Comparison of different mass spectrometry techniques in the measurement of L‐[ring‐13C6]phenylalanine incorporation into mixed muscle proteins

Precise measurement of low enrichment of stable isotope labeled amino‐acid tracers in tissue samples is a prerequisite in measuring tissue protein synthesis rates. The challenge of this analysis is augmented when small sample size is a critical factor. Muscle samples from human participants following an 8 h intravenous infusion of L‐[ring‐¹³C₆]phenylalanine and a bolus dose of L‐[ring‐¹³C₆]phenylalanine in a mouse were utilized. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), gas chromatography (GC) MS/MS and GC/MS were compared to the GC‐combustion‐isotope ratio MS (GC/C/IRMS), to measure mixed muscle protein enrichment of [ring‐¹³C₆]phenylalanine enrichment. The sample isotope enrichment ranged from 0.0091 to 0.1312 molar percent excess. As compared with GC/C/IRMS, LC/MS/MS, GC/MS/MS and GC/MS showed coefficients of determination of R² = 0.9962 and R² = 0.9942, and 0.9217 respectively. However, the precision of measurements (coefficients of variation) for intra‐assay are 13.0%, 1.7%, 6.3% and 13.5% and for inter‐assay are 9.2%, 3.2%, 10.2% and 25% for GC/C/IRMS, LC/MS/MS, GC/MS/MS and GC/MS, respectively. The muscle sample sizes required to obtain these results were 8 µg, 0.8 µg, 3 µg and 3 µg for GC/C/IRMS, LC/MS/MS, GC/MS/MS and GC/MS, respectively. We conclude that LC/MS/MS is optimally suited for precise measurements of L‐[ring‐¹³C₆]phenylalanine tracer enrichment in low abundance and in small quantity samples. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Resolution of 13 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by constant-wavelength synchronous spectrofluorometry.

A method capable of determining 13 PAHs (acenaphthene, anthracene, benzo[a]anthracene, benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, chrysene, dibenzo[ah]anthracene, fluoranthene, fluorene, indene[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, phenanthrene and pyrene) in a mixture of 16 EPA PAHs by second derivative synchronous spectrofluorometry in the constant wavelength mode was developed. It has not been possible to determine the following PAHs in the mixture: acenaphthylene, benzo[ghi]perylene and naphthalene. The approach studied allows the sensitive, rapid and inexpensive identification and quantitation of 13 PAHs in a solution of hexane. The detection limits are <1 microg L(-1) (except for chrysene and phenanthrene).     

Development of a sensitive GC‐C‐IRMS method for the analysis of androgens

The administration of anabolic steroids is one of the most important issues in doping control and is detectable through a change in the carbon isotopic composition of testosterone and/or its metabolites. Gas chromatography‐combustion‐isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC‐C‐IRMS), however, remains a very laborious and expensive technique and substantial amounts of urine are needed to meet the sensitivity requirements of the IRMS. This can be problematic because only a limited amount of urine is available for anti‐doping analysis on a broad spectrum of substances. In this work we introduce a new type of injection that increases the sensitivity of GC‐C‐IRMS by a factor of 13 and reduces the limit of detection, simply by using solvent vent injections instead of splitless injection. This drastically reduces the amount of urine required. On top of that, by only changing the injection technique, the detection parameters of the IRMS are not affected and there is no loss in linearity. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Interpretative optimization and artificial neural network modeling of the gas chromatographic separation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

An interpretative strategy (factorial design experimentation+total resolution analysis+chromatogram simulation) was employed to optimize the separation of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (naphthalene, acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, chrysene, benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene, indeno(1,2,3-c,d)pyrene, dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, benzo(g,h,i)perylene) in temperature-programmed gas chromatography (GC). Also, the retention behavior of PAHs in the same GC system was studied by a feed-forward artificial neural network (ANN). GC separation was investigated as a function of one (linear temperature ramp) or two (linear temperature ramp+the final hold temperature) variables. The applied interpretative approach resulted in rather good agreement between the measured and the predicted retention times for PAHs in both one and two variable modeling. The ANN model, strongly affected by the number of input experiments, was shown to be less effective for one variable used, but quite successful when two input variables were used. All PAHs, including difficult to separate peak pairs (benzo(k)fluoranthene/benzo(b)fluoranthene and indeno(1,2,3-c,d)pyrene/dibenzo(a,h)anthracene), were separated in a standard (5% phenyl-95% dimethylpolysiloxane) capillary column at an optimum temperature ramp of 8.0 degrees C/min and final hold temperature in the range of 260-320 degrees C.     

Supercritical fluid extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from liver samples and determination by HPLC-FL

An extraction/clean-up procedure by SFE was developed for isolating PAHs from liver samples for subsequent HPLC-FL determination of ten PAHs in the enriched extract. Recoveries (90-115%) and RSD % (< or =7.7) were satisfactory. When applied to 11 samples of bird of prey (Tyto alba) protected species and classified of special interest, from the Galicia (Northwest to Spain), benzo[ghi]perylene and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene were undetectable; chrysene and benzo[a]pyrene are only detected in one sample; benzo[a]anthracene and benzo[k]fluoranthene are only quantified in one sample and benzo[b]fluoranthene in two samples. The other PAHs, anthracene, fluoranthene and pyrene are present in almost all the samples.     

Compound-specific stable isotope analysis of organic contaminants in natural environments: a critical review of the state of the art,prospects, and future challenges

Compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA) using gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/IRMS) has developed into a mature analytical method in many application areas over the last decade. This is in particular true for carbon isotope analysis, whereas measurements of the other elements amenable to CSIA (hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen) are much less routine. In environmental sciences, successful applications to date include (i) the allocation of contaminant sources on a local, regional, and global scale, (ii) the identification and quantification of (bio)transformation reactions on scales ranging from batch experiments to contaminated field sites, and (iii) the characterization of elementary reaction mechanisms that govern product formation. These three application areas are discussed in detail. The investigated spectrum of compounds comprises mainly n-alkanes, monoaromatics such as benzene and toluene, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and chlorinated hydrocarbons such as tetrachloromethane, trichloroethylene, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Future research directions are primarily set by the state of the art in analytical instrumentation and method development. Approaches to utilize HPLC separation in CSIA, the enhancement of sensitivity of CSIA to allow field investigations in the µg L^–1 range, and the development of methods for CSIA of other elements are reviewed. Furthermore, an alternative scheme to evaluate isotope data is outlined that would enable estimates of position-specific kinetic isotope effects and, thus, allow one to extract mechanistic chemical and biochemical information.Abbreviations BTEX benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes - MTBE methyl tert-butyl ether - PAHs polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons - VOCs volatile compounds - PCBs polychlorinated biphenyls - CSIA compound-specific (stable) isotope (ratio) analysis - GC-IRMS, GC/IRMS or GCIRMS gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry - GC-C-IRMS, GC/C/IRMS or GCC-IRMS gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry - irmGC/MS isotope ratio monitoring gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry - GC/P/IRMS gas chromatography-pyrolysis-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (used for D/H) - KIE kinetic isotope effect - PSIA position-specific isotope analysis (for intramolecular isotope distribution) - SNIF-NMR site-specific natural isotopic fractionation by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy     

The development of solid-surface fluorescence characterization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons for potential screening tests in environmental samples

This paper presents the characterization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in solid-surface fluorescence as the first step for obtaining new optical sensors for PAHs screening. The fluorescence properties of the EPA-PAHs (naphthalene, acenaphthene, acenaphthylene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, chrysene, benzo[a]anthracene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, indeno [1,2,3-cd]pyrene, benzo[g,h,i]perylene and dibenzo[a,h]anthracene) on five types of solid-surfaces were evaluated. The experimental variables (pH and percentage of organic solvent in samples) were studied, obtaining different possibilities for making individual sensors for some of these PAHs and the best conditions for developing sensors for PAH screening were also studied.     

Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons formed during the pyrolysis of phenylalanine

The formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during pyrolysis process of phenylalanine had been studied. Ten PAHs, including fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[e]pyrene, and benzo[a]pyrene were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using selective ion monitoring mode. This technique offers the capability to analyze trace amounts of PAHs in phenylalanine pyrolyzates. The pyrolysis was carried out in a micro-furnace with quartz furnace liner. The injection was conducted with glass pelletizer syringe to avoid metal contamination. Qualitative results were obtained at 900 degrees C and quantitative analysis of 10 PAHs was done for 700 and 900 degrees C.     

Analysis of [U‐13C6]glucose in human plasma using liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry compared with two other mass spectrometry techniques

The use of stable isotope labelled glucose provides insight into glucose metabolism. The ¹³C‐isotopic enrichment of glucose is usually measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) or gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS). However, in both techniques the samples must be derivatized prior to analysis, which makes sample preparation more labour‐intensive and increases the uncertainty of the measured isotopic composition. A novel method for the determination of isotopic enrichment of glucose in human plasma using liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (LC/IRMS) has been developed. Using this technique, for which hardly any sample preparation is needed, we showed that both the enrichment and the concentration could be measured with very high precision using only 20 µL of plasma. In addition, a comparison with GC/MS and GC/IRMS showed that the best performance was achieved with the LC/IRMS method making it the method of choice for the measurement of ¹³C‐isotopic enrichment in plasma samples. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Implementation of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry for the simultaneous determination of halogenated contaminants and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in fish

In the presented study, comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC?×?GC-TOFMS) was shown to be a powerful tool for the simultaneous determination of various groups of contaminants including 18 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), seven polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Since different groups of analytes (traditionally analyzed separately) were included into one instrumental method, significant time savings were achieved. Following the development of an integrated sample preparation procedure for an effective and rapid isolation of several groups of contaminants from fish tissue, the GC?×?GC-TOFMS instrumental method was optimized to obtain the best chromatographic resolution and low quantification limits (LOQs) of all target analytes in a complex mixture. Using large-volume programmable temperature vaporization, the following LOQs were achieved-PCBs, 0.01-0.25 μg/kg; PBDEs, 0.025-5 μg/kg; PAHs 0.025-0.5 μg/kg. Furthermore, several capillary column combinations (BPX5, BPX50, and Rxi-17Sil-ms in the first dimension and BPX5, BPX50, Rt-LC35, and HT8 in the second dimension) were tested during the experiments, and the optimal separation of all target analytes even of critical groups of PAHs (group (a): benz[a]anthracene, cyclopenta[cd]pyrene and chrysene; group (b): benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[j]fluoranthene and benzo[k]fluoranthene; group (c): dibenz[ah]anthracene, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene and benzo[ghi]perylene) was observed on BPX5?×?BPX50 column setup. Moreover, since the determination of target analytes was performed using TOFMS detector, further identification of other non-target compounds in real life samples was also feasible.     

Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from buzzards (Buteo buteo) and tawny owl (Strix aluco) by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

Supercritical fluid extraction was applied to the determination of naturally contaminated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in bird tissue by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (LC-FL). Recoveries (> 90%) and relative standard deviations (< or = 7.7%) were satisfactory. The levels of 10 PAHs were analyzed in 6 classes of tissues (heart, liver, intestine, muscle, lung, and kidney) of 10 buzzards and 2 tawny owls, predatory birds from the Galicia (northwest Spain). The PAHs found most abundantly were pyrene, fluoranthene, benzo[a]anthracene, and anthracene. Chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[ghi]perylene, and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene were not detected. Intestine, kidney, and lung were more polluted than other tissues.     

Collection and analytical characterisation of the atmospheric particulate in the city of Bari

In this paper an application of new procedures for atmospheric particulate analysis is illustrated. PM10, PAHs (benzo[a]anthracene (BaA), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF), benzo[j]fluoranthene (BjF), benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), indeno[1, 2, 3-cd]pyrene (Ip), dibenzo[a, h]anthracene (DbA)) and heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Zn, Co, Mn, Cd, Fe and Pb) were investigated. PM10 determination was performed by gravimetric method, PAHs were measured by GC-MS, and heavy metals by HPIC. An air quality monitoring campaign on the territory of Bari municipality has been organised, and its results are shown.     

Supercritical fluid extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from liver samples and determination by HPLC-FL

An extraction/clean-up procedure by SFE was developed for isolating PAHs from liver samples for subsequent HPLC-FL determination of ten PAHs in the enriched extract. Recoveries (90–115%) and RSD % (≤ 7.7) were satisfactory. When applied to 11 samples of bird of prey (Tyto alba) protected species and classified of special interest, from the Galicia (Northwest to Spain), benzo[ghi]perylene and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene were undetectable; chrysene and benzo[a]pyrene are only detected in one sample; benzo[a]anthracene and benzo[k]fluoranthene are only quantified in one sample and benzo[b]fluoranthene in two samples. The other PAHs, anthracene, fluoranthene and pyrene are present in almost all the samples.     

Error propagation as a factor in selection of measurement intervals for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by second-derivative spectrofluorimetry

The most suitable wavelength intervals were selected for the determination of 4 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs; benzo[g,h,i]perylene, dibenzo[a,h]anthracene, pyrene, and triphenylene) in very complex mixtures of 11 PAHs: anthracene, benz[a]anthracene, benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[g,h,i]perylene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, chrysene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene, phenanthrene, pyrene, and triphenylene. The multiple linear regression algorithm was applied to measurements made in several wavelength intervals previously selected on the basis of sensitivity and minimum number of interfering compounds. Of the different models obtained, those displaying minimum error propagation in the analytical result were selected. By applying the models proposed in this study, we precisely and accurately determined benzo[g,h,i]perylene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene, pyrene, and triphenylene in complex mixtures--a feat that could not be achieved by the use of constant-wavelength spectrofluorimetry in combination with second-derivative techniques.     

Simultaneous analysis of 13C‐glutathione as its dimeric form GSSG and its precursor [1‐13C]glycine using liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry

Determination of glutathione kinetics using stable isotopes requires accurate measurement of the tracers and tracees. Previously, the precursor and synthesized product were measured with two separate techniques, liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (LC/IRMS) and gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS). In order to reduce sample volume and minimize analytical effort we developed a method to simultaneously determine ¹³C‐glutathione as its dimeric form (GSSG) and its precursor [1‐¹³C]glycine in a small volume of erythrocytes in one single analysis. After having transformed ¹³C‐glutathione into its dimeric form GSSG, we determined both the intra‐erythrocytic concentrations and the ¹³C‐isotopic enrichment of GSSG and glycine in 150 µL of whole blood using liquid chromatography coupled to LC/IRMS. The results show that the concentration (range of µmol/mL) was reliably measured using cycloleucine as internal standard, i.e. with a precision better than 0.1 µmol/mL. The ¹³C‐isotopic enrichment of GSSG and glycine measured in the same run gave reliable values with excellent precision (standard deviation (sd) <0.3‰) and accuracy (measured between 0 and 5 APE). This novel method opens up a variety of kinetic studies with relatively low dose administration of tracers, reducing the total cost of the study design. In addition, only a minimal sample volume is required, enabling studies even in very small subjects, such as preterm infants. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Airborne Particulate by High Performance Liquid Chromatography

This paper presents a trisolvent ultrasonic extraction and HPLC analysis method for the determination of 11 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in air particulate collected on an air filter by a commercial high volume air sampler. A reverse phase column, Vydac 201 TP, and a gradient mobile phase, acetonitrile/water, were used. The 11 PAHs, fluoranthene, pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, dibenz[a, h]anthracene, benzo[ghi]perylene, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, and coronene were completely resolved under experimental conditions. All the PAHs except coronene were monitored by fluorescence with λ_ex=270 nm, λ_em>389 nm. Coronene was monitored by UV with λ=300 nm. The methodology was evaluated by spiking SRM 1649 with a PAH standard and then going through different extraction procedures and analyzing the PAH concentrations without clean-up. An external standard method was used for quantitation. The recovery yields for fluoranthene, benz[a]anthracene, benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[ghi]perylene and indeno[l,2,3-cd]pyrene were above 90%. The detection limits of PAH with fluorescence at λ_ex=270 nm, λ_em>389 nm ranged from 5.7 pg to 69.5 pg.     

Microheterogeneity evaluation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in particulate standard reference materials

With the emergence of highly sensitive analytical techniques, the microanalysis of natural-matrix materials employing smaller sample sizes is increasingly more common, which subsequently warrants a homogeneity assessment for the individual components at the appropriate sampling level. Pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) in combination with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) has been used to determine the sampling constants and evaluate the relative homogeneity of trace levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) for two previously certified particulate standard reference materials, SRM 1649a Urban Dust and SRM 1650b Diesel Particulate Matter, in the milligram sampling range. Fluoranthene, pyrene, benz[a]anthracene and benzo[e]pyrene within SRM 1650b Diesel Particulate Matter were deemed to be homogeneous, based on relatively small sampling constants (K _S<100 mg), whereas the larger sampling constants (K _S>100 mg) obtained for all PAHs in SRM 1649a Urban Dust suggest more material heterogeneity. The material heterogeneity of ten individual PAHs (phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[e]pyrene, benzo[a]pyrene, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene and benzo[ghi]perylene) was also described via nonlinear relationships (i.e., power law) between subsampling error S _s (%) and sample mass, which are used to predict analyte-specific minimum sample masses that result in a specific level of analytical uncertainty. Electronic supplementary material Supplementary material is available for this article at and is accessible for authorized users.     

Admicelle-enhanced synchronous fluorescence spectrometry for the selective determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water

A simple and rapid method for the highly sensitive determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water was developed. Benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, perylene, and pyrene in water were concentrated into sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-alumina admicelles. The collection was performed by adding SDS and alumina particles into the sample solution at pH 2. After gentle mixing, the resulting suspension was passed through a membrane filter to collect the SDS admicelles containing highly concentrated PAHs. The filter was placed on a slide glass and then covered admicellar layer with a fused silica glass plate before setting in a fluorescence spectrometer. Benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, perylene, and pyrene were selectively determined by the synchronous fluorescence scan (SFS) analysis with keeping wavelength intervals between excitation and emission to 98, 35, 29, and 45 nm, respectively. Because of the minimum spectral overlapping, 1-40 ng l⁻¹ of benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, and perylene as well as 10-150 ng l⁻¹ of pyrene were selectively determined with eliminating the interferences of other 12 PAHs. The detection limits were 0.3 ng l⁻¹ for benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, and perylene, and 1 ng l⁻¹ for pyrene. They were 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than the detection limits in normal aqueous micellar solutions. The application to water analysis was studied.     

超高效合相色谱快速分析塑料制品中的18种多环芳烃

建立了一种超高效合相色谱-二极管阵列检测器快速分析塑料制品中萘、苊烯、苊、芴、菲、蒽、荧蒽、芘、苯并(a)蒽、(屈艹) 、苯并(b)荧蒽、苯并(k)荧蒽、苯并(j)荧蒽、苯并(e)芘、苯并(a)芘、茚并(1,2,3-cd)芘、二苯并(a,h)蒽、苯并(g,h,i)苝(二萘嵌苯)的方法。以甲苯为溶剂,超声萃取实际塑料制品中的多环芳烃,经超高效合相色谱分析。采用Daicel IB-3手性色谱柱,以CO₂为流动相,甲醇/乙腈(25:75, v/v)为流动相助溶剂,在柱温为40 ℃,背压为15.17 MPa的条件下,18种多环芳烃在8.5 min之内实现基线分离。18种多环芳烃的线性范围为0.05~50 mg/L(r≥0.9995),定量限(S/N> 10)为0.05 mg/L。加标回收率为78.3%~117.6%,相对标准偏差(RSD, n=5)小于5%。该方法具有分析速度快、分离效率高、节约有机溶剂的优点。     

Fluorescence optosensor using an artificial neural network for screening of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

This paper presents an optosensor for screening of four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: anthracene (ANT), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), fluoranthene (FLT), and benzo[b]fluoranthene (Bbf) using a photomultiplier device with an artificial neural network as transducer. The optosensor is based on the on-line immobilization on a non-ionic resin (Amberlite XAD-4) solid support in a continuous flow. The determination was performed in 15 mM H₂PO₄⁻/HPO₄²⁻ buffer solution at pH 7 and 25% of 1,4-dioxane. Feed forward neural networks (multiplayer perceptron) have been trained to quantify the considered Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in mixtures under optimal conditions. The optosensor proposed was also applied satisfactorily to the determination of the considered PAHs in water samples in presence of the other 12 EPA–PAHs.