A new method for the analysis of arsenic species in urine by using HPLC-ICP-MS

Gas chromatographic (GC) and liquid chromatographic methods for the investigation of phenylarsenic compounds are presented. With gas chromatography using an electron capture detector (ECD), the chemical warfare agents PFIFFIKUS, CLARK I and CLARK II can be detected. After derivatization with mercaptans and dimercaptans the sum of diphenylarsenic compounds resp. phenylarsenic and phenylarsonic compounds can be detected as the mercapto resp. dimercapto derivatives. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis may be used for the detection of triphenylarsenic compounds and ADAMSITE. Received: 17 July 1997 / Accepted: 9 October 1997     

The analysis of antimony species by using ESI-MS and HPLC-ICP-MS

A new method for the separation of organic antimony as trimethylantimony dichloride (TMSbCl₂) and inorganic Sb(V) and Sb(III) by using anion exchange high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is presented. In comparison with previous work the detection limits for both species were significantly decreased, down to 5 ngL^–1, mainly by avoiding any contamination from the chromatographic device. Using an ultrasonic nebulizer (USN) improved the detection limits for inorganic Sb species, but was useless for the HPLC method due to problems in the recovery of the TMSbCl₂. Matrix interferences of the chromatographic determination were studied in detail and the method was applied to environmental samples assumed to contain organic antimony species. Additionally, the molecular structure of the TMSbCl₂ in solution was studied by using electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) showing that this species occurs most probably as [TMSbOH]⁺ in aqueous solutions. Received: 22 September 1997 / Revised: 21 November 1997 / Accepted: 27 November 1997     

Developments with anion exchange stationary phases for HPLC-ICP-MS analysis of antimony species

Novel HPLC-ICP-MS methodologies are developed using strong anion exchange (Phenomenex SAX-SB) and weak anion exchange (Alltec HAAX) stationary phases in conjunction with a range of aqueous mobile phases to enable simultaneous separations of inorganic Sb(III), Sb(V) and organic trimethylantimony dichloride (TMSb) species in synthetic solutions. Optimum isocratic separations of inorganic Sb(V) and Sb(III) species are achieved using mobile phases comprised of ammonium tartrate under controlled pH conditions, and rapid pH gradient elution profiles are developed to facilitate separations of the Sb(V), Sb(III) and TMSb species in a single chromatographic run. Optimum peak resolution is achieved when using the 100 x 4.6 mm HAAX column at 20 degrees C and 100 mM ammonium tartrate mobile phases with a gradient from pH 3.0 to pH 1.2, although a system peak co-elutes with TMSb under these conditions and precludes quantitative analyses. Interestingly, the elution order of Sb(V), Sb(III) and TMSb species reverses when the temperature of the HAAX stationary phase is increased to 60 degrees C, and concurrent use of a less acidic pH gradient elution profile from pH 2.3 to pH 1.5 is shown to enable successful species separations whilst preventing occurrence of the co-eluting system peak. Limits of detection are achieved in the sub ng mL(-1) range using these novel HPLC-ICP-MS methodologies and provide scope for future environmental analysis applications.     

Speciation analysis of mercury in seawater from the lagoon of Venice by on-line pre-concentration HPLC-ICP-MS

A method based on the coupling of HPLC with ICP-MS with an on-line pre-concentration micro-column has been developed for the analysis of inorganic and methyl mercury in the dissolved phase of natural waters. This method allows the rapid pre-concentration and matrix removal of interferences in complex matrices such as seawater with minimal sampling handling. Detection limits of 0.07 ng L(-1) for inorganic mercury and 0.02 ng L(-1) for methyl mercury have been achieved allowing the determination of inorganic mercury and methyl mercury in filtered seawater from the Venice lagoon. Good accuracy and reproducibility was demonstrated by the repeat analysis of the certified reference material BCR-579 coastal seawater. The developed HPLC separation was shown to be also suitable for the determination of methyl mercury in extracts of the particulate phase.     

High-performance liquid chromatography and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS) for the analysis of xenobiotic metabolites in rat urine: application to the metabolites of 4-bromoaniline

The use of HPLC-ICP-MS for the profiling and quantification of the metabolites of 4-bromoaniline following reversed-phase gradient chromatography is demonstrated. In the 0-8 h post dose sample, which contained the highest concentrations of compound-related material, it was possible to detect at least 16 metabolites of the compound. The methodology described offers the possibility of obtaining metabolite profiles and quantification for drugs and other xenobiotics in biological fluids and excreta without the requirement for radiolabelled tracers.     

高效液相色谱-电感耦合等离子质谱分析烟草中硒形态

采用高效液相色谱-电感耦合等离子体质谱(HPLC-ICP-MS)联用技术建立了烟草中硒的形态分析方法。烟草样品采用0.10mol/L HCl超声提取30min,经离心、过膜后引入HPLC-ICP-MS进行分析。使用Hamilton PRP X-100阴离子交换柱,以20mmol/L柠檬酸水溶液为流动相(pH=7.0),流速1.2mL/min,优化条件下实现了6种硒形态的分离。质谱采用He碰撞模式,硒代胱氨酸、亚硒酸根、甲基硒代半胱氨酸、硒酸根、硒脲、硒代蛋氨酸检出限分别为1.20、0.34、1.65、0.13、3.25和0.65ng/mL。该方法操作简单、快速、灵敏度高,精密度好,加标回收率在86.1%~95.8%之间,适用于烟草中硒元素形态分析。     

Ultra-fast simultaneous analysis of genetically modified organisms in maize by microchip electrophoresis with LIF detector

This study examined the potential of microchip electrophoresis (ME) with a LIF detector using a programmed field strength gradient (PFSG) in a conventional glass double-T microchip for the ultra-fast detection and simultaneous analysis of genetically modified (GM) maize. The separation efficiency and sensitivity at various sieving gels (poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO, M(r) 8,000,000) and 2-hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) (M(r) 250,000)) and fluorescent dye concentrations were investigated. The PCR products of both the GM and non-GM maize were analyzed within 30 s under the PFSG (470.6 V/cm for 20 s, 117.6 V/cm for 12 s, and 470.6 V/cm for 30 s) with a 2.5% HEC sieving matrix in the running buffer, 1 x Tris-borate EDTA (TBE) (pH 8.30) and 0.5 ppm ethidium bromide. The five transgenic maize varieties (Event176, MON810, Bt11, GA21, and T25) examined in this study were also clearly differentiated by ME-PFSG within 30 s in a single run without any loss of resolution. The ME-PFSG technique is a powerful tool for the ultra-fast detection and simultaneous analysis of GMOs in a variety of foods including maize.     

高效液相色谱-电感耦合等离子体质谱（HPLC-ICP-MS）联用测定富硒小麦中硒代氨基酸

为科学补硒和促进富硒小麦的种植推广,建立了高效液相色谱-电感耦合等离子体质谱联用技术(HPLC-ICP-MS)检测富硒小麦中硒代氨基酸的方法。用蛋白酶XIV辅助微波振荡提取富硒小麦中硒代氨基酸,采用C18 分离柱分离,以30.0mmol/L磷酸氢二铵+1.0%甲醇+2.0mmol/L四丁基溴化铵溶液(pH=6.5)为流动相,能在10min内实现5种硒代氨基酸的分离。在高能氦气模式（HEHe）下,用78Se的色谱峰积分面积作为定量依据,5种硒代氨基酸在1.0～200.0μg/L范围内线性相关性良好,检出限在 0.11~0.29μg/L之间。以富硒小麦为基体进行加标回收试验,除硒代胱氨酸（SeCys2）可能不稳定,易分解造成回收率偏低外,其他4种硒代氨基酸的加标回收率在92.34～102.46%之间,相对标准偏差为 1.6 %~4.2 %（n=7）。用该方法测定了农业科技工作者种植推广的富硒小麦,结果发现小麦中的硒赋存形态多为硒代蛋氨酸（SeMet）,此外,小麦中还含有少量硒代胱氨酸（SeCys2）、硒代半胱氨酸（SeCys）、甲基硒代半胱氨酸（MeSeCys）和硒代乙硫氨酸（SeEt)。该方法具有良好的精密度和准确度,适用于富硒小麦中硒代氨基酸的形态分析。     

HPLC-ICP-MS speciation of selenium in Se-cultivated Flammulina velutipes

Selenium is an essential micronutrient required at trace levels for human health, and dietary intake is the only source of selenium, which appears mainly in the form of selenocompounds. In this study, Flammulina velutipes was grown for 80 days in standard medium containing selenite, and the level of total selenium in the organism was then determined by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). In Se-cultivated F. velutipes, selenium was mainly distributed in the water-soluble form and the content of soluble selenium-containing species in Se-cultivated F. velutipes was 47.10 mg kg⁻¹, accounted for 72.5% of the total selenium content. The water-soluble proteins in F. velutipes were extracted and precipitated by different ammonium sulfate saturation concentrations. Size-exclusion high performance liquid chromatography (SEC-HPLC) analysis of these proteins revealed the presence of at least six selenium-containing protein species, with molecular weights ranging from 9000 to 74,000 Da, Selenium-containing proteins represented about 7.0% of the total soluble selenium. The result of this study suggested that Se-cultivated F. velutipes could potentially be considered as a selenium supplement for human.     

Use of the bromine isotope ratio in HPLC-ICP-MS and HPLC-ESI-MS analysis of a new drug in development

A combination of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) was deployed for the metabolite profiling and metabolite identification of a new antituberculosis compound (R207910, also known as TMC207) that is currently in drug development. R207910 contains one bromine atom, allowing the detection by ICP-MS. Fluctuations in the Br sensitivity caused by the HPLC gradient were counteracted by the use of species-unspecific isotope dilution. In order to evaluate the method developed, the results obtained were compared with those acquired via radioactivity detection. HPLC-ESI-MS was used for the structural identification of R207910 and its metabolites. The ⁷⁹Br/⁸¹Br isotope ratio is also valuable in the search for metabolites in the complex background of endogenous compounds obtained using HPLC-ESI-MS analyses. Data-dependent scanning using isotope recognition with an ion trap mass spectrometer or processing of Q-Tof data provides HPLC-ICP-MS-like “bromatograms”. The combination of accurate mass measurements and the fragmentation behavior in the MS² spectra obtained using the Q-Tof Ultima mass spectrometer or MSⁿ spectra acquired using the LTQ-Orbitrap allowed structural characterization of the main metabolites of R207910 in methanolic dog and rat faeces extracts taken 0–24 h post-dose. Figure Analyses of a rat faeces extract taken 0–24 h post-dose: a HPLC-ICP-MS using isotope dilution, b corresponding Br mass flow chromatogram, c radio-HPLC, d Q-Tof ESI-MS TIC, e Q-Tof ESI-MS bromatogram after Br stripping, f LTQ-Orbitrap ESI-MS² TIC obtained with isotopic-data-dependent scanning     

Low-density solvent-based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction followed by HPLC-ICP-MS for speciation analysis of phenylarsenics in lake water

A simple and fast method of low-density solvent based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (LDS-DLLME) followed by high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS) has been developed for the speciation analysis of organoarsenic and inorganic arsenic in water samples. The low-density solvent (octanol) was given as the organic phase and injected into the aqueous sample (donor phase) with methanol as the disperser. With As (V), As (III), p-APAA, 4-HPAA, ROX and PAA as target species, factors of LDS-DLLME including pH value, anionic carriers, elution conditions and extractant, were studied in detail. Besides, volumes of solvents were further optimised by response surface methodology. Under the optimal conditions, the limits of detection for four phenylarsenics and arsenate were in the range of 0.001–0.039 μg L^?1. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) were 3.6–9.4% and the enrichment factors varied from 6.2 to 70.8. The proposed method of LDS-DLLME-HPLC-ICP-MS was satisfactorily applied to the determination of six arsenic compounds in water samples with recoveries of 81.8–111.7% for the spiked lake water samples.     

高效液相色谱-电感耦合等离子体质谱法测定饮用水中碘酸根和碘离子

提出了高效液相色谱-电感耦合等离子体质谱法测定饮用水中碘酸根和碘离子的方法。饮用水样品通过Dionex IonPac AS14阴离子交换柱及AG14保护柱分离碘酸根和碘离子,用50mmol.L-1碳酸铵溶液(用氨水调至pH 9.9)作流动相进行淋洗。于洗脱液中用电感耦合等离子体质谱法分别测定碘酸根和碘离子的含量,两者的线性范围均为0.20～300μg.L-1,检出限(3S/N)依次为0.09μg.L-1和0.13μg.L-1。以饮用水为基体加入两个不同浓度水平的标准溶液按方法分析后,求得方法的回收率及精密度为①碘酸根回收率在100.5%～113.0%,相对标准偏差(n=8)在1.2%～2.8%之间;②碘离子回收率在101.9%～110.7%,相对标准偏差(n=8)在1.3%～2.0%之间。     

Speciation of metabolites of selenate in rats by HPLC-ICP-MS

The metabolic pathway for and metabolites of selenium (Se) administered intravenously to rats in the form of selenate at a dose of 0.3 mg Se kg-1 body weight were studied by speciating Se in the bloodstream, liver and urine by HPLC-inductively coupled argon plasma mass spectrometry. Selenate was not taken up by red blood cells (RBCs) and disappeared from the bloodstream much faster than selenite, without any change in its chemical form before it disappeared from the plasma. Selenium excreted into the urine after the administration of selenate showed different patterns from those of selenite in both amounts and chemical forms. With the selenate group, the concentration of Se in urine was highest at 0-6 h and the chemical species of Se was selenate at 0-6 h; thereafter a monomethylselenol-related Se compound (MMSe*) and trimethylselenonium ions (TMSe) appeared, selenate not being excreted after 6 h. On the other hand, in the selenite group, the concentration of Se peaked at 6-12 h, and the chemical species of Se were MMSe* and TMSe. Selenate was reduced in vitro on incubation in either a liver homogenate or supernatant fraction, although much more slowly than in the whole body. Selenate was not reduced by glutathione or dithiothreitol. The results suggest that in contrast to selenite, which is taken up by and reduced in RBCs, and then transferred to the liver, approximately 20% of the selenate administered to rats was excreted into the urine without any change in its chemical form with the present dose, and the major portion of selenate was taken up by the liver, reduced and then utilized for the synthesis of selenoproteins or excreted into the urine after being methylated.     

Arsenic speciation in chinese seaweeds using HPLC-ICP-MS and HPLC-ES-MS

Three common Chinese edible seaweeds, one brown (Laminaria japonica) and two red (Porphyra crispata and Eucheuma denticulatum), were examined for their total arsenic content. The As species were extracted with yields of 76.4, 69.8 and 25.0%, respectively. Anion-exchange and cation-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in combination with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were used for the separation of the different arsenic species in two of the three seaweed extracts (Laminaria and Porphyra). The main arsenic species in the algal extracts are arseno sugars, although it has been shown that the Laminaria seaweed contains significant amounts of dimethylarsinic acid (DMA). HPLC was coupled with electrospray mass spectrometry (ES-MS) for structural confirmation of the arsenic species. The mass spectrometer settings for the arseno sugars were optimised using standards. The conclusions drawn on the basis of HPLC-ICP-MS were confirmed by the HPLC-ES-MS data. The HPLC-ES-MS method is capable of determining both arseno sugars and DMA in the seaweeds. The unknown compounds seen in the HPLC-ICP-MS chromatogram of Laminaria could not be ascribed to trimethylarsenic oxide or tetramethylarsonium ion.     

高效液相色谱与电感耦合等离子体质谱联用技术用于胁迫富硒海带硒形态研究

通过对海带胁迫富硒培养, 研究了海带对硒的富集总量及硒化学形态转变. 建立了反相离子对缓冲盐等3个色谱系统的高效液相色谱与电感耦合等离子体质谱联用(RP-HPLC-ICP-MS)技术测定亚硒酸钠、硒甲基半胱氨酸(MeSeCys)、硒代蛋氨酸(SeMet)三种硒形态. 采用3种提取溶剂, 超声提取缩短提取时间, 分离检测富硒海带的主要硒形态为亚硒酸钠、硒甲基半胱氨酸和硒代蛋氨酸.     

血液与尿液中铅形态化合物的HPLC-ICP-MS分析

建立了血液和尿液中2种铅形态化合物(三甲基铅、三乙基铅)的高效液相色谱-电感耦合等离子体质谱(HPLC-ICP-MS)分析方法。利用苯溶液萃取铅形态化合物,超声离心后以硫代硫酸钠溶液进行反萃取。以0.1 mol/L乙酸铵-0.1 mol/L乙酸与甲醇为流动相进行等度洗脱,Agilent Zorbax Plus C₁₈(4.6 mm×100 mm,3.5μm)对提取物进行分离,ICP-MS分析样品中铅形态化合物。结果表明,血液和尿液中2种铅形态化合物的线性范围分别为3～200 ng/mL和5～400 ng/mL,检出限为0.85～1.31 ng/mL,定量下限为3.00～5.00 ng/mL,日内及日间相对标准偏差(RSD)为1.8%～10%,提取回收率为85.3%～104%,基质效应为88.3%～117%。该方法样品前处理简单,检出限低,准确度高,适用于人体血液和尿液中三甲基铅、三乙基铅的测定。     

Speciation of Rare Earth Elements in Soil by HPLC-ICP-MS

Elemental speciation is one of the growing features of analytical chemistry of recent two decades. It is now widely recognized that the determination of total trace element contents is no longer sufficient for evaluating their pathways,environmental and biological effects, which mainly depend on their specific chemical forms existing in the samples. On the other hand, rare-earth elements (REEs), which have their unique properties, have recently been used in many fields of industry, and agriculture especially in China for increasing the crop's production. Up to now, the amount of REEs used in agriculture is more than 1000 tons per year in China.¹Such a great amount of "foreign" REEs is annually applied to the environments, what is the effect of the "foreign" REEs to the environments except the increase production brought? Moreover, how is the biological effect to living things including human beings after eating the food? To answer such questions, the speciation of REEs has a special significance.     

Study of catecholamines in patient urine samples by capillary electrophoresis.

Capillary zone electrophoresis with photodiode array detection at 220 nm was used for analysis of catechol compounds in human urine. The method was optimized with reference compounds 3,4-dihydroxybenzylamine, adrenaline, noradrenaline, normetanephrine, dopamine, dopac (homogensitic acid), methanephrine, vanillyl-mandelic acid, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), homovanillic acid and 3-methoxytyramic acid at pH 4.0 and 8.0 for their electrophoretic separation. The UV spectra of the catechols were detected at a concentration of 20 microM. Repeatability of the method calculated using the absolute migration times of the catechols was below 1.5% and using the peak areas below 5%. The patient samples were hydrolyzed by 0.5 M acid or base solutions. In the studies, a few patient samples were analyzed using 3,4-dihydroxybenzylamine as an internal standard. In the hydrolysis steps needed for their detection in urine, all the other catecholamines, except 5-HIAA, did not decompose to detectable species at 220 or 254 nm. The concentrations of the catecholamines observed in real samples were at nM levels.     

Speciation analysis of selenium enriched green onions (Allium fistulosum) by HPLC-ICP-MS

Green onions (Allium fistulosum) enriched with 10 or 100 μg mL^− 1 Se(IV) or SeMet were analyzed for total selenium and species distribution. Anion and cation exchange chromatographies were applied for the separation of selenium species with mass spectrometric detection. Two different sample preparation methods (NaOH and enzymatic) were compared from the Se extraction efficiency point of view. Total selenium concentration accumulated by the onions reached the 200 μg g^− 1 level expressed for dry weight when applying SeMet at a concentration of 100 μg mL^− 1 as the source of Se. Speciation studies revealed that both in onion bulbs and leaves the predominant form of organic selenium is Se-methyl-selenocysteine (MeSeCys). When Se(IV) was applied for Se-enrichment at a concentration level of 100 μg mL^− 1 both onion leaf and bulb contained a significant amount of inorganic selenium. An unknown compound was also detected.