Analysis and behaviour of organophosphorus pesticides in a rice crop field

Summary A comprehensive analytical protocol for the determination of organophosphorus pesticides in the biotic and abiotic compartments of a rice crop field (Ebro delta, Spain) is described. This include two alternative clean-up procedures (Florisil column chromatography and Bio Beads SX-3 gel permeation chromatography) and gas chromatographic analysis with nitrogen-phosphorus and mass spectrometric detection. Among the pesticides identified, Fenitrothion was the most abundant with residue levels in sediment samples varying from 1–3 g/g in the first day of application to 0.5 g/g two days after, whereas in the water canals the concentrations were of 3–10 g/l, after aircraft application, with a rapid decrease several hours later. Half lives of Fenitrothion in water and sediment samples under natural conditions have been estimated to be lower than 1 day and between 1–1.5 days, respectively, with volatilization and microbial degradation accounting for this decay. The bivalves analysed in the coastal bays (Tapes semidecussatus, Ostrea edulis and Mytilus galloprovincialis) exhibited residue levels between 20–90 ng/g of organophosphorus pesticides, Fenitrothion being the most abundant organophosphorus pesticide. These levels are likely in the safe range for bivalves but not for other organisms such as crustacea, which are sensitive to water concentrations of 0.1 g/l.     

Photodegradation and photosensitization of mycosporine-like amino acids

The photodegradation and photosensitization of several mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) were investigated. The photodegradation of the MAA, palythine, was tested with three photosensitizers: riboflavin, rose bengal and natural seawater. For comparison of degradation rates, the riboflavin-mediated photosensitization of six other MAAs was also examined. When riboflavin was used as a photosensitizer in distilled water, MAAs were undetectable after 1.5h. Palythine showed little photodegradation when rose bengal was added as the photosensitizer (k=0.12x10(-3)m(2)kJ(-1)). Palythine dissolved in natural seawater containing high nitrate concentrations also showed slow photodegradation rate constants (k=0.26x10(-3)m(2)kJ(-1)) over a 24-h period of constant irradiation. Similar experiments in deep seawater with porphyra-334 and shinorine resulted in 75% of the initial MAA remaining after 4h of irradiation and rates of 0.018 and 0.026x10(-3) m(2) kJ(-1), respectively. Experiments conducted in deep seawater with riboflavin additions resulted in photodegradation rate constants between 0.77x10(-3) and 1.19x10(-3)m(2)kJ(-1) for shinorine and porphyra-334, respectively. Photoproduct formation appeared to be minimal with the presence of a dehydration product of the cycloheximine ring structure indicated as well as the presence of amino acids. Evidence continues to build for the role of MAAs as potent and stable UV absorbers. This study further highlights the photostability of several MAAs in both distilled and seawater in the presence of photosensitizers.     

Comparative photodegradation study of atrazine and desethylatrazine in water samples containing titanium dioxide/hydrogen peroxide and ferric chloride/hydrogen peroxide

Results are reported for a comparative photodegradation study of atrazine and desethylatrazine in water using TiO2/H2O2, FeCl3/H2O2, and photolysis. Deionized water and ground water spiked with atrazine or desethylatrazine at 36 micrograms/L were irradiated by using a xenon arc lamp and/or sunlight. After irradiation, the water samples containing the spiked pesticides were preconcentrated by using C18 solid-phase extraction disks and analyzed by gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus and mass spectrometric detection. A relative percentage of 7% desethylatrazine was detected in samples removed after 20 and 4 min of sensitized photodegradation with TiO2 and Fe3+, respectively. Atrazine and desethylatrazine did not degrade when solar irradiation (in winter) and deionized water were used. Atrazine degraded faster than desethylatrazine when a xenon arc lamp or sunlight plus FeCl3 was used, with half-lives varying from 5 to 11 min and from 19 to 26 min, respectively. In other photodegradation experiments, the degradation of atrazine was slightly higher than that of desethylatrazine. This study shows that desethylatrazine has slightly higher stability than atrazine in environmental water samples; this stability accounts for the frequent detection of desethylatrazine together with atrazine in natural waters.     

Univariate method for background correction in liquid chromatography-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry

An univariate method is proposed for background correction in on-line gradient liquid chromatography-Fourier transform infrared (LC-FTIR) spectrometry using acetonitrile:water as mobile phase components. The method is based on the calculation of the ratio of absorbances (AR) at two characteristic wavenumbers for each spectrum. This parameter is subsequently used to locate the most appropriated eluent spectrum within a reference spectra matrix (RSM) to be subtracted from each spectrum included in the sample chromatogram. To correct minor changes in eluent spectra intensity during the elution of analytes, a correction factor (Kf), defined as the ratio of the absorbance of the sample and the selected eluent spectrum at a defined wavenumber was determined. The performance of the procedure was evaluated by correcting an on-line gradient LC-FTIR injection of a mixture of two pesticides (Atrazine and Diuron). Using the AR of the absorbance at 2248.6 and 2256.3 cm(-1) and a Kf at 2248.6 cm(-1), the correlation factors between FTIR spectra extracted at the peak apex from the LC-FTIR chromatogram and those obtained from pure pesticide standards were 0.975 and 0.94 for Atrazine and Diuron, respectively.     

Thermal and rheological study of polysaccharides for enhanced oil recovery

Enhanced oil recovery process is based on the injection of chemical products (e.g. polymers, surfactants, gases) or thermal energy (originating from the injection of e.g. steam, hot water, in situ combustion) to recover crude oil. One of these processes use polymer solution to mobilize the oil in the reservoir. In this work the thermal decomposition kinetic of xanthan gum, guar gum and a blend (50/50 mass/mass%) was studied according to Ozawa–Flynn–Wall method. According to the kinetic analysis, the studied systems were copmpatible. The rheological behavior of the samples was studied in distilled water and seawater at different temperatures. Only the blend was studied in distilled water presented synergism (enhancement in material properties like stability and viscosity) which was confirmed through rheology.     

Photostability and toxicity of finasteride,diclofenac and naproxen under simulating sunlight exposure: evaluation of the toxicity trend and of the packaging photoprotection

Background

Drugs photostability plays two different opposite roles; a real advantage arises considering the longer expiration time of the drugs while the consequent persistence in the environment involves an obvious negative effect bound to their harmfulness.On this basis we tested the photostability and toxicity of three pharmaceutical active principles: Finasteride, Diclofenac and Naproxen. The pure active principles, as well as commercial drugs containing them, were considered; for the last, the protective effect of the packaging was also evaluated. Samples were irradiated according to the ICH Guidelines for photostability testing (The International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use); a simulating sunlight source (a mercury-vapor lamp coupled to a tungsten filament one) was used to cover the wavelength range 300–2000 nm; Temperature, Relative Humidity, Irradiance and Illuminance were maintained constant during the photodegradation. The concentrations of the pharmaceutical active principles during the photodegradation were monitored by HPLC with UV/Vis detector. Toxicity tests were performed by means of an amperometric biosensor based on suspended yeast cells. Since the products obtained by the photodegradation process can result as toxic or more toxic than the original molecules, tests were performed first and after the photodegadation.

Results

After 90 hours of exposure the concentration resulted lowered by 42.9%, 88.4% and 91% for Finasteride, Naproxen and Diclofenac respectively. Toxicity of the pure active principles follows the same order of the photostability. After photodegradation a contribute of the reaction products was evidenced.

Conclusions

The simple and cheap analytical procedure here proposed, allowed to obtain not only data on photostability and toxicity of the pure active principles but, even if roughly, also useful information on the reactions kinetic and toxicity of the photodegradation products.

Open image in new window

     

Determination of Nisoldipine and Its Impurities in Pharmaceuticals

A method has been established for separation of nisoldipine and impurities, for example reactants, products of side-reactions, and photodegradation products, by HPTLC on LiChrospher Si 60 F_254s plates with detection at 280 nm. The mobile phase, cyclohexane–ethyl acetate–toluene, 7.5:7.5:10 (v/v), enables acceptable resolution of nisoldipine, in large excess, and possible impurities. Regression coefficients (r 0.997), recovery (98–108%), and determination limit (0.02–0.2%) were validated and found to be satisfactory. The method is convenient for quantitative analysis and purity control of nisoldipine in its raw material and dosage forms.     

Photodegradation study of the antifouling booster biocide dichlofluanid in aqueous media by gas chromatographic techniques

The aquatic photochemical behavior of the biocide dichlofluanid has been studied under natural sunlight conditions as well as under artificial solar irradiation in different types of natural waters (sea, river and lake water) as well as in distilled water. In order to examine the effect of dissolved organic matter (DOM), the photodegradation of the tested biocide was investigated also in the presence of various concentrations of humic and fulvic acids. It was found that the photodegradation proceeds via first-order reaction in all cases and that the presence of various concentrations of DOM inhibits the photolysis reaction. Kinetic experiments are monitored with GC–ECD with half-lives varied between 8 and 83 h. The major photodecomposition products identified by GC–MS were dichlorofluoromethane, aniline, and DMSA. Based on this byproduct identification a possible degradation pathway is proposed for the photolysis of dichlofluanid in aqueous media.     

Photodegradation of poly(neopentyl isophthalate) part I: Laboratory and outdoor conditions

In this paper the mechanisms of photodegradation of poly(neopentyl isophthalate) (PNI) in laboratory (Suntest XXL+, λ > 300 nm) and outdoor conditions are compared. Changes in the chemical composition were studied with ATR-FTIR, SEC and MALDI-ToF MS. Furthermore, the results were compared with data presented in our previous paper on PNI coatings that were aged in the UVACUBE (λ > 254 nm). Two main aspects of photodegradation of PNI are addressed in the present paper: the influence of different wavelengths and the comparison of laboratory and outdoor exposure regarding the mechanism of degradation. Under short (λ > 254 nm) and long (λ > 300 nm) wavelength irradiation similar products of degradation are formed. However, the presence of short wavelength radiation dramatically accelerates the overall rate of photodegradation of PNI. UV light absorption calculations confirm this experimentally found acceleration. Exposure of PNI in laboratory and outdoor conditions, both with wavelengths λ > 300 nm resulted in similar degradation products in the initial stage of ageing.     

Preparation of L-asparagine complex of technetium-99m

Attempts have been made to employ magnesium oxide as the preconcentration agent for determination of trace metal sin seawater by neutron activation analysis. Hydrous magnesium oxide can efficienthy adsorb most cationic transition metals and rare earths in a simple water system. The adsorption behavior is believed to depend mainly from the association of the cationic species of the metals with MgO ₂ ^2– adsorbent. In seawater matrix some of the metal ions such as Hg²⁺, Ni²⁺, etc. may become inefficiently adsorbed owing to the formation of highly stable metal-chloro complexes with chloride ion. Usually the adsorption efficiencies of the metals can be recovered to be as high as the case in the simple water system if an acidified seawater (to pH1) is subjected to the adsorption experiment. In practice, a large volume of seawater (5 1) is stirred with a small amount of hydrous MgO (1 g). Thereafter, the trace metals adsorbed MgO is separated and taken to be neutron activated. The abundant sodium ion and ubiquitous bromide ion can be obviated by the adsorption process, thereby beneficial to the -spectrometry of the metals enriched on MgO.     

Determination of photoformation rates and scavenging rate constants of hydroxyl radicals in natural waters using an automatic light irradiation and injection system

Photoformation rates and scavenging rate constants of hydroxyl radicals (OH) in natural water samples were determined by an automatic determination system. After addition of benzene as a chemical probe to a water sample in a reaction cell, light irradiation and injection of irradiated water samples into an HPLC as a function of time were performed automatically. Phenol produced by the reaction between OH and the benzene added to the water sample was determined to quantify the OH formation rate. The rate constants of OH formation from the photolysis of nitrate ions, nitrite ions and hydrogen peroxide were comparable with those obtained in previous studies. The percent of expected OH photoformation rate from added nitrate ion were high in drinking water (97.4%) and river water (99.3%). On the other hand, the low percent (65.0%) was observed in seawater due to the reaction of OH with the high concentrations of chloride and bromide ions. For the automatic system, the coefficient of variance for the determination of the OH formation rate was less than 5.0%, which is smaller than that in the previous report. When the complete time sequence of analytical cycle was 40 min for one sample, the detection limit of the photoformation rate and the sample throughput were 8 × 10⁻¹³ M s⁻¹ and 20 samples per day, respectively. The automatic system successfully determined the photoformation rates and scavenging rate constants of OH in commercial drinking water and the major source and sink of OH were identified as nitrate and bicarbonate ions, respectively.     

Synthesis and Unusual Swelling Behavior of Combined Cationic/Non‐Ionic Hydrogels Based on Chitosan

Hydrogel‐forming copolymers based on chitosan grafted with different amounts of polyacrylamide were synthesized and its swelling capacity determined in distilled water, sodium chloride solutions, as well as in buffer solutions at pH 1.2 and 8.0. The resulting products are highly efficient as hydrogel‐forming materials with swelling at equilibrium going approximately from 300 to 3 000 times the volume of the dry solid polymer in all the investigated media. The products, different to usual hydrogels, swells considerably more and quickly in electrolyte‐containing solutions compared to in distilled water. This has been attributed to their structure that contains non‐ionic polyacrylamide macromolecules grafted onto the trunk polymer chitosan, which is cationic in nature. In‐vitro drug‐release behavior of formulations containing grafted copolymers have been tested using theophylline as a water‐soluble drug and the results were compared with similar formulations containing unmodified chitosan. It was found that tablets based on formulations containing grafted chitosan show higher erosion and swelling compared with those of the matrix based on unmodified chitosan, leading to a higher fraction of theophylline released. It can be concluded that formulations based on the synthesized copolymers are potentially useful for fluid absorbency and as prolonged drug‐release matrices.

The swelling of one of the hydrogels studied here.     

Supercritical fluid extraction of triazine herbicides from solid matrices

Summary Several investigations were performed to optimise the extraction of polar triazine herbicides using supercritical fluid extraction from two different solid matrices: C₁₈-silica and soil samples. Supercritical CO₂ modified with methanol [10% (VV)] at 250 bars and 50°C was required to quantitatively extract Atrazine and 2-Hydroxyatrazine from spiked C₁₈-silica. Extraction of Desisopropyl-desethyl-2-hydroxyatrazine (MET) attained only 52%, even following addition of water to the polar modifier. Extractions of spiked soil samples (20 ppm of each pesticide) were successful at 300 bars and 65°C. A non polar wash improved the recoveries of the three target analytes [i.e. atrazine: 88%; 2-hydroxyatrazine: 96%; MET: 41%]. The extraction parameters employed are discussed in this paper.     

Determination of the pesticides monuron,diuron, and fenuron by low temperature phosphorimetry

Summary Simple, direct, and sensitive low temperature phosphorimetric methods for the determination of monuron, diuron, and fenuron in EPA solvent are described. The minimum detectable amounts are 0.2, 0.1, and 0.02 p. p. m. for monuron, diuron, and fenuron respectively. The ranges in linearity of the analytical calibration graphs are 0.2–10, 0.1–7.5, and 0.1–20 p. p. m. for monuron, diuron, and fenuron respectively. The procedure for monuron has been applied to the analysis of a solid commercial formulation.

---

Bestimmung der Pestizide Monuron, Diuron und Fenuron durch Messung der Chemilumineszenz bei tiefer Temperatur

Zusammenfassung Die Messung der Chemilumineszenz bei tiefer Temperatur ist ein einfaches, direktes und empfindliches Verfahren zur Bestimmung der Pestizide Monuron, Diuron und Fenuron in EPA-Lösung (DiethyletherIsopentan absol. Alkohol, 522). Die erfaßbaren Mindestmengen sind 0,2, 0,1 bzw. 0,02 ppm. Die Eichkurven sind zwischen 0,2 und 10, 0,1 und 7,5 bzw. zwischen 0,1 und 20 ppm geradlinig. Das Verfahren wurde zur Analyse von Monuron in einem festen Handelsprodukt verwendet.

     

Chromatographic Determination of Silicon and Phosphorus as Molybdic Heteropoly Acids with Preconcentration

The chromatographic behavior of molybdic heteropoly acids of silicon and phosphorus as ion pairs with tetrabutylammonium bromide was studied by ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography on the C₁₈reversed phase (UV detection at 310 nm). Heteropoly acids were preconcentrated as ion pairs with tetrabutylammonium bromide to increase the sensitivity of the determination. Optimal conditions were selected for the chromatographic determination of silicon and phosphorus in water in the presence of each other. Detection limits for silicon and phosphorus are (1.1 × 0.3) × 10^–3and (6.7 × 1.2) × 10^–3g/mL, respectively. Calibration plots are linear in the concentration ranges 0.01–0.1 g/mL (silicon) and 0.02–0.15 g/mL (phosphorus). The procedure was used for the analysis of distilled water.     

Identification of New Photodegradation Byproducts of the Antifouling Agent Irgarol in Seawater Samples

Abstract

A photodegradation study for Irgarol was carried out in order to investigate several products of degradation formed in different environmental matrices and under different conditions. Deionized water, groundwater and seawater samples, spiked at 30–100 μg/L with Irgarol, were irradiated using a xenon are lamp and/or sunlight. Aliquots of the spiked water samples were taken at different times of irradiation and compounds were isolated from the water samples by means of solid-phase extraction (SPE) using either C₁₈ or PLRP-s cartridges. Separation and detection of the compounds was accomplished by several analytical methodologies such as liquid chromatography-diode array detection (LC-DAD), liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry (LC-ESI/MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Four new byproducts, with molecular weights of 167, 197, 207 and 213, were identified in this photodegradation study. When the photolysis was carried out with xenon lamp, half-lives of Irgarol were 103.8, 125.4 and 107.5 minutes in deionized water, groundwater and seawater, respectively. In seawater samples, a 98% of degradation was observed for Irgarol, after 217 hours of solar irradiation, being the main byproduct formed that corresponding to M_w = 213. On the other hand, the use of two different sensitizers -(TiO₂/H₂O₂), (FeCI₃/H₂O₂)- was also evaluated in deionized water samples containing Irgarol. These experiments were carried out in order to evaluate the use of these two sensitizers for decontamination of polluted waters.     

Photodegradation of 2‐mercaptobenzothiazole disulfide and related benzothiazoles

The photodegradation of 2‐mercaptobenzothiazole disulfide, 2‐mercaptobenzothiazole and benzothia‐zole was investigated. Benzothiazole was found to undergo photodimerization into 2,2′‐bibenzothiazole, and in the presence of oxygen to give two additional photoproducts ‐ 2‐hydroxybenzothiazole and 2‐methylbenzothiazole. The major degradation products of 2‐mercaptobenzothiazole are benzothiazole and 2‐benzothiazolesulfonic acid, with 2,2′‐thiobisbenzothiazole and 2‐mercaptobenzothiazole disulfide as the minor degradation products. Direct photolysis of 2‐mercaptobenzothiazole disulfide gave 2‐mercapto‐benzothiazole and in acetonitrile 2‐thiocyanatobenzothiazole was also detected. A mechanism is proposed to rationalize the formation of photodegradation products.     

Spectrophotometric determination of dopamine in pharmaceutical formulations

A new spectrophotometric method was developed for the estimation of dopamine. The method is based on the bromination of the dopamine with a solution of excess brominating mixture. After bromination, the excess brominating mixture is treated with potassium iodide to produce a yellow solution. The absorbance of yellow solution was measured at 350 nm on a Spectronic 1001 spectrophotometer against distilled water as a blank.From Zhurnal Analiticheskoi Khimii, Vol. 60, No. 3, 2005, pp. 2842285.Original English Text Copyright © 2005 by Rami Reddy, Sreedevi, Prabhavathi, Chakravarthy.This article was submitted by the authors in English.     

Further research on the photo-SPME of triclosan

In this study the photoinduced degradation of triclosan has been investigated by photo-solid-phase microextraction (photo-SPME). In photo-SPME, photodegradation is carried out on the SPME fibre containing the target compound. Triclosan was extracted from aqueous solutions by use of polydimethylsiloxane SPME fibres and these were subsequently exposed to UV irradiation (power 8 W, wavelength 254 nm) for different times (from 2 to 60 min). The photodegradation kinetics of triclosan were investigated, the photoproducts generated were tentatively identified, and the photochemical behaviour of these products was studied by use of this on-fibre approach followed by gas chromatographic–mass spectrometric analysis. Eight photoproducts were tentatively identified, including chlorinated phenols, chlorohydroxydiphenyl ethers, 2,8-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, and a possible dichlorodibenzodioxin isomer or dichlorohydroxydibenzofuran. The main photodegradation mechanisms were postulated and photodegradation pathways proposed. The effect of pH on triclosan degradation and on triclosan-to-dioxin conversion was also investigated. Triclosan degradation occurred, and generation of 2,8-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin was confirmed, throughout the pH range studied (from 3 to 9).      

Determination of trace amounts of morpholine and its thermal degradation products in boiler water by HPLC

Summary Morpholine and its amine-type thermal degradation products present in boiler feed water and steam condensate were derivatised with N-succinimidyl-p-nitrophenylacetate. These pre-column derivatives were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection at 280 nm. The analytical column was Supelco-sil-ODS with an isocratic mobile phase. Morpholine and its breakdown products were monitored in the range 0.01–10 g ml^–1 with a relative standard deviation of 0.4–3.0%. Chromatographic analysis of boiler feed water and steam condensate samples collected from a boiler servicing a petroleum refinery is described.