Simultaneous determination of aliphatic and aromatic amines in water and sediment samples by ion-pair extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method has been proposed for the determination of aliphatic and aromatic amines in a variety of environmental samples including wastewater, river water, sea water and sediment samples. The method includes ion-pair extraction with bis-2-ethylhexylphosphate (BEHPA), derivatisation of compounds with isobutyl chloroformate (IBCF) and their GC-MS analysis. Aliphatic and aromatic amines were isolated from aqueous samples using BEHPA as ion-pair reagent and derivatised with IBCF for their chromatographic analysis. Solid-liquid extraction of aliphatic and aromatic amines in sediment samples were performed in Soxhlet apparatus with acidic MeOH and ion-pair extraction with BEHPA were carried out for the isolation of amines followed by derivatisation with IBCF. Aliphatic and aromatic amines were then analysed with GC-MS in both electron impact (EI) and positive and negative ion chemical ionisation (PNICI) mode as their isobutyloxycarbonyl (isoBOC) derivatives. The obtained recoveries ranged from 81.0 to 98.0% and the precision of this method, as indicated by the relative standard deviations (RSDs) was within the range of 0.5 and 4.3%. The detection limits obtained from calculations by using GC-MS results based on S/N = 3 were within the range from 0.07 to 0.50 ng/l.     

Fluorometric determination of Ethofenprox in water by using solid-phase extraction

Ethofenprox (pesticide) exhibits a relatively strong fluorescence in the UV region. Its fluorescence properties were investigated in aqueous solution, organic solvents, and micellar media. The fluorescence intensity of Ethofenprox was enhanced by a factor of 1.2 to 2.7 in the presence of surfactants and by 1.4 in pure organic solvents without significant shift of the excitation and emission wavelengths. The conditions for solid-phase extraction of Ethofenprox from water samples were examined. Among the solid-phase extraction cartridges studied, a Sep Pak C8 with weak sorption ability was found to be the most useful due to the extremely high hydrophobicity of Ethofenprox. For the complete elution of Ethofenprox from the sorbent, an addition of 40%v/v methanol to the sample water was necessary and effective to eliminate the fluorescent impurities of the matrix. The calibration graph obtained was linear over the range of 0.03 to 2.4 mg L^–1 in 100 mL sample. The method was successfully applied to the determination of Ethofenprox in tap, well, and river waters with recoveries of 93.2–95.7%.     

Fluorometric determination of Ethofenprox in water by using solid-phase extraction

Ethofenprox (pesticide) exhibits a relatively strong fluorescence in the UV region. Its fluorescence properties were investigated in aqueous solution, organic solvents, and micellar media. The fluorescence intensity of Ethofenprox was enhanced by a factor of 1.2 to 2.7 in the presence of surfactants and by 1.4 in pure organic solvents without significant shift of the excitation and emission wavelengths. The conditions for solid-phase extraction of Ethofenprox from water samples were examined. Among the solid-phase extraction cartridges studied, a Sep Pak C8 with weak sorption ability was found to be the most useful due to the extremely high hydrophobicity of Ethofenprox. For the complete elution of Ethofenprox from the sorbent, an addition of 40%v/v methanol to the sample water was necessary and effective to eliminate the fluorescent impurities of the matrix. The calibration graph obtained was linear over the range of 0.03 to 2.4 mg L(-1) in 100 mL sample. The method was successfully applied to the determination of Ethofenprox in tap, well, and river waters with recoveries of 93.2-95.7%.     

Fluorimetric determination of calcium by ion-pair extraction with cryptand 2.2.1 and eosin

A fluorimetric study on the extraction of calcium into 1,2-dichloroethane as an ion-pair, formed between the cryptand 2.2.1-calcium complex and the eosinate anion, is described. Optimum conditions for extraction are established and a new fluorimetric determination of ultratraces of calcium is proposed. A linear working range from 1.5 ng ml^–1 (detection limit) to 100 ng ml^–1 of calcium and a relative standard deviation of ± 2.9% at the 70 ng ml^–1 level are obtained. The equilibrium constants involved in the extraction process have been calculated and refined by the Letagrop-DISTR program. The proposed method has been tested for the direct determination of calcium in sugars.     

Fluorimetric determination of propantheline in human blood plasma by an ion-pair extraction method

Polyurethane foams treated in an electrical discharge with hydrogen sulfide to incorporate sulfhydryl groups in the foam were examined for their ability to adsorb mercury(II) chloride and methylmercury(II) chloride from aqueous solutions. The concentration ranges studied were 4.0–0.0004 p.p.m. for mercury(II) and 2.0–0.0004 p.p.m. for methylmercury. Analysis showed that the adsorption of the mercury approached 100% in many cases.     

Fluorimetric determination of ultratraces of lead by ion-pair extraction with cryptand 2.2.1 and eosin

A spectrofluorimetric study of the extraction of lead into 1,2-dichloroethane, as an ion-pair formed between the cryptand 2.2.1-lead complex and the eosinate counter-ion is described. Optimum conditions for the extraction have been established and a new spectrofluorimetric determination of ultratraces of lead is proposed (detection limit 0.8 ng/ml; relative standard deviation 2.4% at the 60 ng/ml level). The metal:ligand:counter-ion molecular ratio in the extracted mononuclear ion-pair is 1:1:1. The equilibrium constants involved in the extraction have been estimated and refined by the Letagrop-DISTR program.     

Spectrophotometric determination of sodium by ion-pair extraction with crown ether complexes and monoanionic dyes

A highly selective photometric procedure for the determination of sodium in blood serum is proposed, based on the ion-pair extraction of a sodium—cryptand complex. A comparative study of cryptands with various cavity sizes, different pairing anions and extraction solvents is described. The use of cryptand 211, picrate and toluene, as ligand, pairing anion and extraction solvent, respectively, allows sodium to be determined at the μg ml^?1 level. A 350-fold amount of potassium (by weight) does not interfere, nor do other alkali metals. Possible interferences by multivalent cations are masked by EDTA.     

Trace-level determination of aromatic sulfonates in water by on-line ion-pair extraction/ion-pair chromatography and their behavior in the aquatic environment

A new HPLC method for the fully automatic determination of aromatic sulfonates in aqueous samples is presented. The analytical procedure consists of an on-line combination of ion-pair extraction (IPE) and ion-pair chromatography (IPC), both using RP-C18 solid-phase material and a tetrabutylammonium salt as ion pairing reagent. Experimental details and performance data are given. This method is suited for the trace-level determination of a wide variety of benzene, naphthalene, anthraquinone and stilbene sulfonates. Detection limits for surface water using a diode-array detector are in the sub-ppb range. For naphthalene sulfonates a very good selectivity and minimal detectable limits of 0.02 μg/L or even lower can be achieved. So far, this method has been successfully applied to waste water, river water, bank filtrate, and water from different steps of drinking water production. The fate of several aromatic sulfonates has been studied beginning at the effluents of industrial waste water treatment plants and ending after activated carbon filtration in a water works. Napthalene-1,5-disulfonate (NDS, Armstrong acid) and cis-4,4′-dinitrostilbene-2,2′-disulfonate (DNS) appear in the raw water of the investigated water works and therefore have to be termed as relevant to water works. In contrast to other disulfonates NDS is extremely stable to biodegradation and ozonation and it is even desorbed from a highly loaded activated carbon filter.     

Fluorometric determination of diphenhydramine by flow-injection analysis

A sensitive, rapid and simple flow injection procedure for the determination of diphenhydramine has been designed based on a fluorometric approach. An aqueous solution of diphenhydramine is injected into a carrierreagent stream containing Ce(IV) in dilute sulphuric acid and the fluorescence intensity of the Ce(III) produced is monitored. Chemical, FIA and instrumental variables were optimized. Analytical features of the method are: linear range 0.2–2 ppm, precision 0.7%, sample throughput 80/h. The influence of some foreign substances which can be found in typical pharmaceutical samples containing diphenhydramine was also investigated. The diphenhydramine content of a pharmaceutical preparation was determined.     

Improved method for the determination of biogenic amines and polyamines in vegetable products by ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography

Here, we report on the optimisation and validation of a liquid chromatographic method for the determination of 12 biologically active amines from vegetal food products in a single 40-min run. The suitability of the method was checked in five vegetal products of distinct matrix: spinach (leaves), hazelnut (high protein and fat content), banana, potato (high starch content), and milk chocolate (processed). Sample preparation consisted of a 0.6 M perchloric acid extraction from a minced homogeneous aliquot. For samples with high starch content, a previous mild hydrolytic treatment was required to prevent gel formation. The range of linearity was from 0.1 to 10 mg/l, except for serotonin and spermine (from 0.5 to 10 mg/l), and the correlation coefficient was higher than 0.997 (P < 0.001) for all standard curves. The detection limits and the determination limit were below 0.07 and 0.2 mg/l, respectively, except for spermine, which was 0.14 and 0.4 mg/l. The precision of the method was satisfactory; the relative standard deviation obtained for each amine in each product was acceptable according to Horwitz. Recovery was between 77 and 110% for all amines, irrespective of the product.     

Combined ion-pair extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography for the determination of the biogenic amines and their major metabolites in single brain tissue samples

A combined procedure based on reversed-phase liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection has been developed for the determination in the picomole range of the monoamines dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine and serotonin, and their major metabolites 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, homovanillic acid, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethylene glycol, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, normetanephrine, metanephrine and 3-methoxytyramine. Sample pretreatment consists of the extraction of the neutral and acidic metabolites with ethyl acetate, followed by the extraction into heptane of the catecholamines with tetraoctylammonium bromide as counter-ion in the presence of diphenylborate. The residual supernatant is directly injected in the chromatographic system for quantification of serotonin, normetanephrine, metanephrine and 3-methoxytyramine.     

Fluorometric determination of formaldehyde

A simple, selective and sensitive fluorometric method is presented for the determination of formaldehyde in water based on its reaction with 3,4-diaminoanisole in alkaline ethanol-water solution to give a strongly fluorescing Schiff base. The dependence of the fluorescence intensity on the solvent composition, quenching by acetic and sulphuric acid, heating time and interference by other compounds is discussed. The detection limit of the method is 0.6 μg/L. The recovery of formaldehyde spiked into river water is 93% with an R.S.D of 6.05% at a concentration level of 10 μg/L.     

Fluorometric determination of nitrite

A sensitive, simple and rapid fluorometric procedure for the determination of nitrite is described. It is based on the reaction of nitrite with 2,3-diaminonaphthalene in acidic solution to form 1-[H]-naphthotriazole, a highly fluorescent compound in alkaline medium. The detection limit is approximately 0.5 ng ml in the test sample (1% relative fluorescence intensity). Application of the method to analysis of a milk sample was tested with aliquots spiked with known amounts of nitrite.     

Fluorometric determination of formaldehyde

A simple, selective and sensitive fluorometric method is presented for the determination of formaldehyde in water based on its reaction with 3,4-diaminoanisole in alkaline ethanol-water solution to give a strongly fluorescing Schiff base. The dependence of the fluorescence intensity on the solvent composition, quenching by acetic and sulphuric acid, heating time and interference by other compounds is discussed. The detection limit of the method is 0.6 μg/L. The recovery of formaldehyde spiked into river water is 93% with an R.S.D of 6.05% at a concentration level of 10 μg/L. Received: 18 November 1996 / Revised: 17 February 1997 / Accepted: 18 February 1997     

Spectrophotometric determination of periodate or iodate ions by liquid-liquid extraction as an ion-pair using tetramethylammonium iodide

A simple and accurate extractive Spectrophotometric procedure was developed for the microdetermination of periodate and iodate in aqueous media. The determination of periodate was based upon the extraction of the ion-pair formed between the periodate and tetramethylammonium iodide at pH 4 in chloroform followed by direct Spectrophotometric measurements at 509, 358 and 288 nm. The optimum concentration range evaluated by Ringbom's plot, the molar absorptivity, the Sandell's sensitivity and the stoichiometry of the formed ion-pair were critically determined. Iodate could be determined quantitively by the proposed procedure after oxidation to periodate with potassium persulphate. The effect of the diverse ions on the determination of the periodate and/or iodate by the proposed procedures was also investigated. The application of the method for the analysis of iodate or periodate in the artificial fresh water was successfully carried out.     

Fluorometric determination of biacetyl

The fluorometric determination of biacetyl is described. 3,4-Diaminoanisole reacts with biacetyl in alkaline ethanol-water solution to give strongly fluorescing 2,3-dimethyl-6-methoxy-quinoxaline. Variables such as solvent composition, quenching by acetic and sulphuric acid, heating time and interference by other carbonyl compounds present are discussed. The method may be suitable for the determination of biacetyl in foodstuffs.     

Combined ion-pair extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the simultaneous determination of diamines, polyamines and aromatic amines in Port wine and grape juice

An accurate and very sensitive method which allows for the simultaneous determination of the diamines (1,3-diaminopropane, putrescine and cadaverine), of the polyamines (spermidine and spermine), and of the aromatic amines (beta-phenylethylamine and tyramine) found in Port wines and corresponding grape juices is presented. Sample clean-up consisted of the extraction of the amines with the ion-pairing reagent bis-2-ethylhexylphosphate dissolved in chloroform followed by a back-extraction with 0.1 M HCl. The hydrochloric extract obtained was dried and the amines were further derivatized with heptafluorobutyric anhydride and analyzed by GC-MS in the selected ion-monitoring mode, with a total run time of 18 min. Under the adopted conditions, the extraction of all the studied compounds was almost complete and the obtained extracts were free of potential interferents present in the samples, namely sugars, and most of the amino acids and polyphenols. Via the use of a set of five selected internal standards (amphetamine, [2H8]putrescine, 1,7-diaminoheptane, norspermidine and norspermine), the data obtained from the linearity, repeatability and recovery experiments were very good for all the compounds assayed. The corresponding limits of detection were invariably below 10 microg l(-1). The method was successfully applied to measure the content of biogenic amines in twelve young and five aged Port wine samples, eleven grape juice samples as well as in ten Portuguese red and white table wines. Results are presented and briefly discussed.     

A fast,sensitive determination of doxorubicin in rat plasma by solid-phase extraction and reversed-phase ion-pair chromatography

A very selective method is described for the determination of doxorubicin in rat plasma. Doxorubicin is extracted from the plasma on a pretreated octadecyl silane column and eluted with phosphate buffer pH 2.6/methanol (25/75, v/v) containing sodium 1-heptanesulfonate as ion-pairing agent. The extraction procedure is suitable for samples which contain doxorubicin encapsulated in liposomes if Triton X-100 is added. A portion of the evaporated eluate is used for high-performance reversed-phase chromatography with the same eluent and a fluorescence detector. Daunorubicin is used as internal standard. Extraction of doxorubicin from plasma is quantitative. The calibration graph is linear for 0.2-100 μg l^?1 doxorubicin with a limit of detection of 0.2 μg l^?1 for 0.5 ml of plasma. The relative standard error of estimate of the calibration was typically 3%.     

Spectrophotometric determination of nonionic surfactants by flow injection analysis utilizing ion-pair extraction and an improved phase separator

The proposed flow-injection determination of nonionic surfactants of the general type RO(CH₂CH₂O)nH (where R is an alkyl or alkylphenyl group and n is the number of moles of oxyethylene group) is based on extraction of the colored ion-pair product formed between the nonionic surfactant and the regent tetrabromophenolphthalein ethyl ester potassium salt (TBPE-K). The complex is extracted into 1,2-dichloroethane and measured at 609 nm. A new phase separator is described. Triton X-100 is used as a model compounds, for which response is linear in the range 2–60 mg l^?1. Precision of the method is excellent with a relative standard deviation of <1.0%. The sensitivity of the method depends on the type of surfactant examined.