Pitfalls in compound-specific isotope analysis of environmental samples

In the last decade compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA) has evolved as a valuable technique in the field of environmental science, especially in contaminated site assessment. Instrumentation and methods exist for highly precise measurements of the isotopic composition of organic contaminants even in a very low concentration range. Nevertheless, the determination of precise and accurate isotope data of environmental samples can be a challenge. Since CSIA is gaining more and more popularity in the assessment of in situ biodegradation of organic contaminants, an increasing number of authorities and environmental consulting offices are interested in the application of the method for contaminated site remediation. Because of this, it is important to demonstrate the problems and limitations associated with compound-specific isotope measurements of environmental samples. In this review, potential pitfalls of the analytical procedure are critically discussed and strategies to avoid possible sources of error are provided. In order to maintain the analytical quality and to ensure the basis for reliable stable isotope data, recommendations on groundwater sampling, and sample preservation and storage are given. Important aspects of sample preparation and preconcentration techniques to improve sensitivity are highlighted. Problems related to chromatographic resolution and matrix interference are discussed that have to be considered in order to achieve accurate gas chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry measurements. As a result, the need for a thorough investigation of compound-specific isotope fractionation effects introduced by any step of the overall analytical method by standards with known isotopic composition is emphasized. Finally, we address some important points that have to be considered when interpreting data from field investigations. Figure CSIA Principal (Carbon)     

液相色谱-同位素比质谱技术发展及应用研究进展

液相色谱-同位素比质谱（LC-IRMS）是一种特征化合物同位素分析技术,该技术利用LC IsoLink接口设备实现液相色谱与同位素比质谱的联用,通过检测目标物质的稳定碳同位素比（δ¹³C）,实现样品的产地来源与品质真实性鉴定。该文总结了IRMS与LC-IRMS技术的概况,以及过去20年LC-IRMS的发展历程;归纳整理了LC-IRMS在食品安全、生态与环境、生命科学及考古学等领域的应用情况;评述了LC-IRMS面临的技术局限、挑战及其未来的发展趋势。     

常见炸药的稳定同位素比值分析方法研究进展

炸药的深度比对与溯源对于爆炸案事件的侦破具有重大意义,以不同地域来源的原料或不同生产工艺生产的炸药,其组成元素的稳定同位素比值具有差异,因而稳定同位素比值可作为炸药深度比对与溯源的重要指标.稳定同位素比值质谱法(IRMS)作为一种高精度的稳定同位素比值测量手段,已逐渐发展成熟,与元素分析仪、气相色谱仪、液相色谱仪等仪器...     

Application of Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis in Environmental Forensic and Strategic Management Avenue for Pesticide Residues

Unintended pesticide pollution in soil, crops, and adjacent environments has caused several issues for both pesticide users and consumers. For users, pesticides utilized should provide higher yield and lower persistence while considering both the environment and agricultural products. Most people are concerned that agricultural products expose humans to pesticides accumulating in vegetation. Thus, many countries have guidelines for assessing and managing pesticide pollution, for farming in diverse environments, as all life forms in soil are untargeted to these pesticides. The stable isotope approach has been a useful technique to find the source of organic matter in studies relating to aquatic ecology and environmental sciences since the 1980s. In this study, we discuss commonly used analytical methods using liquid and gas chromatography coupled with isotopic ratio mass spectrometry, as well as the advanced compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA). CSIA applications are discussed for tracing organic pollutants and understanding chemical reactions (mechanisms) in natural environments. It shows great applicability for the issues on unintended pesticide pollution in several environments with the progress history of isotope application in agricultural and environmental studies. We also suggest future study directions based on the forensic applications of stable isotope analysis to trace pesticides in the environment and crops.     

Recent progresses of derivatization approaches in the targeted lipidomics analysis by mass spectrometry

Lipidomics plays an essential role in the development of an improved understanding of lipids metabolism and the identification of new biomarkers or therapeutic targets of related diseases. The strong analytical power of mass spectrometry and its rapid developments in the respect of instruments and techniques have significantly accelerated the emerging lipidomics and related application fields in biology, medicine, and pharmacy. The strategy of chemical derivatization can remarkably improve the shortcomings of mass spectrometric analytical technologies of shotgun lipidomics and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, and in the past decade many related studies have been reported for fatty acids, glycerophospholipids, sphingomyelins, monoglycerides, diacylglycerols, long‐chain bases, steroids, and so on. Therefore, this review will focus on new chemical derivatization approaches about the research progresses of shotgun‐based and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry–based targeted lipidomics (from 2005 to July 2019, most of reports emerged in the past 5 years), and put forward the problems and prospects in this field. It is expected to be helpful for the design and synthesis of new derivatization reagents, especially the outstanding stable isotope labeling derivatization reagents, and the development and application of new chemical derivatization strategies and matched mass spectrometric analysis methods.     

水体中痕量挥发性有机物单体碳同位素组成分析

将固相微萃取(SPME)技术与冷阱富集系统相结合,对水体中痕量挥发性有机物进行了单体碳同位素分析,方法检测限较常规SPME提高了一个数量级。在优化的条件下,对20 μg/L的三氯乙烯/四氯乙烯和10 μg/L的苯/甲苯水溶液进行了单体碳同位素分析,相比于纯溶剂(液相)碳同位素值,顶空(气相)同位素分析误差不超过0.5‰,而样本标准偏差为0.3‰。对某受四氯乙烯污染的北京地下水进行了同位素测定,近污染源点(B408)与远污染源点(B230)四氯乙烯的碳同位素值(δ13C)分别为 -37.8‰和-34.45‰     

Multidimensional Gas Chromatography Coupled On-Line with Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (MDGC-IRMS): Progress in the Analytical Authentication of Genuine Flavor Components

Multidimensional gas chromatography coupled on-line with isotope ratio mass spectrometry (MDGC-IRMS) is presented as a powerful method for origin-specific analysis. Scope and limitations of this sophisticated coupling technique are discussed with regard to accuracy and precision.     

Interpretation of butyltin mass spectra using isotope pattern reconstruction for the accurate measurement of isotope ratios from molecular clusters

The fragmentation patterns of butyltin compounds (mono-, di-, and tributyltin) in an electron impact ion source were studied using an isotope pattern reconstruction algorithm with emphasis on isotope ratio measurements from molecular clusters. For this purpose, standards of natural tin isotope abundance and a (119)Sn-enriched mixture of the three compounds were both ethylated and propylated using sodium tetraalkylborates. The corresponding mass spectra of the various tetraalkyltin compounds prepared were obtained by GC/MS after their extraction with hexane.The results showed that pure interference-free molecular clusters were obtained only for certain R(3)Sn(+) ions where no isobaric overlap with R(2)SnH(+) ions occurred (e.g. BuEt(2)Sn(+) overlaps with Bu(2)SnH(+)). These ions are ideal candidates for accurate Sn isotope ratio measurements, while isotope pattern perturbing interferences are observed for other molecular fragments down to Sn(.)(+). Isotope pattern reconstruction algorithm thus can be used as an analytical tool to ensure the absence of molecular interferences--a requirement for accurate isotope ratio measurements from molecular clusters. The relevance of these studies for the determination of butyltin compounds in environmental samples by isotope dilution GC/MS is also discussed.     

Preparative separation of underivatized amino acids for compound-specific stable isotope analysis and radiocarbon dating of hydrolyzed bone collagen

Analysis of stable and radioactive isotopes from bone collagen provides useful information to archaeologists about the origin and age of bone artifacts. Isolation and analysis of single amino acids from the proteins can provide additional and more accurate information by removing contamination and separating a bulk isotope signal into its constituent parts. In this paper, we report a new method for the separation and isolation of underivatized amino acids from bone collagen, and their analysis by isotope ratio MS and accelerator MS. RP chromatography is used to separate the amino acids with nonpolar side chains, followed by an ion pair separation to isolate the remaining amino acids. The method produces single amino acids with little or no contamination from the separation process and allows for the measurement of accurate stable isotope ratios and pure samples for radiocarbon dating.     

Determination of 13C/12C-ratios of anthropogenic organic contaminants in river water samples by GC-irmMS

This study describes the application of a common analytical procedure adapted for compound-specific stable carbon isotope analyses of riverine contaminants. To evaluate the sensitivity of the analytical method and the precision of the isotopic data obtained, a set of numerous substances at different concentration levels were measured. For most of the anthropogenic contaminants investigated (including chlorinated aliphatics and aromatics, musk fragrances, phthalate-based plasticizers and tetrabutyl tin) acceptable carbon isotope analyses could be obtained down to amounts of approximately 5?ng absolutely applied to the gas chromatograph. These amounts correspond to concentrations in water samples at a natural abundance level of approximately 50–200?ng?L^?1 (low to medium contaminated river systems). However, it has to be considered that the precision and the sensitivity of the analytical method depend partially on the chemical properties of the substances measured. Five recovery experiments were conducted to assess changes in carbon isotope ratios during sample preparation and measurement. The compounds selected for these experiments are known riverine contaminants. Isotopic shifts or higher variations of the isotope ratios as a result of the analytical procedures applied were observed only for a couple of contaminants. Furthermore, compound-specific carbon isotope analyses were performed on eight water extracts of the Rhine river. By comparing the variation of the data of several individual compounds with the deviations obtained from the recovery experiments, it was possible to differentiate contaminants with unaffected isotope ratios and substances with significant alterations of the δ¹³C-values.     

卟啉化合物碳同位素的气相色谱同位素比值质谱测定技术

 对于卟啉碳同位素的测定 ,传统方法 (用HPLC分离出单个卟啉化合物 ,然后燃烧成CO2 进行碳同位素的测定 )需要的样品量大 (几mg)、耗时长 ,限制了其在化学、地球科学中的应用。该文作者建立的方法是通过对卟啉化合物进行衍生化反应 ,以增强卟啉的挥发性 ,使其适用于气相色谱 同位素比值质谱 (GC IRMS)技术。对衍生化反应的整个过程进行了同位素测定 ,证实最终的衍生化硅卟啉与初始的自由基卟啉化合物碳同位素的差值在分析误差范围之内 ,无明显的同位素分馏。     

多接收器电感耦合等离子体质谱方法的开发和应用进展

稳定同位素分析是分析化学一项颇具前景的分支,通过精确测定物质的稳定同位素比值,可以追溯物质来源并探究其转化过程。高精度稳定同位素分析技术的进步依赖于新一代质谱仪的不断发展。其中,多接收器电感耦合等离子体质谱(MC-ICP-MS)是近年发展迅速的一种同位素组成测定工具。稳定同位素分析对样品基质十分敏感,复杂基质能严重干扰同位素测定的精密度和准确度。这对MC-ICP-MS的样品净化提出了极高要求,目前也是同位素分析领域的热点问题。该文聚焦于近年来MC-ICP-MS在样品净化及仪器联用方法方面的相关研究进展,并展望了MC-ICP-MS稳定同位素分析的应用前景。     

气相色谱-稳定同位素质谱法测定溶解无机碳碳同位素

选用NaHCO3配制了浓度分别为0.24、1.19、2.38和4.76 mmol/L的溶解无机碳(D IC)溶液,经过1h、4h、8h和24h不同平衡时间,建立了一种分析D IC碳同位素的方法。不同浓度的D IC样品与其母质NaHCO3的1δ3C值之间的差值仅为(0.2~0.5)‰。通过对照组的实验结果和对空气CO2的碳同位素测试与研究,证明此方法可有效避免实验过程中大气等物质对样品的污染,确保实验结果的准确性。     

氨基酸-稳定同位素稀释质谱法用于合成肽段准确含量分析

建立了氨基酸同位素稀释液相色谱-串联质谱法准确测定合成肽段绝对含量的方法。实验中对合成肽段的纯度进行了表征,色谱纯度表征结果为99%以上,质谱纯度为90%以上。在肽段溶液中加入13C标记的氨基酸后进行酸溶液水解时间的优化,水解后的氨基酸直接经液相色谱分离和质谱检测,结果表明肽段中的被测氨基酸在150 ℃、6 mol/L HCl溶液水解4～6 h就可以达到水解平衡。每个肽段选择两个或两个以上的被测氨基酸,测得随机选择的5种合成肽段的绝对含量为62.07%～88.18%,测定结果的相对标准偏差小于8%,相对误差小于5%,均满足定量要求。除常用的被测氨基酸苯丙氨酸、缬氨酸、异亮氨酸外,还考察了选择赖氨酸和精氨酸作为被测氨基酸的可行性,实验结果表明增加精氨酸为被测氨基酸是可行的,从而进一步增加了方法的普适性。该方法的建立避免了色谱法定量时氨基酸衍生化处理带来的副反应影响及操作繁琐等问题,提高了肽段含量测定的准确度和精密度,为肽段含量的准确测定提供了一种新的方法。     

Kinetic bromine isotope effect: example from the microbial debromination of brominated phenols

The increasing use of kinetic isotope effects for environmental studies has motivated the development of new compound-specific isotope analysis techniques for emerging pollutants. Recently, high-precision bromine isotope analysis in individual brominated organic compounds was proposed, by the coupling of gas chromatography to a multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer using strontium as an external spike for instrumental bias correction. The present study, for the first time, demonstrates an application of this technique for determining bromine kinetic isotope effects during biological reaction, focusing on the reductive debromination of brominated phenols under anaerobic conditions. Results show bromine isotope enrichment factors (ε) of ?0.76?±?0.08, ?0.46?±?0.19, and ?0.20?±?0.06?‰ for the debromination of 4-bromophenol, 2,4-dibromophenol, and 2,4,6-tribromophenol, respectively. These values are rather low, yet still high enough to be obtained with satisfying certainty. This further implies that the analytical method may be also appropriate for future environmental applications.     

自动样品前处理在乳品中二恶英和共平面多氯联苯同时测定中的应用

采用索氏提取及自动净化处理系统对乳品进行提取和净化,在高分辨气相色谱-高分辨双聚焦质谱仪(HRGC/HRMS)上进行定性和定量检测。在3种不同残留水平的奶粉样品中,17种多氯代二苯并-对二恶英和多氯代二苯并呋喃（PCDD/Fs）的测定结果与给定值具有很好的一致性,且所有具有保证值的二恶英同系物测定结果的相对标准偏差（RSD）均小于20%;12种共平面多氯联苯（PCBs）测定结果的RSD均在15%以内,内标物的回收率为44%～133%,完全符合国际标准方法的要求。母乳样品的国际考核结果表明本方法在不同实验室间具有良好的准确度和精密度。本方法定量准确可靠,适用于乳品中二恶英及共平面PCBs的同时检测。     

Liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure ionization-mass spectrometry in drug metabolism studies

The study of the metabolic fate of drugs is an essential and important part of the drug development process. The analysis of metabolites is a challenging task and several different analytical methods have been used in these studies. However, after the introduction of the atmospheric pressure ionization (API) technique, electrospray and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization, liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) has become an important and widely used method in the analysis of metabolites owing to its superior specificity, sensitivity and efficiency. In this paper the feasibility of LC/API-MS techniques in the identification, structure characterization and quantitation of drug metabolites is reviewed. Sample preparation, LC techniques, isotope labeling, suitability of different MS techniques, such as tandem mass spectrometry, and high-resolution MS in drug metabolite analysis, are summarized and discussed. Automation of data acquisition and interpretation, special techniques and possible future trends are also the topics of the review.     

贻贝中有机氯农药和多氯联苯标准物质的研制及同位素稀释高分辨质谱法定值

建立了贻贝中有机氯农药(OCPs)和多氯联苯(PCBs)标准物质的研制和定值方法,该研究对我国开展环境生物标准物质的研制具有重要的方法学借鉴价值。该标准物质样品为采自大连湾海域的贻贝,其定值目标物包括18种OCPs和16种PCBs,采用的定值测量方法是目前世界上最权威、最准确的同位素稀释-高分辨气相色谱/高分辨质谱联用法(ID-HRGC/HRMS)。所研制的标准物质具有定值目标物种类多、不确定度较小(约10%)等特点。该标准物质是目前国际上唯一一种采用同位素稀释高分辨质谱法进行定值的底栖生物中OCPs标准物质,于2012年3月通过了国家一级标准物质的终审,并于2012年6月被国家质量监督检验检疫总局批准为国家一级标准物质(GBW10069)。该标准物质可用于食品安全控制、环境监测、质量检测等领域相关分析方法的评价、测量质量控制及技术仲裁检验等。     

Simultaneous determination of mono-, di- and tributyltin in environmental samples using isotope dilution gas chromatography mass spectrometry

The development of a rapid, precise and accurate speciation method for the simultaneous determination of mono-, di- and tributyltin in environmental samples is described. The method is based on using isotope dilution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) with electron ionization, a widely used technique in routine testing laboratories. A mixed spike containing (119)Sn-enriched monobutyltin (MBT), dibutyltin (DBT) and tributyltin (TBT) was used for the isotope dilution of the samples. Five molecular ions were monitored for each analyte, corresponding to the (116)Sn, (117)Sn, (118)Sn, (119)Sn and (120)Sn isotopes. The detection at masses corresponding to (116)Sn and (117)Sn were used to correct for m + 1 and m + 2 contributions of (13)C from the organic groups attached to the tin atom on the (118)Sn, (119)Sn and (120)Sn masses with simple mathematical equations and the concentrations of the butyltin compounds were calculated based on the corrected (118)Sn/(119)Sn and (120)Sn/(119)Sn isotope ratios. The (119)Sn-enriched multispecies spike was applied with satisfactory results to the simultaneous determination of MBT, DBT and TBT in three certified reference materials: two sediments, PACS-2 and BCR 646, and the mussel tissue CRM 477. The method was compared with a previously published GC/inductively coupled plasma MS isotope dilution procedure, developed in our laboratory, by injecting the same samples into both instruments. Comparable analytical results in terms of precision and accuracy are demonstrated for both atomic and molecular mass spectrometric detectors. Thus, reliable quantitative organotin speciation analysis can be achieved using the more widespread and inexpensive GC/MS instrument.