Liquid chromatographic trace enrichment with on-line capillary gas chromatography for the determination of organic pollutants in aqueous samples

Trace enrichment for the GC analysis of a series of chlorinated pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in aqueous samples has been achieved through a simple on-line technique involving sorption on an LC micro-precolumn followed by direct elution into a gas chromatograph with hexane. A 5-m retention gap coupled to the capillary GC column served as the recipient of a relatively large sample volume (ca. 100 μl) introduced into the GC. Partially concurrent solvent evaporation during sample introduction allowed a large sample capacity. Recoveries of more than 95% were observed for the majority of the compounds studied. Using 1.0 ml aqueous samples, detection limits of less than 1 ppt were found. The applicability of the developed method was demonstrated for a river water sample.     

On-line combination of liquid chromatography and capillary gas chromatography. Preconcentration and analysis of organic compounds in aqueous samples

This paper describes the design of a new, versatile, and low-cost on-line LC-GC interface that allows the fast and reliable introduction of large sample volumes onto a capillary GC column. The sample introduction procedure consists successively of: evaporation of the entire sample (LC fraction), selective removal of the solvent and simultaneously cold-trapping of the solutes, splitless transfer of the solutes to the GC column, on-column focusing, GC separation and detection. Quantitative and qualitative aspects of various experimental parameters are evaluated and optimum conditions are reported. The applicability of the method is demonstrated on a synthetic aqueous sample of chlorinated pesticides.     

Simultaneous determination of butyltin and phenyltin compounds in oysters by capillary gas chromatography

A method is described for the simultaneous determination of butyl- and phenyltin compounds in oyster samples. The organotin compounds were extracted (as chlorides) from oyster homogenates with hydrochloric acid and benzene in the presence of 0.05% tropolone. These compounds were converted into pentyl derivatives with pentyl Grignard reagent and then analysed by capillary gas chromatography with a flame photometric detector equipped with a 393-nm filter. The recoveries of six organotin compounds added to oyster samples ranged from 71 to 74%. The detection limits of butyl- and phenyltin compounds were in the 5-9 pg range as tin. We detected significant amounts of three organotin compounds (di- and tributyltin and triphenyltin) in oyster samples.     

Isolation and determination of volatile organic sulphur compounds in aqueous solutions

Summary A procedure has been worked out for isolation and determination of volatile organic sulphur compounds in water. These compounds are isolated from an aqueous sample by countercurrent thin-layer head-space (TLHS) technique. After isolation, the sulphur compounds are burned in a quartz tube and the combustion products (SO₂/SO₃ mixture) are absorbed by a 10% solution of hydrogen peroxide. The resulting sulphuric acid is introduced into the heated part of a quartz tube, where the presence of tungsten trioxide at 1150°C ensures its complete decomposition. The sulphur dioxide formed is titrated microcoulometrically with iodine. Organic halogen compounds usually present in different waters do not interfere. The complete procedure has been tested on model solutions of sulphur compounds in the concentration range of 10–200 g S/l.     

A continuous preconcentration/extraction method for organic trace analysis by capillary gas chromatography

Summary A slightly modified steam distillation-extraction device is described for the continuous extraction and preconcentration of organic traces in aqueous samples, prior to capillary G.C.-analysis. The quantitative performance, both theoretically and practically, is studied using phenols as the test substances. The final recovery is determined by the flow-ratio of the water and the extracting solvent and by the extraction coefficient. The process is found to be highly reproducible even at low concentration levels (ppb’s). Using 30 ml. samples with a concentration of 30 ppb (1:10^9), 100 % recoveries are obtained for the phenolic substances studied, with a relative standard deviation of about 3 %, both for methylene chloride and ethylacetate as the extracting solvents. Using methylene chloride as the extracting solvent, for phenol a maximum recovery of 80 % was obtained. Presented at the 15th International Symposium on Chromatography, Nürnberg, October 1984     

Retention of organic compounds in capillary gas chromatography using humid carrier gases

The influence of humid carrier gases (nitrogen and carbon dioxide) on the retention of polar compounds in a capillary column with polypropylcyanophenylsiloxane stationary liquid phase OV-225 was studied. It is noted that when humid carbon dioxide is used as the carrier gas, the retention of primary amines sharply increases. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 6, pp. 1129–1131, June, 1999.     

Direct (without degassing) determination of sulfur-containing compounds in unstable gas condensate by gas chromatography

A procedure has been developed for direct determination of sulfur-containing components in the concentration range 0.0002?C0.7 wt % in samples of unstable gas condensate under a pressure of 8 MPa using a gas chromatograph equipped with a flame photometric detector. The determination of the overall composition of samples (including hydrocarbons and inorganic gases) takes no more than 1 h, i.e., is 5 times more rapid than the standard procedure with preliminary sample degassing. In addition, direct (without degassing) determination results is lower errors (the repeatability for the main components is 0.01?C0.06; n = 10).     

Plasma determination of 3-methylclonazepam by capillary gas chromatography

A capillary gas-liquid chromatographic method for the determination of 3-methylclonazepam in plasma was developed. This method involved a single extraction by butyl acetate followed by analysis of the organic extract on a CP-Sil 5 glass capillary column with detection by electron capture. The detection limit was about 0.1 ng/ml, and the inter- and intra-assay precision did not exceed 8% for the concentration range 0.1-6.0 ng/ml. Specificity towards some of the possible metabolites in human plasma was demonstrated. This method was used for the measurement of the pharmacokinetic parameters of 3-methylclonazepam in healthy volunteers after a single intravenous administration of 1 mg, and oral administrations of 1 and 4 mg.     

Direct observation of hydrophobic interactions in aqueous solutions of organic compounds by supercooling and enthalpies of mixing

Supercooling temperatures and enthalpies of mixing with some solvents have been examined for two kinds of solutions subjected to different thermal treatments (solutions I and II) of tetrahydrofuran (THF), isopropyl alcohol (2-PrOH), and ethyleneglycol butylether (BE), and ethyleneglycol isobutylether (i-BE) in order to observe more directly the structural organization of water molecules around a nonpolar molecule in an aqueous solution. For THF and 2-PrOH solutions, supercooling temperatures of solution I were found to be 2–3 degrees higher than those of solution II, and differences H_I-H_II were found to be about 3 kJ mol^–1. It has been concluded that these results directly reflect the difference in the stability of hydrogen-bonded water networks in an aqueous solution.     

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

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

Radiation-induced nitration of organic compounds in aqueous solutions

Radiation-induced nitration of organic compounds in aqueous solutions was studied. It was found that γ-irradiation of solutions containing acetic and nitric acid and/or their salts gives nitromethane. Dependences of the product yield on the absorbed dose and the contents of components were established. The mechanism of radiation nitration involving radicals is discussed.     

Determination of hydrochloric acid in organic solutions by gas chromatography

Summary A method is described for the determination of small quantities of hydrochloric acid in two chlorinated organic solvents (CHCl₃ and CCl₄). An excess of gaseous ethylene oxide is added to a liquid sample; the 2-chloroethanol formed is then analyzed by gas chromatography. The procedure is simpler and more sensitive in comparison with other conventional methods. It can be modified for other organic solvents.D.G.R.C.S.T. grant.     

Stereoisomeric purity determination of captopril by capillary gas chromatography.

The GC method developed for the stereoisomeric purity determination of captopril is based on the combined information derived from the analyses of the captopril sample on two GC systems, one with a chiral and the other with an achiral column. The limit of detection has been determined to be 0.02% (w/w) for (R,S) or (S,R) and 0.03% for (R,R), with corresponding minimum quantifiable levels of 0.08% and 0.09%.     

Equilibrium chromatographic characteristics of capillary column coated with polytrimethylpropyne for separating polar and non-polar organic compounds by gas capillary chromatography

The temperature dependence (50—180 °C) of the retention factor for 35 hydrocarbons and their oxygen-containing derivatives was studied using a capillary column coated with a new film-forming polymeric adsorbent polytrimethylsilylpropyne (PTMSP). The heats of adsorption for 24 organic polar and non-polar compounds on PTMSP were determined. They turned out to be lower than the heats of adsorption of the same compounds on Porapak Q widely used in gas chromatography. The new adsorbent PTMSP is characterized by high selectivity suitable for practical application.     

Rapid analysis of trace organics in aqueous solutions by enrichment in uncoated capillary columns

Summary A novel technique has been developed for the analysis of trace organics in aqueous solutions. Concentration of organics is effected by passage of the solution being analysed through uncoated plastic or metal capillaries as reported. The concentrated organics are then desorbed from the capillary using an organic solvent, and the desorbed solution is subsequently analysed by gas chromatography. Organics trapped inside a variety of columns have been recovered by solvent desorption in this manner using a number of different solvents, mixed solvents, different solvent volumes, different solvent flow rates through the capillary column and at different desorption temperatures, and the effects of these variables on the efficiency of desorption are discussed.     

Quantitative determination of paraffin oil in blood by capillary gas chromatography

A capillary gas chromatographic method is described for the quantitative determination of liquid paraffin in blood. Paraffin is extracted from blood into n-heptane. After solvent evaporation and dissolution of the residue in 100–200 μl n-heptane one μl is injected into a gas chromatograph fitted with a fused silica capillary column (Permabond® OV-1-CB-0.1, 10 m × 0.32 mm i.d.) and flame ionization detector. Analysis is performed by using an oven program [50°C (3 min)?285°C (5 min), rise 10%min]. The sensitivity (1.5 ng hexadecane) and the reproducibility prove the applicability of the method for the determination of liquid paraffin in blood and for the study of the stability of the liquid paraffin hollow fiber membranes used in an extracorporeal liver support system.