The effect of sample preparation on metal determination in soil by FAAS

Different methods for the determination of several metals in soils by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) were investigated. Different procedures for total dissolution of soil: I – HF+HClO₄, H₃BO₃, HCl digestion (conventional heating), II – HF+HClO₄, H₃BO₃ digestion followed by fusion with LiBO₂ (conventional heating) and III – HF+HCl+HNO₃, H₃BO₃ digestion (microwave heating), as well as a leaching procedure with HNO₃+HClO₄, HCl were tested and compared. For quality assessment, the certified reference material S-1 soil was used. For most of the investigated metals, the best accuracy and precision were achieved when the procedure I or III were used. The developed procedure was applied to the analysis of soil samples from crude oil refinery and dump of petroleum origin wastes regions.     

Chromatographic determination of pesticides in soil: Current trends in analysis and sample preparation

Soil is a primary sink and reservoir for pesticides pollution and one of the priority objects in terms of pesticides safety guidelines. Pesticides’ analysis in soil is a field of research which is in constant development facing numerous challenges such as the increasing amount and variety of analytes and their combinations, as well as the increasing demand for faster, simpler, more accurate and multiresidue analysis. This review provides the summary of studies on pesticides analysis in soil based on chromatography-coupled methods published between 2015 and 2022. We discuss the shift toward faster, greener, and simpler alternatives to conventional techniques, application of sample preparation and detection methods to targeted and untargeted pesticide analysis, as well as the developments in stereoselective determination of chiral pesticides. The sample preparation methods such as solid-phase extraction, dispersive solid-phase extraction, and derived methods, as well as the recent trends and developments in chromatographic separation of pesticides are covered in this review. For sample preparation, the QuEChERS method is replacing other techniques and has proved to be efficient in both screening and accurate quantification in multiresidue analysis. Shift towards minimal sample preparation is supported by a wider application of highly sensitive and selective separation and detection systems such as LC-MS/MS. The features of different methods of sample preparation and detection are discussed with focus on optimal parameters, advantages, and drawbacks. The optimal parameters of sample preparation methods were summarized based on respective publications, which makes the review a useful tool for method development and further investigations.     

New methods for acceleration of meat sample preparation prior to determination of the metal content by atomic absorption spectrometry

Focused microwave-assisted digestion and ultrasound leaching have been applied for the extraction of Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Zn, Ca, and Mg from raw meat. Semimembranous muscle (SM) of raw pig ham was used for optimizing both the digestion and extraction steps by multivariate approaches. The detection and quantification limits were 0.5 and 0.9 g kg^–1 for Pb, 0.06 and 0.1 g kg^–1 for Cd, 0.2 and 1.2 g kg^–1 for Cr, 0.4 and 3 g kg^–1 for Cu, 0.04 and 0.1 mg kg^–1 for Fe, 0.012 and 0.017 mg kg^–1 for Zn, 0.3 and 0.4 mg kg^–1 for Ca, and 0.01 and 0.03 mg kg^–1 for Mg. The precision, expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD), ranged between 2.5 and 9.6% for focused microwave-assisted digestion and between 3.5 and 10.6% for ultrasound leaching. The methods were then compared with a reference method and applied to a certified reference material (bovine muscle 184, from the BCR). The t-test, applied to the results obtained from focused microwave-assisted digestion, revealed that they are in agreement (p>0.01) with the certified and estimated values in the case of Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ca, Mg, and Zn but not in that of Fe. In the case of ultrasound leaching, only the extraction of Pb, Cu, and Ca was quantitative. The method based on microwave digestion provides more accurate and precise results than ultrasound leaching. These new procedures have many advantages with regards to conventional methods, namely, reduction of the extraction time, simplification of the process, avoidance of chemical emissions to the atmosphere, and no losses of metals by volatilization.     

Simplified sample preparation for fluoride determination in biological material

A simple and rapid preparation method for the determination of fluoride in biological materials (blood and food) of various origins, is described. A homogenized sample was placed in a plastic diffusion cell and calcium phosphate added, it was then dried at 55 degrees C and treated with 70% HClO4 and 40% AgClO4. After digestion for 24 h at 55 degrees C, the fluorides released were fixed on the upper part of a diffusion cell containing a thin layer of NaOH. The analyses of the diffused fluoride were carried out with an ion-selective electrode. The proposed microdiffusion method, without mineralization, enables quantitative separation of the fluoride from the biological samples.     

Automated determination of polyamines by high-performance liquid chromatography with simple sample preparation

Recently, a new fully endcapped reversed-phase packing material, Inertsil, was introduced, especially suitable for the determination of basic compounds. We used this packing material to separate o-phthaldialdehyde (OPA) derivatives of amino acid derivatives completely from the OPA derivatives of spermine (SPM), spermidine (SPD), putrescine (PUT) and cadaverine (CAD). The obtained separation made the commonly used off-line extraction procedure redundant and thus an on-line sample clean-up was introduced. This enabled automation of the procedure resulting in a better reproducibility and a more efficient use of equipment. Furthermore, no studies are required to determine the extraction recovery.

The present method has a cycle time of 30 min. A linear response for each polyamine was found up to 250 pmol, with an R² ranging from 0.9981 (SPM) to 0.9998 (CAD). The limit of detection, calculated at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3, was 0.1 pmol, corresponding to a plasma concentration of 0.1 μmol/l. The coefficient of variation (CV) for the peak area was below 3% and for retention times below 0.5% (n=15).

In order to evaluate the applicability of the method, three different types of sample were chromatographed, e.g. urine (obtained from healthy human volunteers), pig plasma and sulfosalicylic acid homogenates of pig intestine biopsies. Tissue homogenates and urine-specimen could easily be quantitated, while plasma concentrations were just above the limit of detection, resulting in a plasma CV ranging from 4.8% (SPM) to 13.6% (SPD) and a tissue CV ranging from 2.1% (SPM) to 8.5% (CAD), The urinary CVs were not determined.

In conclusion, the present method provides an easy way to measure polyamine concentrations for most applications.     

Iodine determination in biological materials Options for sample preparation and final determination

This paper describes the development of various new acid sample decomposition methods, as well as an extraction (leaching) method and compares them with the “Sch?niger Combustion” technique. The methods have been developed as sample preparation techniques for iodine determination in biological materials, especially in solid samples. ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) and a catalytic technique are employed and discussed for the final determination of iodine concentrations. Accuracy and reliability of the different analytical methods are shown in the examples of different CRMs (certified reference materials) available for iodine. The results of an interlaboratory comparison are specifically presented for the extraction (leaching) method. Received: 11 May 1998 / Revised: 14 June 1998 / Accepted: 16 June 1998     

Determination of polar pesticides in soil by micellar electrokinetic chromatography using QuEChERS sample preparation

The optimal conditions for the separation of pesticides of the following classes: phenoxy carboxylic acids, sim-triazines, triazinones, chloroacetamides, urea derivatives, neonicotinoids, carbamates, triazoles, imidazoles, benzimidazoles, and phosphorus organic compounds by micellar electrokinetic chromatography have been selected. A method for determining 27 polar pesticides in soil using QuEChERS sample preparation has been developed. The recovery of pesticides was from 31 to 104%. The lower limits of the found pesticide concentrations in soil taking into account preconcentration were 0.01–0.4 mg/kg. The relative standard deviation of the results of analysis does not exceed 10%.     

The comparison of sample extraction procedures for the determination of cations in soil by IC and ICP-AES

This paper presents the extraction of cations from a soil sample, type ranker on serpentinite, in deionized water, by use of three different extraction techniques. The first extraction technique included the use of a rotary mixer, the second technique involved the use of a microwave digestion system with different extraction temperatures, and the third technique employed an ultrasonic bath with different extraction times. Ion chromatography was used for determining the concentration of Li, Na, K, Ca, Mg and ammonium ions in soil extracts with subsequent determination of concentrations for all cations, except for ammonium ion extraction, conducted by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry. The results of cation extractions showed that microwave assisted extraction was most efficient for the Li, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Co, Mn, Ni, Pb and ammonium ions. Use of a rotary mixer for extraction was most efficient for Cd and Zn ions, while use of ultrasound bath was most efficient for Cr, Cu, Fe and Al ions. Several times higher amount of cations extracted by the most efficient, compared to the second best technique, under optimal conditions, were noticed in the case of: Ca, Mg, Co, Mn, Fe, Al, and Zn ions.     

Honey as an environmental indicator: Effect of sample preparation on trace element determination by ICP-AES

Trace element concentrations in honey collected from a wide area can be used as an environmental indicator, but sample preparation methods prior to analysis can have large effects on the results. The efficiency and reproducibility of sample preparation methods (dilution, ashing and digestion) for simultaneous multi-element analysis have been compared for 13 elements. Digestion in a PTFE bomb was found to be the most reliable method.     

微波消解-电感耦合等离子体质谱法测定人面果树中的重金属元素

建立了微波消解-电感耦合等离子体质谱(ICP-MS)法测定人面果树中As,Cr,Cd,Pb,Ni,Se,Hg 7种重金属元素含量的方法。样品采用HNO3-H2O2消解体系,避免了赶酸的操作,经微波消解后,用电感耦合等离子体质谱(ICP-MS)测定样品中As,Cr,Cd,Pb,Ni,Se,Hg 7种重金属元素的含量。方法对7种元素的校准曲线的相关系数r>0.9997,检出限在0.0098～0.0874μg/L之间,回收率在93%～115%之间,RSD在0.41%～4.9%。     

谷氨酸的硫化锌法原子吸收光谱间接测定

利用ZnS悬浮液与谷氨酸在碱性条件下生成可溶性谷氨酸锌络合物 ,研究了塞曼原子吸收间接测定谷氨酸的方法 ;谷氨酸测定的质量浓度线性范围为0～3g·L-1,特征质量浓度为27.3mg·L-1;该法可用于调味品中的谷氨酸或谷氨酸钠的测定 ,其相对标准偏差为0.4 %(n=7) ,方法的回收率在97 %～103%之间     

Rapid determination of ethylene oxide with fiber-packed sample preparation needle

Fiber-packed sample preparation device was applied to the simultaneous derivatization/preconcentration of ethylene oxide (EO) in air samples. The polymer-coated filaments were packed longitudinally into the needle, and hydrogen bromide (HBr) was loaded onto the filaments in the preconditioning process. Simultaneous derivatization with HBr in the needle was made during the sampling process of the gaseous EO, and the corresponding derivatized analyte, 2-bromoethanol, was desorbed by passing a small amount of methanol through the extraction needle in the heated gas chromatograph (GC) injector. The basic extraction/desorption parameters for EO have been evaluated. The limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ) and the relative standard deviation (RSD) of run-to-run repeatability were 1.8 ng/L, 5.4 ng/L and less than 4%, respectively, with an extraction time of about 10 min. Satisfactory storage performance for three days at room temperature was also confirmed.     

Rapid HPLC method for scopoletine determination in Weigela leaves based on one-step sample preparation by extractive freezing-out

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Improvements in the sample preparation for the determination of ruthenium in catalysts by different spectrometric techniques

The sample preparation steps of two analytical methods for the determination of ruthenium in carbon supported catalysts with flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) or UV-vis spectrophotometry, were carefully optimised. As a first step, the carbon support is ignited in air at 450 degrees C then the residue is fused with potassium hydroxide and potassium nitrate to convert ruthenium into ruthenate anion RuO4(2-). The melt is dissolved in water with potassium persulphate and potassium hydroxide as stabilisers. Ruthenium may be directly estimated by measuring the UV-vis molecular absorption of ruthenate at the isosbestic point of the ruthenate-perruthenate mixture or by FAAS. In the latter case, an aliquot of the sample solution is added to the concentrated hydrochloric acid to obtain hexachlororuthenate RuCl6(2-), that is nebulized into the flame after proper dilution. This novel procedure allows to determination of ruthenium without the sensitivity loss (-66%) which occurs in the alkaline media resulting from the fusion. The relative standard deviation is 1.1% for FAAS and 1.3% for UV-vis, at 5% Ru (n = 7). The detection limit (3sB) is 0.07% Ru for FAAS and 0.02% Ru for UV-vis. Both methods were applied to the analysis of a commercial sample and a statistical comparison was carried out.     

Influence of the sample preparation method on the serotonin determination in plasma and platelets

Plasma or platelet serotonin concentration is commonly used to provide information about the serotonergic activity in various psychiatric or neurological diseases. Some difficulties have been described in the measurement of serotonin (5-HT) levels in plasma or platelets. We describe an isocratic liquid-chromatographic assay with amperometric detection for determination of 5-HT in the platelet pellet and in platelet-rich and platelet-poor plasma (PRP and PPP) in sample sizes of 100 microL of plasma. The method uses an RP(18) column and an amperometric detector with a thin-layer type electrochemical fl ow cell, with glassy carbon electrode maintained at a potential of +0.600 V vs an Ag/AgCl reference electrode. Determinations were performed in the presence or in the absence of plasma, since the biological matrix may affect the results. Different validation parameters were analysed: selectivity, accuracy, precision, linearity and stability. Reference values for 5-HT concentration in healthy adults (n = 12) were 6.6 nmol/10(9) platelets, for the platelet pellet, and 5.5 nmol/10(9) platelets, for PRP. The 100 microL sample volume used for the preparation of PPP did not make possible the determination of 5-HT levels with accuracy and precision.     

Arsenic determination in marine sediment using ultrasound for sample preparation.

This work deals with As determination in marine sediment using ultrasound for sample preparation. It is shown that As can be quantitatively extracted from marine sediment using 20% (v/v) HCl and sonication. The slurry is centrifuged and the analyte is determined in the supernatant by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HG AAS). A flow injection (FI) system is employed for hydride generation, with 0.5% (m/v) NaBH(4) used as reducdant and a 20% (v/v) HCl used as sample carrier. The limit of quantification is 1.6 microg g(-1) of As, which is based on 800 microl of sample solution and 0.200 g of sample mass in a volume of 50 mL. Certified and non certified marine sediment samples were analyzed; the results were in accordance with the certified or reference values. Speciation analysis by HPLC-ICP-MS showed that As(V) is the only detectable As species present in the supernatant of the centrifuged sample.     

Solvent and salting effects on sample preparation for the determination of fenofibric acid in human plasma by HPLC-DAD

The solvent and salting effects induced on the sample preparation procedure applied to plasma samples containing fenofibric acid and 4-chlorophenyl-4′-hydroxyphenyl methanone (internal standard) are evaluated. Sodium chloride addition during a deproteinization step using both methanol and phosphoric acid influences the recovery of the analytes as well as the selectivity of the process. The chromatographic method allows high sample volume injection (500 μl) with the focusing of both analytes in the stationary phase. The synthesized high porosity octadecylsilica material allows a fast elution gradient at 4 ml/min flow-rate and a complete analysis within 7 min. UV-detection is made at 295 nm and quantitation limit in the 20 ng/ml concentration level can be achieved. The method can be successfully applied for bioequivalence studies on fenofibrate, administrated as prodrug (fenofibric acid represents its main active metabolite) in pharmaceutical formulations. The main parameters used in studying the retention behavior of the internal standard and FEFA were also estimated.     

火焰原子吸收法测定土壤中铜的测量不确定度评定

根据GB／T17138-1997规定的测量步骤对土壤中的铜进行了测定,对影响测定结果的各不确定度来源进行了分析,并对一个样品的测定结果进行了不确定度评定。     

原子吸收和原子荧光光谱法测定茶园土壤中的微量元素

采用微波消解-火焰原子吸收和原子荧光光谱法同时测定了贵州梵净山茶园土壤中14种微量元素含量,方法简单、准确、迅速,有助于全面、迅速地了解茶园土壤中微量元素的含量,对于特色茶叶品质鉴定和指导合理科学栽培茶树等方面有重要意义.