An atomic-absorption spectrophotometric method for the determination of traces of manganese in solution with thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTA) is described. Manganese(II) is extracted with 0.01M TTA in methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) at pH 9.5. The atomic-absorption of the organic phase at 279.5 nm is measured. Except for chromium, iron, hafnium, niobium, nickel, rhodium, tin, titanium and zirconium, microquantities of many other cations and anions do not interfere. Iron can be removed by MIBK extraction before the TTA extraction. The sensitivity of the method was 1.6 ng/ml for 1% absorption in aqueous solution. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of environmental waters. Manganese in the filtered fractions of water samples was reliably determined with relative standard deviations of 7% at the 5 mug/l. level and 1% at 50 mug/l.     

Analysis of Triorganotin Compounds by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Reverse-Pulse Amperometric Detection

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with the reverse-pulse amperometric (RPA) detection method has been developed for the analysis of triorganotin compounds in aqueous solutions. The major advantage of RPA vs. conventional amperometric detection is its ‘in situ’ elimination of interference from dissolved oxygen in the chromatographic eluent; therefore, no extra chemicals or apparatus are required for oxygen removal. With a Partisil-10 SCX column and an eluent of methanol/0.01 M sodium acetate buffer (70:30, pH 5.5), the four triorganotins, viz., trimethyl-, triethyl-, tripropyl-, and tributyltin, can be totally separated. Detection by RPA was performed with a static dropping mercury electrode with an initial potential of ?1.15 V and a final potential of +0.15 V. The absolute detection limit (S/N = 3) ranged from 12 ng of tributyltin (as tin) to 0.3 μg of trimethyltin (as tin). Applications of the method to the analysis of trace tributyltin in marine antifoulant leachate and sea water are described.     

Tributyltin determination in marine sediments: A comparative study of methods

Two independent speciation methods have been applied to the determination of tributyltin (TBT) in marine sediments: (1) acetic acid leaching/hydride generation/cold trapping/GC/quartz furnace AA; and (2) toluene–tropolone extraction/HPLC/GFAA. TBT determines in a typically moderately polluted sediment (Porto Vecchio Bay, Corsica, France) are in very good agreement, as also are the determination of total recoverable tin by the first method and by a direct one using strong acid leaching followed by GFAA. These cross-verifications lead one to conclude that both speciation methods are convenient and allow for valid determination of TBT in marine sediments, with no loss of TBT. Method-induced modification of tin speciation has not been observed.     

Preconcentration Ultra Trace of Cd(II) in Water Samples Using Dispersive Liquid‐Liquid Microextraction with Salen(N,N′‐Bis(Salicylidene)‐Ethylenediamine) and Determination Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) technique was successfully used as a sample preparation method for graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF AAS). In this extraction method, 500 μL methanol (disperser solvent) containing 34 μL carbon tetrachloride (extraction solvent) and 0.00010 g Salen(N,N′‐bis(salicylidene)ethylenediamine) (chelating agent) was rapidly injected by syringe into the water sample containing cadmium ions (interest analyte). Thereby, a cloudy solution formed. The cloudy state resulted from the formation of fine droplets of carbon tetrachloride, which have been dispersed, in bulk aqueous sample. At this stage, cadmium reacts with Salen(N,N′‐bis(salicylidene)‐ethylenediamine), and therefore, hydrophobic complex forms which is extracted into the fine droplets of carbon tetrachloride. After centrifugation (2 min at 5000 rpm), these droplets were sedimented at the bottom of the conical test tube (25 ± 1 μL). Then a 20 μL of sedimented phase containing enriched analyte was determined by GF AAS. Some effective parameters on extraction and complex formation, such as extraction and disperser solvent type and their volume, extraction time, salt effect, pH and concentration of the chelating agent have been optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the enrichment factor 122 was obtained from only 5.00 mL of water sample. The calibration graph was linear in the range of 2‐21 ng L^?1 with a detection limit of 0.5 ng L^?1. The relative standard deviation (R.S.D._s) for ten replicate measurements of 20 ng L^?1 of cadmium was 2.9%. The relative recoveries of cadmium in tap, sea and rain water samples at a spiking level of 5 and 10 ng L^?1 are 99, 94, 97 and 96%, respectively. The characteristics of the proposed method have been compared with cloud point extraction (CPE), on‐line liquid‐liquid extraction, single drop microextraction (SDME), on‐line solid phase extraction (SPE) and co‐precipitation based on bibliographic data. Therefore, DLLME combined with GF AAS is a very simple, rapid and sensitive method, which requires low volume of sample (5.00 mL).     

Determination of 1 ng/l. Levels of mercury in water by electrothermal atomization atomic-absorption spectrometry after solvent extraction

Optimization of the furnace parameters for electrothermal atomization of mercury leads to a characteristic mass of 20 pg in aqueous solution and 30 pg in chloroform extracts (with Zeeman correction). With a single-step solvent extraction from 100 ml of sample, performed in the sampling vessel, and direct injection of 400 μl of the extract into the furnace, a characteristic concentration of 0.8 ng/l. is reached.     

Novel solvent‐free microwave‐assisted extraction coupled with low‐density solvent‐based in‐tube ultrasound‐assisted emulsification microextraction for the fast analysis of organophosphorus pesticides in soils

A novel and rapid solventless microwave‐assisted extraction coupled with low‐density solvent‐based in‐tube ultrasound‐assisted emulsification microextraction has been developed for the efficient determination of nine organophosphorus pesticides in soils by GC analysis with microelectron capture detection. A specially designed, homemade glass tube inbuilt with a scaled capillary tube was used as an extraction device to collect and measure the separated extractant phase easily. Parameters affecting the efficiencies of the developed method were thoroughly investigated. From experimental results, the following conditions were selected for the extraction of organophosphorus pesticides from 1.0 g of soil sample to 5 mL of aqueous solution under 226 W of microwave irradiation for 2.5 min followed by ultrasound‐assisted emulsification microextraction with 20 μL toluene for 30 s and then centrifugation at 3200 rpm for 3 min. Detections were linear in the range of 0.25–10 ng/g with detection limits between 0.04 and 0.13 ng/g for all target analytes. The applicability of the method to real samples was assessed on agricultural contaminated soils and the recoveries ranged between 91.4 and 101.3%. Compared to other methods, the present method was shown to be highly competitive in terms of sensitivity, cost, eco‐friendly nature, and analysis speed.     

Determination of butyltin compounds in sediments using an improved aqueous ethylation method

We have determined tributyltin and dibutyltin species in various environmental sediment samples (marine, harbour and river sediment) using the in situ aqueous ethylation-gas chromatography-atomic absorption spectrometry method subsequent to extraction by methanol containing O.5M HCl. The present technique provides a significantly lower detection limit than previous methods, so that tributyltin can for the first time be measured in some of the samples. Thus, the method described is well suited for the determination of tributyltin and dibutyltin compounds in sediments with low levels of butyltin species (e.g., Main River, 1.7 ng of tributyltin as Sn/g dry sediment).     

Analysis of estrogens in environmental waters using polymer monolith in-polyether ether ketone tube solid-phase microextraction combined with high-performance liquid chromatography

A simple, rapid and sensitive on-line method for simultaneous determination of four endocrine disruptors (17beta-estradiol, estriol, bisphenol A and 17alpha-ethinylestradiol) in environmental waters was developed by coupling in-tube solid-phase microextraction (SPME) to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection (FLD). A poly(acrylamide-vinylpyridine-N,N'-methylene bisacrylamide) monolith, synthesized inside a polyether ether ketone (PEEK) tube, was selected as the extraction medium. To achieve optimum extraction performance, several parameters were investigated, including extraction flow-rate, extraction time, and pH value, inorganic salt and organic solvent content of the sample matrix. By simply filtered with nylon membrane filter and adjusting the pH of samples to 6.0 with phosphoric acid, the sample solution then could be directly injected into the device for extraction. Low detection limits (S/N=3) and quantification limits (S/N=10) of the proposed method were achieved in the range of 0.006-0.10 ng/mL and 0.02-0.35 ng/mL from spiked lake waters, respectively. The calibration curves of four endocrine disruptors showed good linearity ranging from quantification limits to 50 ng/mL with a linear coefficient R(2) value above 0.9913. Good method reproducibility was also found by intra- and inter-day precisions, yielding the RSDs less than 12 and 9.8%, respectively. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of these compounds in several environmental waters.     

Determination of butyltin species in natural waters using aqueous phase ethylation and off-line room temperature trapping

Monobutyltin (MBT), dibutyltin (DBT) and tributyltin (TBT) were determined in natural water samples by aqueous phase ethylation with sodium tetraethylborate (STEB), room temperature trapping of the resulting volatile derivatives on Tenax TA^®, followed by gas chromatography-quartz furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GC-QFAAS). Recoveries of butyltin spikes from natural water samples were 90-109% at concentrations of ∼100 ng Sn/l. The method precision at ∼100 ng Sn/l was ≤6% RSD for butyltins spiked into natural waters. The detection limits for 1 l water samples were <1 ng Sn/l for all butyltin species. Sample throughput of the method is high (greater than three samples per hour) due to the two-stage nature of the procedure, which allows derivatisation/trapping and GC-QFAAS quantitation to be performed separately. Off-line trapping is also advantageous as it extends the life of the GC column and quartz furnace to at least 12 months due to minimisation of carry-over of co-purged material.     

Combination of solid-phase extraction-hollow fiber for ultra-preconcentration of some triazole pesticides followed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection

In this study, an extraction and preconcentration technique using solid-phase extraction (SPE) along with hollow fiber (HF) has been developed as an ultra-preconcentration technique for some triazole pesticides in aqueous samples. Triazole pesticides were employed as model compounds to assess the method and were monitored by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID). Initially, an aqueous solution of target analytes was passed through an RP-8 SPE cartridge and then the adsorbed analytes were eluted with μL amounts of toluene. The collected elute was slowly introduced into an HF that had one end blocked. This allowed precipitation inside the lumen and pores of the HF. Finally, the obtained HF was mounted on a home-made solid-phase microextraction syringe and entered into the GC injection port for thermal desorption-GC analysis. The effect of various experimental parameters including injection port temperature, desorption time, state of HF, washing solvent, elution solvent and its volume, sample volume, etc. were investigated for finding the optimum conditions. The calibration graphs were linear in the ranges of 2-1000 ng/mL (penconazole and hexaconazole), 5-1000 ng/mL (tebuconazole), 15-1000 ng/mL (triticonazole) and the detection limits (LODs) ranged from 0.6 to 4.5 ng/mL. The enhancement factors were in the range of 870-950. The relative standard deviations (RSD%) for five repeated experiments (C=250 ng/mL of each pesticide) varied from 4.5 to 8.7%. The relative recoveries obtained for analytes in grape juice samples, spiked with different levels of each pesticide, were in the range of 87-119%.     

Cloud point extraction for the determination of lead and cadmium in urine by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry with multivariate optimization using Box–Behnken design

Cloud point extraction (CPE) is proposed as a pre-concentration procedure for the determination of Pb and Cd in undigested urine by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF AAS). Aliquots of 0.5 mL urine were acidified with HCl and the chelating agent ammonium O,O-diethyl dithiophosphate (DDTP) was added along with the non-ionic surfactant Triton X-114 at the optimized concentrations. Phase separation was achieved by heating the mixture to 50 °C for 15 min. The surfactant-rich phase was analyzed by GF AAS, employing the optimized pyrolysis temperatures of 900 °C for Pb and 800 °C for Cd, using a graphite tube with a platform treated with 500 μg Ru as permanent modifier. The reagent concentrations for CPE (HCl, DDTP and Triton X-114) were optimized using a Box–Behnken design. The response surfaces and the optimum values were very similar for aqueous solutions and for the urine samples, demonstrating that aqueous standards submitted to CPE could be used for calibration. Detection limits of 40 and 2 ng L^− 1 for Pb and Cd, respectively, were obtained along with an enhancement factor of 16 for both analytes. Three control urine samples were analyzed using this approach, and good agreement was obtained at a 95% statistical confidence level between the certified and determined values. Five real samples have also been analyzed before and after spiking with Pb and Cd, resulting in recoveries ranging from 97 to 118%.     

Solvent extraction-spectrophotometric determination of phosphate with molybdate and malachite green in river water and sea-water

Molybdophosphate, formed between orthophosphate and molybdate in sulphuric acid solution, is extracted into a mixture of toluene and 4-methylpentan-2-one (1:3 v v ) with Malachite Green as counter-ion. A single extraction with equal phase volumes gives an apparent molar absorptivity for phosphate of 2.3 x 10(5) l.mole(-1).cm(-1) at 630 nm; the absorbance of the reagent blank is 0.03. With an organic to aqueous phase-volume ratio of 1:10, the molar absorptivity is 2.5 x 10(5) l.mole(-1).cm(-1) and the absorbance of the reagent blank 0.08. By the proposed method, ng ml levels of phosphorus can be determined, and the detection limit is about 0.1 ng ml . The standard deviation and relative standard deviation for the determination of phosphorus in tap water (4.3 ng ml ) are 0.05 ng ml and 1.1%, respectively. The method can also be applied to the determination of phosphorus in river water and sea-water.