Combination of a sub‐3 μm superficially porous particle packed column with charged aerosol detection for the simple and sensitive measurement of nine macrolides in human urine

Due to the lack of chromophores in many macrolides, analytical methods based on mass spectrometry and electrochemical detection coupled to liquid chromatography have been suggested to be suitable for the quantification of macrolides in complex matrices. In this study, a simple and sensitive analytical method was established for the simultaneous measurement of nine macrolides in human urine by combining a sub‐3 μm superficially porous particle packed column with charged aerosol detection. After thorough investigation of various sample preparation methods, including two liquid–liquid extraction methods and four solid‐phase extraction methods, HLB solid‐phase extraction was selected and further optimized. Absolute recovery of the optimized sample preparation method ranged from 99.5–110.2%, indicating its very high extraction/clean‐up efficiency. For chromatography, parameters influencing macrolide separation were systematically optimized, and the resulting conditions allowed baseline separation of nine macrolides within 24 min using a very simple mobile phase. The established method was validated for linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantification, absolute recovery, and precision. Based on its limit of detection (0.025–0.100 μg/mL), the method had similar or greater sensitivity than most methods based on electrochemical detection. It was found that the current method was appropriate for application to real human urine samples after drug administration.     

Optimisation of analytical procedures for the quantification of ionic and carbonaceous fractions in the atmospheric aerosol and applications to ambient samples

In the last decade, our research group set up and optimised analytical techniques for the characterisation of the major components of atmospheric aerosol (i.e. secondary inorganic ions and carbonaceous material) and source markers (e.g. levoglucosan, carbonates). In this study, we present a complete overview on the most problematic aspects that can be encountered during the quantification of the two main components of aerosol, i.e. the ionic and carbonaceous fractions. More in detail, different liquid chromatographic approaches were set up for main ions and anhydrosugars determination. Quality assurance procedures (i.e. tests on data reliability) were applied during the set-up phase and they are presented in this work. As regards the carbonaceous component characterisation, two evolved gas analysis techniques were set up and applied: the thermogravimetric technique coupled to the Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (TGA/FTIR) and the thermal–optical transmittance method (TOT). A suitable protocol for organic and elemental carbon separation was set up for the TGA/FTIR system and a comparison with the results obtained by the TOT method was carried out. Studies on the impact of filter load, field blanks, and sample composition on OC/EC quantification by the TOT method were performed. Moreover, approaches for carbonate carbon quantification on different kinds of filters were developed. It was demonstrated that this approach allows to reach the ionic balance in samples impacted by carbonate compounds. The optimised methods have been applied for the analysis of thousands of PM filters allowing the obtainment of reliable results.     

Passive sorption sampling method with neutron activation analysis seems to offer perspective in atomospheric trace-element investigation

Investigations of trace elements in the atmosphere require the application of highly sensitive multielement analytical methods and methods allowing sampling of contrasting element speciations. Instrumental neutron activation analysis was used to determine 30 element concentrations in samples under investigation. The results of investigating properties of aerosol samples on filters and some aspects of the study of atmospheric trace-element vapor-gas and submicron aerosol phases are presented. A method for investigating the vapor-gas and submicron aerosol phases of atmospheric trace elements by sorption on collectors with neutron activation analysis of exposed collectors is offered.     

A simple QuEChERS-like extraction approach for molecular chemical characterization of organic aerosols: application to nitrated and oxygenated PAH derivatives (NPAH and OPAH) quantified by GC–NICIMS

An extraction procedure based on the Quick Easy Cheap Effective Rugged and Safe (QuEChERS) approach has been developed and used for analysis of particle-bound nitrated and oxygenated PAH derivatives (NPAH and OPAH, respectively). Several analytical conditions, for example GC injection temperature and MS detection settings, were optimized. This analytical procedure enabled simultaneous GC–NICIMS quantification of 32 NPAH and 32 OPAH (or other oxygenated compounds), including typical components of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formed by photooxidation of PAH (e.g. 2-formyl-trans-cinnamaldehyde and 6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran-6-one). The QuEChERS-like approach was optimized, including the nature of the extraction solvent, the sorbent used for clean-up, and extraction time. The final extraction procedure was based on brief mechanical agitation (vortex mixing for 1.5 min), with 7 mL acetonitrile as solvent. Because dispersive solid-phase extraction (d-SPE) did not provide satisfactory results, SPE using SiO₂ was selected for sample purification. Identical results were obtained when the QuEChERS-like and traditional pressurised solvent extraction (PLE) procedures were compared for analysis of fortified ambient air particle samples. The procedure was validated by analysis of two aerosol standard reference materials (NIST SRM 1649b (urban dust) and SRM 2787 (fine particulate matter, <10 μm)). For numerous NPAH and OPAH, this is the first report of their quantification in both SRMs. Compared with other extraction methods, including PLE, the QuEChERS-like procedure resulted in increased productivity and reduced extraction cost. This paper shows that QuEChERS-like extraction procedures can be suitably adapted for molecular chemical characterization of aerosol samples and could be extended to other categories of compound.

Perry G. Wang (Ed.): Monolithic chromatography and its modern applications

Organic micropollutants such as pharmaceuticals, perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), and pesticides, are important environmental contaminants. To obtain more information regarding their presence in marine organisms, an increasing demand exists for reliable analytical methods for quantification of these micropollutants in biotic matrices. Therefore, we developed extraction procedures and new analytical methods for the quantification of 14 pesticides, 10 PFCs, and 11 pharmaceuticals in tissue of marine organisms, namely blue mussels (Mytilus edulis). This paper presents these optimized analytical procedures and their application to M. edulis, deployed at five stations in the Belgian coastal zone. The methods consisted of a pressurized liquid extraction and solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry for pharmaceuticals and pesticides, and of a liquid extraction using acetonitrile and SPE, followed by liquid chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry for PFCs. The limits of quantification of the three newly optimized analytical procedures in M. edulis tissue varied between 0.1 and 10 ng g(-1), and satisfactory linearities (≥0.98) and recoveries (90-106%) were obtained. Application of these methods to M. edulis revealed the presence of five pharmaceuticals, two PFCs, and seven pesticides at levels up to 490, 5, and 60 ng g(-1), respectively. The most prevalent micropollutants were salicylic acid, paracetamol, perfluorooctane sulfonate, chloridazon, and dichlorvos.     

Real‐Time Chemical Analysis of E‐Cigarette Aerosols By Means Of Secondary Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Chemical analysis of aerosols collected from electronic cigarettes (ECs) has shown that these devices produce vapors that contain harmful and potentially harmful compounds. Conventional analytical methods used for the analysis of electronic cigarettes do not reflect the actual composition of the aerosols generated because they usually neglect the changes in the chemical composition that occur during the aerosol generation process and after collection. The aim of this work was to develop and apply a method for the real‐time analysis of electronic cigarette aerosols, based on the secondary electrospray ionization technique coupled to high‐resolution mass spectrometry, by mimicking the “vaping” process. Electronic cigarette aerosols were successfully analyzed and quantitative differences were found between the liquids and aerosols. Thanks to the high sensitivity shown by this method, more than 250 chemical substances were detected in the aerosols, some of them showing a high correlation with the operating power of the electronic cigarettes. The method also allows proper quantification of several chemical components such as alkaloids and flavor compounds.     

Project-Based Spectroscopic Laboratories in the Undergraduate Curriculum:A Fresh Approach to Teaching Analytical Sciences in the New Millennium

Spectroscopic methods are widely used analytical techniques for identification and quantification of chemical species in environmental chemistry, biology, industry, and many other interdisciplinary fields.     

Physical Methods for the Microanalysis of Solids—General Significance,Recent Developments,and Limitations

The characterization of solid systems by physical methods (“physical analysis”) is one of the most important future-orientated areas of analytical chemistry. Important developments are the increase of the informational content of analytical signals by application of mathematical methods, the investigation of extremely small amounts (microanalysis), as well as concentrations (trace analysis). New developments in analytical methodology and strategy in micro and surface analysis permit, for example, the direct identification of compounds in individual phases in the solid state, the quantitative elemental analysis of aerosol particles in the submicrometer region (identification of asbestos fibers), and highly sensitive distribution analysis of trace elements in semiconductors. Important technological-scientific problems can be explained in this way.     

Determination of selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in aerosol samples by high-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Fine and ultrafine particles are probably responsible for numerous health effects, but it is still unclear whether and to what extent the particle itself or organic compounds adsorbed or condensed on the particle are responsible for the effects observed. One important class of particle-bound substances are the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and their oxygenated derivatives. To improve the tools used for chemical characterization of particulate matter analytical methods for the determination of PAH and oxygenated PAH in aerosol samples of different origin have been developed and optimized. PAH on high-volume filters and on soot aerosols were analyzed by using accelerated solvent extraction for extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection for separation and quantification. Total PAH concentrations were in the range 0.3–9.3 ng m^–3. For analysis of selected oxygenated PAH on high-volume filters a liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometric method was developed and optimized. Preliminary investigations showed that oxygenated PAH at pg m^–3 concentrations can be determined.     

Methods for characterization of organic compounds in atmospheric aerosol particles

Atmospheric aerosol particles of primary or secondary, biogenic or anthropogenic origin are highly complex samples of changing composition in time and space. To assess their effects on climate or human health, the size-dependent chemical composition of these ubiquitous atmospheric constituents must be known. The development of novel analytical methods has enabled more detailed characterization of the organic composition of aerosols. This review gives an overview of the methods used in the chemical characterization of atmospheric aerosol particles, with a focus on mass-spectrometry techniques for organic compounds, either alone or in combination with chromatographic separation. Off-line, on-site, and on-line methods are covered, and the advantages and limitations of the different methods are discussed. The main emphasis is on methods used for detailed characterization of the composition of the organic compounds in aerosol particles. We address and summarize the current state of analytical methods used in aerosol research and discuss the importance of developing novel sampling strategies and analytical instrumentation.

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Graphical Abstract Challenges in the atmospheric aerosol analytics

     

A critical review of advanced analytical techniques for water-soluble organic matter from atmospheric aerosols

Water-soluble organic matter (WSOM) from air particles plays a potentially important role in the climate system, yet little is known about its molecular composition and physico-chemical properties. During the past decade, the rapidly-evolving field of analytical instrumentation has produced sophisticated tools capable of providing molecular level information on this organic-aerosol fraction.This article presents a critical review of the major applications of these advanced analytical methods in WSOM analysis. We emphasize off-line methods relying on nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopies, and high-resolution mass spectrometry. We also discuss the most prominent analytical methods for near real-time measurements of particulate WSOM. We address the limitations of advanced off-line and on-line instrumental techniques, and, finally, outline the major challenges ahead to improve the current knowledge on the chemical structures of aerosol WSOM.     

Determination of inorganic pollutants in atmospheric aerosols

The main sources of air pollution by inorganic metal compounds, the sampling of aerosol particles, and sample preparation for analysis are considered. The nondestructive and destructive methods of analysis are compared, and their advantages and disadvantages are specified. The development of synthetic reference samples, which are used to determine a calibration function and to verify the accuracy of analytical results for both of the methods, is considered.     

Two Ways to Achieve the Same Goal—Two Validated Quantitative NMR Strategies for a Low-Abundance Natural Product in Standardized Extracts: The Case of Hepatodamianol in Turnera diffusa

The quantification of low-abundance secondary metabolites in plant extracts is an analytical problem that can be addressed by different analytical platforms, the most common being those based on chromatographic methods coupled to a high-sensitivity detection system. However, in recent years nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has become an analytical tool of primary choice for this type of problem because of its reliability, inherent simplicity in sample preparation, reduced analysis time, and low solvent consumption. The versatility of strategies based on quantitative NMR (qNMR), such as internal and external standards and electronic references, among others, and the need to develop validated analytical methods make it essential to compare procedures that must rigorously satisfy the analytical well-established acceptance criteria for method validation. In this work, two qNMR methods were developed for the quantification of hepatodamianol, a bioactive component of T. diffusa. The first method was based on a conventional external standard calibration, and the second one was based on the pulse length-based concentration determination (PULCON) method using the ERETIC2 module as a quantitation tool available in TopSpin software. The results show that both procedures allow the content of the analyte of interest in a complex matrix to be determined in a satisfactory way, under strict analytical criteria. In addition, ERETIC2 offers additional advantages such as a reduction in experimental time, reagent consumption, and waste generated.     

Analytical methods to determine phosphonic and amino acid group-containing pesticides

A comprehensive view on the possibilities of the most recently developed chromatographic methods and emerging techniques in the analysis of pesticides glyphosate, glufosinate, bialaphos and their metabolites is presented. The state-of-the-art of the individual pre-treatment steps (extraction, pre-concentration, clean-up, separation, quantification) of the employed analytical methods for this group of chemicals is reviewed. The advantages and drawbacks of the described analytical methods are discussed and the present status and future trends are outlined.     

Uncertainty due to the quantification step in analytical methods

The quantification step is an important source of uncertainty in analytical methods, but it is frequently misunderstood and disregarded. In this paper, it is shown how this uncertainty is closely related to the linear response range of a method, and to the Pearson correlation coefficient of the calibration line. So, if there is a need for a pre-fixed quantification uncertainty, the linear response range will be affected. Some practical cases are given showing the quantification uncertainty significance. The theoretical equation giving the value of the quantification uncertainty is deduced from which new conclusions can be taken out. Because of that, the quantification uncertainty can easily be calculated and the parameters that really affect its value are shown along the paper. Some final considerations about detection limits and two-point calibration lines are also given. The paper can also be considered a reflection on uncertainty owed to calibration and on their consequences on the analytical methodology.     

Principles of analytical calibration/quantification for the separation sciences

Calibration is an operation whose main objective is to know the metrological status of a measurement system. Nevertheless, in analytical sciences, calibration has special connotations since it is the basis to do the quantification of the amount of one or more components (analytes) in a sample, or to obtain the value of one or more analytical parameters related with that quantity. Regarding this subject, the aim of analytical calibration is to find an empiric relationship, called measurement function, which permits subsequently to calculate the values of the amount (x-variable) of a substance in a sample, from the measured values on it of an analytical signal (y-variable). In this paper, the metrological bases of analytical calibration and quantification are established and, the different work schemes and calibration methodologies, which can be applied depending on the characteristic of the sample (analyte+matrix) to analyse, are distinguished and discussed. Likewise, the different terms and related names are clarified. A special attention has been paid to those analytical methods which use separation techniques, in relation with its effect on calibration operations and later analytical quantification.     

Methods for detection of GMOs in food and feed

This paper reviews aspects relevant to detection and quantification of genetically modified (GM) material within the feed/food chain. The GM crop regulatory framework at the international level is evaluated with reference to traceability and labelling. Current analytical methods for the detection, identification, and quantification of transgenic DNA in food and feed are reviewed. These methods include quantitative real-time PCR, multiplex PCR, and multiplex real-time PCR. Particular attention is paid to methods able to identify multiple GM events in a single reaction and to the development of microdevices and microsensors, though they have not been fully validated for application.     

On dry granular bed filtration of aerosols induced by irradiation

An analytical solution of the aerosol filtration process and determination of pressure drop on the granular bed have been presented. Results of simulated calculations and measurements show a good agreement. The elaborated analytical procedure applied for the postirradiation aerosol filtration enables an adjustment of granular filter parameters in certain conditions of the filtration process.     

Selectivity and specificity in analytical chemistry. General considerations and attempt of a definition and quantification

Selectivity and specificity are performance characteristics of analytical methods which are frequently used in analytical literature. In general, the terms are applied verbally and a quantification of selectivity and specificity is given rarely. Excepted are methods like chromatography and ISE sensoring which use individual quantities such as selectivity coefficients, indices and other parameters to characterize analytical procedures and systems. Here a proposal is given to characterize selectivity and specificity quantitatively by relative values in a range of 0 to 1 expressing so a certain degree of selectivity and specificity. By examples it will be shown that the derived quantities characterize analytical methods and problems in a plausible way.     

Arsenic speciation in marine organisms: from the analytical methodology to the constitution of reference materials

An analytical procedure for total arsenic and arsenic species quantification in marine organisms has been developed. Fresh materials are freeze-dried and reduced to powders before analysis. Arsenic is determined either by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) directly or by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP/OES) after microwave digestion. Arsenic speciation is performed on the extracted sample using liquid chromatography coupled to ICP/OES for arsenobetaine and arsenocholine determination and to the hydride generation-quartz furnace atomic absorption spectrometric technique for arsenite, arsenate, monomethylarsonic and dimethylarsinic acids quantification. Special precautions are taken to avoid losses or contaminations as well as to prevent analytical errors during the quantification stage. Other methods are applied and the corresponding results compared for each step of the procedure. The method is finally validated by means of intercomparison studies within the Measurements and Testing Programme of the European Community (formely BCR).