Synthesis of three haptens for the class-specific immunoassay of O,O-dimethyl organophosphorus pesticides and effect of hapten heterology on immunoassay sensitivity

A general and broad class-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed for the O,O-dimethyl organophosphorus pesticides, including malathion, dimethoate, phenthoate, phosmet, methidathion, fenitrothion, methyl parathion and fenthion. Three haptens with different spacer-arms were synthesized. The haptens were conjugated to bovine serum albumin (BSA) for immunogens and to ovalbumin (OVA) for coating antigens. Rabbits were immunized with the immunogens and six polyclonal antisera were produced and screened against each of the coating antigens using competitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for selecting the proper antiserum. The effect of hapten heterology on immunoassay sensitivity was also studied. The antibody-antigen combination with the most selectivity for malathion was further optimized and tested for tolerance to co-solvent, pH and ionic strength changes. The IC₅₀ values, under optimum conditions, were estimated to be 30.1 μg L⁻¹for malathion, 28.9 μg L⁻¹ for dimethoate, 88.3 μg L⁻¹ for phenthoate, 159.7 μg L⁻¹ for phosmet, 191.7 μg L⁻¹ for methidathion, 324.0 μg L⁻¹ for fenitrothion, 483.9 μg L⁻¹ for methyl parathion, and 788.9 μg L⁻¹ for fenthion. Recoveries of malathion, dimethoate, phenthoate, phosmet and methidathion from fortified Chinese cabbage samples ranged between 77.1% and 104.7%. This assay can be used in monitoring studies for the multi-residue determination of O,O-dimethyl organophosphorus pesticides.     

A new 1,3-dibutylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ionic liquid-based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction to determine organophosphorus pesticides in water and fruit samples by high-performance liquid chromatography

The paper described a new ionic liquid, 1,3-dibutylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, as extraction solvent for extraction and preconcentration of organophosphorus pesticides (fenitrothion, parathion, fenthion and phoxim) from water and fruit samples by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction combined with high-performance liquid chromatography. The effects of experimental parameters, such as extraction solvent volume, disperser solvent and its volume, extraction and centrifugal time, sample pH, extraction temperature and salt addition, on the extraction efficiency were investigated. An extraction recovery of over 75% and enrichment factor of over 300-fold were obtained under the optimum conditions. The linearity relationship was also observed in the range of 5–1000 μg L⁻¹ with the correlation coefficients (r²) ranging from 0.9988 to 0.9999. Limits of detection were 0.01–0.05 μg L⁻¹ for four analytes. The relative standard deviations at spiking three different concentration levels of 20, 100 and 500 μg L⁻¹ varied from 1.3–2.7, 1.4–1.9 and 1.1–1.7% (n = 7), respectively. Three real samples including tap water, Yellow River water and pear spiked at three concentration levels were analyzed and yielded recoveries ranging from 92.7–109.1, 95.0–108.2 and 91.2–108.1%, respectively.     

Polypyrrole/montmorillonite nanocomposite as a new solid phase microextraction fiber combined with gas chromatography–corona discharge ion mobility spectrometry for the simultaneous determination of diazinon and fenthion organophosphorus pesticides

A novel solid phase microextraction (SPME) fiber was prepared and coupled with gas chromatography corona discharge ion mobility spectrometry (GC–CD–IMS) based on polypyrrole/montmorillonite nanocomposites for the simultaneous determination of diazinon and fenthion. The nanocomposite polymer was coated using a three-electrode electrochemical system and directly deposited on a Ni–Cr wire by applying a constant potential. The scanning electron microscopy images revealed that the new fiber exhibited a rather porous and homogenous surface. The thermal stability of the fabricated fiber was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis. The effects of different parameters influencing the extraction efficiency such as extraction temperature and time, salt addition, stirring rate, the amount of nanoclay, and desorption temperature were investigated and optimized. The method was exhaustively evaluated in terms of sensitivity, recovery, and reproducibility. The linearity ranges of 0.05–10 and 0.08–10 μg L⁻¹, and the detection limits of 0.020 and 0.035 μg L⁻¹ were obtained for diazinon and fenthion, respectively. The relative standard deviation values were calculated to be lower than 5% and 8% for intra-day and inter-day, respectively. Finally, the developed method was applied to determine the diazinon and fenthion (as model compounds) in cucumber, lettuce, apple, tap and river water samples. The satisfactory recoveries revealed the capability of the two-dimensional separation technique (retention time in GC and drift time in IMS) for the analysis of complex matrices extracted by SPME.     

Feasibility of ultra-high performance liquid and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry for accurate determination of primary and secondary phthalate metabolites in urine samples

Phthalates (PAEs) are ubiquitous toxic chemical compounds. During the last few years, some phthalate metabolites (MPAEs) have been proposed as appropriate biomarkers in human urine samples to determine PAE human intake and exposure. So, it is necessary to have fast, easy, robust and validated analytical methods to determine selected MPAEs in urine human samples. Two different instrumental methods based on gas (GC) and ultra-high performance liquid (UHPLC) chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) have been optimized, characterized and validated for the simultaneous determination of nine primary and secondary phthalate metabolites in urine samples. Both instrumental methods have similar sensitivity (detection limits ranged from 0.03 to 8.89 pg μL⁻¹ and from 0.06 to 0.49 pg μL⁻¹ in GC–MS and UHPLC–MS², respectively), precision (repeatability, expressed as relative standard deviation, which was lower than 8.4% in both systems, except for 5OH-MEHP in the case of GC–MS) and accuracy. But some advantages of the UHPLC–MS² method, such as more selectivity and lower time in the chromatographic runs (6.8 min vs. 28.5 min), have caused the UHPLC–MS² method to be chosen to analyze the twenty one human urine samples from the general Spanish population. Regarding these samples, MEP showed the highest median concentration (68.6 μg L⁻¹), followed by MiBP (23.3 μg L⁻¹), 5cx-MEPP (22.5 μg L⁻¹) and MBP (19.3 μg L⁻¹). MMP (6.99 μg L⁻¹), 5oxo-MEHP (6.15 μg L⁻¹), 5OH-MEHP (5.30 μg L⁻¹) and MEHP (4.40 μg L⁻¹) showed intermediate levels. Finally, the lowest levels were found for MBzP (2.55 μg L⁻¹). These data are within the same order of magnitude as those found in other similar populations.     

Generation of anti-azoxystrobin monoclonal antibodies from regioisomeric haptens functionalized at selected sites and development of indirect competitive immunoassays

Azoxystrobin is a modern strobilurin fungicide used around the world to combat prime diseases affecting highly valuable crops. Accordingly, residues of this chemical are frequently found in food, even though mostly under maximum tolerated levels. We herein describe the development of an indirect competitive immunoassay for the determination of azoxystrobin residues. A panel of monoclonal antibodies displaying subnanomolar affinity to azoxystrobin was generated using, as immunizing haptens in mice, four functionalized derivatives carrying the same spacer arm located at different rationally chosen positions. This collection of antibodies was thoroughly characterized with homologous and heterologous antigens, and the immunoassay consisting of monoclonal antibody AZo6#49 and the coating conjugate OVA–AZb6, which displayed an IC₅₀ value of 0.102 μg L⁻¹ and a LOD of 0.017 μg L⁻¹, was eventually optimized. The response to different pH and ionic strength conditions of the specific assay was studied using a biparametric approach. In addition, the influence of Tween 20 and organic solvents over the assay parameters was also evaluated. After optimization, the developed immunochemical assay was applied to the analysis of azoxystrobin in spiked juices of relevant fruits and vegetables, showing excellent recoveries between 2 and 500 μg L⁻¹.     

Sensitive determination of hydrazine in water by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry after derivatization with ortho-phthalaldehyde

A gas chromatography–mass spectrometric (GC–MS) method has been established for the determination of hydrazine in drinking water and surface water. This method is based on the derivatization of hydrazine with ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA) in water. The following optimum reaction conditions were established: reagent dosage, 40 mg mL⁻¹ of OPA; pH 2; reaction for 20 min at 70 °C. The organic derivative was extracted with methylene chloride and then measured by GC–MS. Under the established condition, the detection and the quantification limits were 0.002 μg L⁻¹ and 0.007 μg L⁻¹ by using 5.0-mL of surface water or drinking water, respectively. The calibration curve showed good linearity with r² = 0.9991 (for working range of 0.05–100 μg L⁻¹) and the accuracy was in a range of 95–106%, and the precision of the assay was less than 13% in water. Hydrazine was detected in a concentration range of 0.05–0.14 μg L⁻¹ in 2 samples of 10 raw drinking water samples and in a concentration range of 0.09–0.55 μg L⁻¹ in 4 samples of 10 treated drinking water samples.     

Analysis of aldehydes in beer by gas-diffusion microextraction: Characterization by high-performance liquid chromatography–diode-array detection–atmospheric pressure chemical ionization–mass spectrometry

In this work, a recently developed extraction technique for sample preparation aiming the analysis of volatile and semi-volatile compounds named gas-diffusion microextraction (GDME) is applied in the chromatographic analysis of aldehydes in beer. Aldehydes—namely acetaldehyde (AA), methylpropanal (MA) and furfural (FA)—were simultaneously extracted and derivatized with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH), then the derivatives were separated and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with spectrophotometric detection (HPLC–UV). The identity of the eluted compounds was confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography–atmospheric pressure chemical ionization–mass-spectrometry detection in the negative ion mode (HPLC–APCI–MS). The developed methodology showed good repeatability (ca. 5%) and linearity as well as good limits of detection (AA–12.3, FA–1.5 and MA 5.4 μg L⁻¹) and quantification (AA–41, FA–4.9 and MA 18 μg L⁻¹); it also appears to be competitive in terms of speed and cost of analysis.     

Multiplex competitive microbead-based flow cytometric immunoassay using quantum dot fluorescent labels

In answer to the ever-increasing need to perform the simultaneous analysis of environmental hazards, microcarrier-based multiplex technologies show great promise. Further integration with biofunctionalized quantum dots (QDs) creates new opportunities to extend the capabilities of multicolor flow cytometry with their unique fluorescence properties. Here, we have developed a competitive microbead-based flow cytometric immunoassay using QDs fluorescent labels for simultaneous detection of two analytes, bringing the benefits of sensitive, rapid and easy-of-manipulation analytical tool for environmental contaminants. As model target compounds, the cyanobacterial toxin microcystin-LR and the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compound benzo[a]pyrene were selected. The assay was carried out in two steps: the competitive immunological reaction of multiple targets using their exclusive sensing elements of QD/antibody detection probes and antigen-coated microsphere, and the subsequent flow cytometric analysis. The fluorescence of the QD-encoded microsphere was thus found to be inversely proportional to target analyte concentration. Under optimized conditions, the proposed assay performed well within 30 min for the identification and quantitative analysis of the two environmental contaminants. For microcystin-LR and benzo[a]pyrene, dose–response curves with IC₅₀ values of 5 μg L⁻¹ and 1.1 μg L⁻¹ and dynamic ranges of 0.52–30 μg L⁻¹ and 0.13–10 μg L⁻¹ were obtained, respectively. Recovery was 92.6–106.5% for 5 types of water samples like bottled water, tap water, surface water and seawater using only filtration as sample pretreatment.     

Determination of octylphenol and nonylphenol in aqueous sample using simultaneous derivatization and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction followed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

A simple and fast sample preparation method for the determination of nonylphenol (NP) and octylphenol (OP) in aqueous samples by simultaneous derivatization and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) was investigated using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS). In this method, a combined dispersant/derivatization catalyst (methanol/pyridine mixture) was firstly added to an aqueous sample, following which a derivatization reagent/extraction solvent (methyl chloroformate/chloroform) was rapidly injected to combine in situ derivatization and extraction in a single step. After centrifuging, the sedimented phase containing the analytes was injected into the GC port by autosampler for analysis. Several parameters, such as extraction solvent, dispersant solvent, amount of derivatization reagent, derivatization and extraction time, pH, and ionic strength were optimized to obtain higher sensitivity for the detection of NP and OP. Under the optimized conditions, good linearity was observed in the range of 0.1–1000 μg L⁻¹ and 0.01–100 μg L⁻¹ with the limits of detection (LOD) of 0.03 μg L⁻¹ and 0.002 μg L⁻¹ for NP and OP, respectively. Water samples collected from the Pearl River were analyzed with the proposed method, the concentrations of NP and OP were found to be 2.40 ± 0.16 μg L⁻¹ and 0.037 ± 0.001 μg L⁻¹, respectively. The relative recoveries of the water samples spiked with different concentrations of NP and OP were in the range of 88.3–106.7%. Compared with SPME and SPE, the proposed method can be successfully applied to the rapid and convenient determination of NP and OP in aqueous samples.     

Multi-residue method for the determination of organochlorine pesticides in fish feed based on a cleanup approach followed by gas chromatography–triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry

A multi-residue method for the determination of organochlorine pesticides in fish feed samples was developed and optimized. The method is based on a cleanup step of the extracted fat, carried out by liquid–liquid extraction on diatomaceous earth cartridge with n-hexane/acetonitrile (80/20, v/v) followed by solid phase extraction (SPE) with silica gel–SCX cartridge, before the identification and quantification of the residues by gas chromatography–triple quadrupole tandem spectrometry (GC–MS/MS). Performance characteristics, such as accuracy, precision, linear range, limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ), for each pesticide were determined. Instrumental LODs ranged from 0.01 to 0.11 μg L⁻¹, LOQs were in the range of 0.02–0.35 μg L⁻¹, and calibration curves were linear (r² > 0.999) in the whole range of explored concentrations (5–100 μg L⁻¹). Repeatability values were in the range of 3–15%, evaluated from the relative standard deviation of six samples spiked at 100 μg kg⁻¹ of fat, and in compliance with that derived by the Horwitz's equation. No matrix effects or interfering substances were observed in fish feed analyses. The proposed method allowed high recoveries (92–116%) of spiked extracted fat samples at 100 μg kg⁻¹, and very low LODs (between 0.02 and 0.63 μg kg⁻¹) and LOQs (between 0.05 and 2.09 μg kg⁻¹) determined in fish feed samples.     

Determination of priority pollutants in aqueous samples by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction

A dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) method followed by high-performance liquid chromatography–triple quadrupole mass spectrometry has been developed for the simultaneous determination of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS C₁₀, C₁₁, C₁₂, and C₁₃), nonylphenol (NP), nonylphenol mono- and diethoxylates (NP₁EO and NP₂EO), and di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP). The applicability of the method has been tested by the determination of the above mentioned organic pollutants in tap water and wastewater. Several parameters affecting DLLME, such as, the type and volume of the extraction and disperser solvents, sample pH, ionic strength and number of extractions, have been evaluated. Methanol (1.5 mL) was selected among the six disperser solvent tested. Dichlorobenzene (50 μL) was selected among the four extraction solvent tested. Enrichment factor achieved was 80. Linear ranges in samples were 0.01–3.42 μg L⁻¹ for LAS C₁₀–₁₃ and NP₂EO, 0.09–5.17 μg L⁻¹ for NP₁EO, 0.17–9.19 μg L⁻¹ for NP and 0.40–17.9 μg L⁻¹ for DEHP. Coefficients of correlation were higher than 0.997. Limits of quantitation in tap water and wastewater were in the ranges 0.009–0.019 μg L⁻¹ for LAS, 0.009–0.091 μg L⁻¹ for NP, NP₁EO and NP₂EO and 0.201–0.224 μg L⁻¹ for DEHP. Extraction recoveries were in the range from 57 to 80%, except for LAS C₁₀ (30–36%). The method was successfully applied to the determination of these pollutants in tap water and effluent wastewater from Seville (South of Spain). The DLLME method developed is fast, easy to perform, requires low solvent volumes and allows the determination of the priority hazardous substances NP and DEHP (Directive 2008/105/EC).     

Determination of environmental organic pollutants with a portable optical immunosensor

A portable surface plasmon resonance (SPR) optical biosensor device is described as a direct immunosensing system to determine organic pollutants in natural water samples. Monitoring of organochlorine (DDT), organophosphorus (chlorpyrifos) and carbamate (carbaryl) compounds within the concentration levels stipulated by the European legislation, can be accomplished using this immunosensor. The lowest limit of detection (LOD) was obtained for DDT, at 20 ng L⁻¹, whilst 50 ng L⁻¹ and 0.9 μg L⁻¹, were achieved for chlorpyrifos and carbaryl, respectively. Matrix effects were evaluated for the carbaryl immunoassay in different water types with detection limits within the range of carbaryl standard curves in distilled water (0.9-1.4 μg L⁻¹). The covalent immobilization of the analyte derivative through an alkanethiol self-assembled monolayer (SAM) allowed the reusability of the sensor surface during more than 250 regeneration cycles. The quality of the regeneration was proved over a 1-month period of continuous working. The analysis time for a complete assay cycle, including regeneration, comprises 24 min. Our portable SPR-sensor system is already a market product, commercialized by the company SENSIA, SL. The size and electronic configuration of the device allow its portability and utilization on real contaminated locations.     

NMR investigation of acrolein stability in hydroalcoholic solution as a foundation for the valid HS-SPME/GC–MS quantification of the unsaturated aldehyde in beverages

Acrolein (propenal) is found in many foods and beverages and may pose a health hazard due to its cytotoxicity. Considerable knowledge gaps regarding human exposure to acrolein exist, and there is a lack of reliable analytical methods. Hydroalcoholic dilutions prepared for calibration purposes from pure acrolein show considerable degradation of the compound and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy showed that 1,3,3-propanetriol and 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde are formed. The degradation can be prevented by addition of hydroquinone as stabilizer to the calibration solutions, which then show linear concentration-response behaviour required for quantitative analysis. The stabilized calibration solutions were used for quantitative headspace solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC–MS) determination of acrolein in alcoholic beverages with a detection limit of 14 μg L⁻¹. Of 117 tested alcoholic beverages, 64 were tested positive with the highest incidence in grape marc spirits and whiskey (100%, mean 252 μg L⁻¹), followed by fruit spirits (86%, mean 591 μg/L⁻¹), tequila (86%, mean 404 μg L⁻¹), Asian spirits (43%, mean 54 μg L⁻¹) and wine (9%, mean 0.7 μg L⁻¹). Acrolein could not be detected in beer, vodka, absinthe and bottled water. Six of the fruit and grape marc spirits had acrolein levels above the World Health Organization (WHO) provisional tolerable concentration of 1.5 mg L⁻¹.     

A novel capillary electrophoretic method for determining methylglyoxal and glyoxal in urine and water samples

Two non-electroactive biomarkers methylglyoxal (MGo) and glyoxal (Go) in urine and environmental water samples were determined for the first time by capillary electrophoresis with amperometric detection (CE-AD) after derivatizing with an electroactive compound 2-thiobarbituric acid. Experimental conditions of derivatization and CE-AD detection were optimized. Highly linear response was obtained for these two biomarkers over three orders of magnitude with good correlation (r² > 0.999). The limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantitation (LOQs) of MGo and Go were 0.2 μg L⁻¹ and 1.0 μg L⁻¹, 0.5 μg L⁻¹ and 2.0 μg L⁻¹, respectively. The average recovery and relative standard deviation (RSD) were within the range of 90.9–101.3% and 0.7–2.2%, respectively. The proposed CE-AD method provides a reliable and sensitive quantitative evaluation of MGo and Go in real sample matrices by employing relatively simple and inexpensive instrument.     

Multi-detection method for five common microalgal toxins based on the use of microspheres coupled to a flow-cytometry system

Freshwater and brackish microalgal toxins, such as microcystins, cylindrospermopsins, paralytic toxins, anatoxins or other neurotoxins are produced during the overgrowth of certain phytoplankton and benthic cyanobacteria, which includes either prokaryotic or eukaryotic microalgae. Although, further studies are necessary to define the biological role of these toxins, at least some of them are known to be poisonous to humans and wildlife due to their occurrence in these aquatic systems. The World Health Organization (WHO) has established as provisional recommended limit 1 μg of microcystin-LR per liter of drinking water. In this work we present a microsphere-based multi-detection method for five classes of freshwater and brackish toxins: microcystin-LR (MC-LR), cylindrospermopsin (CYN), anatoxin-a (ANA-a), saxitoxin (STX) and domoic acid (DA). Five inhibition assays were developed using different binding proteins and microsphere classes coupled to a flow-cytometry Luminex system. Then, assays were combined in one method for the simultaneous detection of the toxins. The IC₅₀'s using this method were 1.9 ± 0.1 μg L⁻¹ MC-LR, 1.3 ± 0.1 μg L⁻¹ CYN, 61 ± 4 μg L⁻¹ ANA-a, 5.4 ± 0.4 μg L⁻¹ STX and 4.9 ± 0.9 μg L⁻¹ DA. Lyophilized cyanobacterial culture samples were extracted using a simple procedure and analyzed by the Luminex method and by UPLC–IT-TOF-MS. Similar quantification was obtained by both methods for all toxins except for ANA-a, whereby the estimated content was lower when using UPLC–IT-TOF-MS. Therefore, this newly developed multiplexed detection method provides a rapid, simple, semi-quantitative screening tool for the simultaneous detection of five environmentally important freshwater and brackish toxins, in buffer and cyanobacterial extracts.     

In-syringe demulsified dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and high performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry for the determination of trace fungicides in environmental water samples

An in-syringe demulsified dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (ISD–DLLME) technique was developed using low-density extraction solvents for the highly sensitive determination of the three trace fungicides (azoxystrobin, diethofencarb and pyrimethanil) in water samples by high performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry chromatography–diode array detector/electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry. In the proposed technique, a 5-mL syringe was used as an extraction, separation and preconcentration container. The emulsion was obtained after the mixture of toluene (extraction solvent) and methanol (dispersive solvent) was injected into the aqueous bulk of the syringe. The obtained emulsion cleared into two phases without centrifugation, when an aliquot of methanol was introduced as a demulsifier. The separated floating organic extraction solvent was impelled and collected into a pipette tip fitted to the tip of the syringe. Under the optimal conditions, the enrichment factors for azoxystrobin, diethofencarb and pyrimethanil were 239, 200, 195, respectively. The limits of detection, calculated as three times the signal-to-noise ratio (S N⁻¹), were 0.026 μg L⁻¹ for azoxystrobin, 0.071 μg L⁻¹ for diethofencarb and 0.040 μg L⁻¹ for pyrimethanil. The repeatability study was carried out by extracting the spiked water samples at concentration levels of 0.02 μg mL⁻¹ for all the three fungicides. The relative standard deviations varied between 4.9 and 8.2% (n = 5). The recoveries of all the three fungicides from tap, lake and rain water samples at spiking levels of 0.2, 1, 5 μg L⁻¹ were in the range of 90.0–105.0%, 86.0–114.0% and 88.6–110.0%, respectively. The proposed ISD–DLLME technique was demonstrated to be simple, practical and efficient for the determination of different kinds of fungicide residues in real water samples.     

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction applied to isolation and concentration of alkylphenols and their short-chained ethoxylates in water samples

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector was applied for the determination of alkylphenols and their short-chained ethoxylates in water samples. Development of DLLME procedure included optimisation of some important parameters such as kind and volume of extracting and dispersing solvents. Under optimised conditions 50 μL of trichloroethylene in 1.5 mL of acetone were rapidly injected into 5 mL of a water sample. After centrifuging the organic phase containing the analytes was taken for evaporation with a gentle nitrogen purge and reconstituted to 50 μL of acetonitrile. The aliquot of this solution was analysed with the use of HPLC. For octylphenol (OP) and octylphenol ethoxylates (OPEOs) linearity was satisfactory in the range 8–1000 μg L⁻¹ and for nonylphenol (NP) and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEOs) linearity was in the range from 50 to about 3000 μg L⁻¹. Limit of quantitation was 0.1 μg L⁻¹ for OP and OPEOs and 0.3 μg L⁻¹ for NP and NPEOs. Satisfactory recoveries between 66 and 79% were obtained for environmental samples. The results showed that DLLME is a simple, rapid and sensitive analytical method for the preconcentration of trace amounts of alkylphenols and their ethoxylates in environmental water samples.     

Determination of the steroid hormone levels in water samples by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction with solidification of a floating organic drop followed by high-performance liquid chromatography

In this study, the steroid hormone levels in river and tap water samples were determined by using a novel dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method based on the solidification of a floating organic drop (DLLME-SFO). Several parameters were optimized, including the type and volume of the extraction and dispersive solvents, extraction time, and salt effect. DLLME-SFO is a fast, cheap, and easy-to-use method for detecting trace levels of samples. Most importantly, this method uses less-toxic solvent. The correlation coefficient of the calibration curve was higher than 0.9991. The linear range was from 5 to 1000 μg L⁻¹. The spiked environmental water samples were analyzed using DLLME-SFO. The relative recoveries ranged from 87% to 116% for river water (which was spiked with 4 μg L⁻¹ for E1, 3 μg L⁻¹ for E2, 4 μg L⁻¹ for EE2 and 9 μg L⁻¹ for E3) and 89% to 102% for tap water (which was spiked with 6 μg L⁻¹ for E1, 5 μg L⁻¹ for E2, 6 μg L⁻¹ for EE2 and 10 μg L⁻¹ for E3). The detection limits of the method ranged from 0.8 to 2.7 μg L⁻¹ for spiked river water and 1.4 to 3.1 μg L⁻¹ for spiked tap water. The methods precision ranged from 8% to 14% for spiked river water and 7% to 14% for spiked tap water.     

Mass spectrometric profiling of saturated fatty acid esters of steroids separated by high-temperature gas chromatography

An efficient analytical method for simultaneous determination of 12 SFEs in serum is described. The method involves solid-phase extraction to isolate of SFEs from interfering species, especially cholesteryl esters, conversion to trimethylsilyl (TMS) ether derivatives for the direct analysis by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) using a high temperature MXT-1 (Silcosteel-treated stainless steel) capillary column. All SFEs as their TMS derivatives were well separated with excellent peak shapes within 12 min. Overall recoveries ranged from 88% to 119%, with a detection limits for SFEs ranged from 2 to 30 μg L⁻¹. The linearity as correlation coefficient was higher than 0.99 except for pregnenolone-3-arachidate (r² = 0.98) in the concentration range of 5–3000 μg L⁻¹. Ten serum samples obtained from volunteers were also analyzed and quantitatively determined of DHEA-3-palmitate and pregnenolone-3-stearate in 1.8–1195.8 μg L⁻¹ concentration. The devised high temperature GC–MS method could be useful for identification of SFEs in biological specimens including serum.     

Electrodes with extremely high hydrogen overvoltages as substrate electrodes for stripping analysis based on bismuth-coated electrodes

Hydrogen evolution bothers stripping analysis significantly. Dioctyl phthalate-based carbon paste electrode exhibits extremely wide cathodic potential window. It is explored as a powerful substrate electrode to solve the problem of hydrogen evolution and further improve reproducibility for stripping analysis using bismuth-coated electrodes for the first time. It was successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Pb²⁺. Linear responses are obtained for Zn²⁺ in the range of 10–100 μg L⁻¹ and for Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺ in the range of 5–100 μg L⁻¹. The detection limits for Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Pb²⁺ are 0.1 μg L⁻¹, 0.22 μg L⁻¹ and 0.44 μg L⁻¹, respectively. The method has been successfully applied to the determination of Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Pb²⁺ in waste water samples. The detection strategy based on the combination of dioctyl phthalate-based carbon paste electrode and bismuth-coated electrodes holds great promise for stripping analysis.