Binding of Organic Pollutants to Soil Organic Matter

Abstract

Binding of organic pollutants to water-soluble, low-molecular weight humic substances increases their mobility in soil and their leaching, whereas binding to high-molecular weight humic substances results in unextractable residues. Water-soluble pollutants in leachate may be bound to low-molecular weight humic material, or may be free water-soluble conversion products that are slowly released from a soil-bound form, as shown for a conversion product of the insecticide aldrin. Unextractable soil-bound 4-chloroaniline was isolated by supercritical methanol extraction 16 years after application of the phenylurea herbicide buturon to soil. Biodegradation and bioavailability of unextractable soil-bound residues are greatly reduced as compared to the free compounds. For some chlorinated anilines and phenols, biomineralization and plant uptake was shown to be highest for residues bound in fulvic acids and lowest for those in humic acids. Model experiments demonstrate that chlorinated anilines form covalent bonds with humic acid precursors.     

Simultaneous Screening for Five Veterinary Drug Residues by a Developed Multiplexed Luminex Assay

Abstract

The development of sensitive and rapid methods for simultaneous determination of multiple residual veterinary drugs in foods is increasingly important. In this study we reported a new method to simultaneously detect five veterinary drug residues, including ractopamine, clenbuterol, furazolidone, chlortetracycline and qlaquindox. The experimental results indicated that the developed multiplex assay enable to detect all the five drugs at the concentration of 0.1 ng/mL, with desirable specificity, suggesting that it could be applicable for rapid screening of five residual veterinary drugs in a faster turnaround time and higher throughput.     

Improving the Fluorescence Detectability of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons for Evaluation of Workplace Environments of Cement Industries Processing Organic Residues

Abstract

The burning of organic residues and wastes in furnaces of cement industries has been an attractive and lucrative approach to eliminate stocks of these pollutants. There is a potential risk for producing PAH in the workplace of industries burning organic wastes, so that highly sensitive analytical methods are needed for monitoring the air quality of these environments. An official method for determination of PAH is based on liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection at fixed excitation and emission wavelengths. We demonstrate that a suitable choice of these wavelengths, which are changed during the chromatographic run, significantly improves the detectability of PAH in atmosphere and particulate matter collected in cement industries.     

Residues Analysis of Post-Harvest Imidazole Fungicides in Citrus Fruit by H PLC and GLC

Abstract

The determination of imazalil and prochloraz fungicide residues has been carried out by HPLC with an UV detector at 204 nm and by GLC with an electron capture detector (ECD).

In both cases fungicide residues were extracted with hexane/acetone (90:10, v/v) after pH adjustment and purified by a liquid-liquid partitioning process. When HPLC was used for prochloraz and imazalil analysis, it was necessary to eliminate the interfering substances with a further clean-up process. This was also required when samples with low residue levels were analyzed by GLC.

Recovery was always higher than 70%. The detection limit was 0.04 ppm for the HPLC method and 0.02 for the GLC method.

Imazalil and prochloraz residues in “Washington Navel” oranges and “Hernandina” clementine fruits, dipped in a 1000 ppm fungicide solution, are reported.     

Determination of pentachlorophenol residues in wine and corks by solvent extraction methodology and specific gas chromatography detection

Summary A gas chromatographic methodology with selective detection is presented for the analysis in wines and corks of pentachlorophenol residues, which are suspected to be the most likely precursors of some off-flavours described in several wine samples. After derivatisation, pentachlorophenol acetate residues were monitored by electrolytic conductivity detection and/or mass spectrometric detection in the selective ion mode at m/z 264 and 266. Recoveries varied from 80 to 96% for wine samples fortified with 5 to 100 g l^–1 and from 83 to 91% for corks (fortified at 25 to 100 g kg^–1). The proposed methodology allowed for a determination limit of g l^–1 for wine and 10 g kg^–1 for corks.     

Chiral Analysis of Ibuprofen Residues in Water and Sediment

Abstract

Thousands of organic compounds are present in our water resources and exist in dynamic equilibrium with sediment. Among them are drug and pharmaceutical residues. Many of these residues are chiral, and their metabolites or degradation products may also be chiral in nature. Therefore, the determination of chiral ratio of these chiral compounds is required to predict the exact toxicities. The present article describes the presence of ibuprofen, the third most popular clinically used drug in the world, in water resources, its enantiomeric degradation, and the monitoring of chiral ratio of ibuprofen enantiomers and its degradation products. Attempts have also been made to describe the future scope of chiral analyses of drug and pharmaceutical residues in the environment.     

Simultaneous Determination of Three Synthetic Glucocorticoids by Differential Pulse Stripping Voltammetry with the Aid of Chemometrics

Abstract

A novel voltammetric method for simultaneous determination of the glucocorticoid residues prednisone, prednisolone, and dexamethasone was developed. All three compounds were reduced at a mercury electrode in a Britton–Robinson buffer (pH 3.78), and well-defined voltammetric waves were observed. However, the voltammograms of these three compounds overlapped seriously and showed nonlinear character, and thus, it was difficult to analyze the compounds individually in their mixtures. In this work, two chemometrics methods, principal component regression (PCR) and partial least squares (PLS), were applied to resolve the overlapped voltammograms, and the calibration models were established for simultaneous determination of these compounds. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the limits of detection (LOD) were 5.6, 8.3, and 16.8 µg l^?1 for prednisone, prednisolone, and dexamethasone, respectively. The proposed method was also applied for the determination of these glucocorticoid residues in the rabbit plasma and human urine samples with satisfactory results.     

Monoclonal Antibody-Based Immunolocalization of Bound Triazine Residues in Two Aquatic Macrophytes (Elodea Canadensis and Myriophyllum Spicatum)

Abstract

Immunohistochemical localization offers a fast and reliable method of obtaining information about the distribution of bound pesticide residues in plants. In the present study aquatic macrophytes (Elodea canadensis, Myriophyllum spicatum) were grown in laboratory model ecosystems spiked with 50 μg/l atrazine. To label cryosections, monoclonal antibodies from cell culture supernatants and ascites fluid with differing specificities for s-triazines were used in combination with the fluorescent dye Phycoerythrin and biotin-streptavidin amplification. The best results were observed with antibodies gained from mice immunized with an ametryn sulfoxide-BSA conjugate, regardless of the method employed for antibody production. The consequences with respect to herbicide metabolism and binding are discussed.     

Determination of AOT by Adsorptive Stripping Tensammetry in Connection to the Biopolimers Extractin by Reversed Micelles

Abstract

Bis(2ethylexyl) sodium sulfosuccinate (AOT) can be determined using Adsorptive Stripping Differential Pulse Tensammetry (ASDP) in concentration range 5 10^?7 ? 5 10^?6 M. Higher concentrations can be determined by direct Differential Pulse Polarography.

The method is fit for determining AOT in reversed micelles and in water, a problem that is closely bound to the use of water-in-oil microemulsions for the selective extraction of biopolimers and their recovery in biotechnology.     

Applicability of MALDI‐TOF MS for determination of quinolone residues in fish

MALDI‐TOF MS approach for determination of six quinolones residues in fillets of pangasius (Pangasionodon hypophthalmus) was studied, considering that is a very sensitive analytical technique with simple and high‐throughput operation, contributing to knowledge regarding application of this technique to the determination of small‐molecular‐weight organic compound residues in foods. LIFT‐MS/MS showed to be a successful approach to identify the presence of all quinolone residues in the fish fillet, at their respective MRL level. This study opens an important field of research for the development of simple and high‐throughput bioanalytical screening methods for the determination of veterinary drug residues in foods.     

Levels of Pesticide Residues in Food: Evaluation of Data from Total Diet Studies in Italy

Abstract

Total Diet Studies on pesticide residues in foods carried out in Italy in the last two decades are briefly summarized and data are discussed. Health risk assessment is expressed by the ratio total intake/ADI (%ADI ingested) for each compound and by the sum of the percentages of ADI for each compound within the same class of pesticides.

The total dietary intake of chlorinated pesticides, that was almost 100% of ADI in the years 1970-74, decreased down to 10% in the period 1978-84. This trend was confirmed for DDT in recent years, while data on Lindane and Heptachlor seem to be constant.

As regards the organophosphorus pesticides the sum of the percentages of ADI ingested for each compound, extrapolated from recent data (1990-1991) is about 20% and can be regarded as reasonably acceptable because the study included practically all the mainly used compounds.

Only few data are available for some pesticides like dithiocarbamates, especially EBDCs and their derivatives (e.g. ETU), other carbamates (e.g. aldicarb), paraquat etc. Moreover, analytical methods for these compounds should be improved.

The need for a considerable improvement in the number and organization of monitoring structures, in the use of standardized analytical procedures, in good laboratory practice standards and in the realibility of “monitoring protocols” and their homogeneity is evidenced.     

Infrared Spectroscopy Elucidates the Inhibitor Binding Sites in a Metal-Dependent Formate Dehydrogenase

Biological carbon dioxide (CO₂) reduction is an important step by which organisms form valuable energy-richer molecules required for further metabolic processes. The Mo-dependent formate dehydrogenase (FDH) from Rhodobacter capsulatus catalyzes reversible formate oxidation to CO₂ at a bis-molybdopterin guanine dinucleotide (bis-MGD) cofactor. To elucidate potential substrate binding sites relevant for the mechanism, we studied herein the interaction with the inhibitory molecules azide and cyanate, which are isoelectronic to CO₂ and charged as formate. We employed infrared (IR) spectroscopy in combination with density functional theory (DFT) and inhibition kinetics. One distinct inhibitory molecule was found to bind to either a non-competitive or a competitive binding site in the secondary coordination sphere of the active site. Site-directed mutagenesis of key amino acid residues in the vicinity of the bis-MGD cofactor revealed changes in both non-competitive and competitive binding, whereby the inhibitor is in case of the latter interaction presumably bound between the cofactor and the adjacent Arg587.     

Homogeneous non-competitive bioaffinity assay based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer

A homogeneous non-competitive assay principle for measurement of small analytes based on quenching of fluorescence is described. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) occurs between the donor, intrinsically fluorescent europium(III)-chelate conjugated to streptavidin, and the acceptor, quencher dye conjugated to biotin derivative when the biotin-quencher is bound to Eu-streptavidin. Fluorescence can be measured only from those streptavidins that are bound to biotin of the sample, while the fluorescence of the streptavidins that are not occupied by biotin are quenched by quencher-biotin conjugates. The quenching efficiencies of the non-fluorescent quencher dyes were over 95% and one dye molecule was able to quench the fluorescence of more than one europium(III)-chelate. This, however, together with the quadrovalent nature of streptavidin limited the measurable range of the assay to 0.2-2 nmol L⁻¹. In this study we demonstrated that FRET could be used to design a non-competitive homogeneous assay for a small analyte resulting in equal performance with competitive heterogeneous assay.     

Determination of Total Fluoride in Oral Products by Using of Potentiometry With Ion Selective Electrode: A Critical Study

ABSTRACT

In this work, a critical study of the determination of fluoride in oral products with an ion selective electrode was performed. The influence of the type of fluorine compound in the sample as well as the practical factors involved in the analysis were investigated. Fluoride could be determined, directly, in samples where it is in the form of NaF or SnF₂. However, in samples where it is as MFP (sodium monofluorophosphate) an acid treatment was needed for removal of fluoride from the PO₄F^2? ion. In both cases, problems were noted related to the continuous use of the electrode, caused by the adsorption of fluoride ions onto the electrode surface. This problem was solved by using of KOH and Al₂(SO₄)₃ solutions. Good results were obtained for the analysis of real commercial samples.     

Determination of Purine Bases in Formulations and Natural Products

Abstract

A selective GLC procedure for the determination of caffeine, theophylline and theobromine is presented. Theophylline and theobromine were methylated with Methelute and determined as caffeine. The GLC procedure proved to be simpler and more time saving than the spectrophotometric methods without loss of accuracy. The interference of accompanying ingredients could be, eliminated.     

Isotachophoretic Analysis of Yellow Jacket Vespula Species Venom. Identification of Separated Components by Zymography,Electrophoresis and Immunological Analysis

Abstract

Isotachophoresis, with its inherent high resolving power is a rapid and powerful technique for characterization of Hymenoptera insect venoms. By applying a combination of isotachophoresis for the first dimension separation step, and enzyme based assays, electrophoresis or immunological assays for the second dimension identification, it has been possible to identify the most important peptide/protein components in “Yellow Jacket” (Vespula species) venom. The combined two dimensional procedure is rapid, reproducible and well suited for determination of the antigenic/allergenic composition of various Hymenoptera venoms.     

Development of a non-competitive immunoassay for monitoring DDT, its metabolites and analogues in water samples

This report highlights the characteristics of a general method of performing non-competitive immunoassays for low-molecular-mass analytes, which was developed and applied to 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT) determination in aqueous samples. The method is based on the separation of the analyte-bound antibody from the excess of the free antibody by a chromatographic step, followed by the dissociation of the complex and the capture of the previously bound antibody on a solid phase. The measured signal is linearly correlated to the concentration of the complex and, consequently, to the analyte concentration. The 3σ limit of detection (LOD, 8 ng l⁻¹) obtained by the above method enabled us to decidedly improve the sensitivity of the corresponding enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) and of all reported immunoassays for DDT.In addition, by applying this new format, even if a very selective antibody was used, a broad selectivity was observed, which allowed DDT + DDD + DDE to be determined instead of only p,p′-DDT as in the ELISA performed with the same antibody. In addition, real water samples were validated in a percentage recovery test. Very good recovery rates were obtained, highlighting the validity of the proposed method to accurately determine the total DDT content in water.     

Application de la Spectrometrie Par Reflexion Totale Attenuee Multiple Dans L'Infrarouge (M-Atr) a L'identification de Residus de Thirame Sur Laitues

Abstract

Infrared multiple attenuated total reflection allows one to identify thiram residues to a concentration of 1 ppm while the maximum admissible concentration is 3 ppm in Belgium.     

Magnetic octadecyl‐based matrix solid‐phase dispersion coupled with gas chromatography with mass spectrometry in a proof‐of‐concept determination of multi‐class pesticide residues in carrots

A novel procedure is put forward based on the combination of the well‐established matrix solid‐phase dispersion and the magnetic and sorption properties of magnetic octadecyl in the presence of n‐octanol and was employed in a proof‐of‐concept sample preparation and determination of several classes of pesticide residues in carrots. The procedure does not require the transfer of blend to cartridge and subsequent packing, nor any co‐sorbent for extract clean up. The hydrophobic magnetic nanoparticles utilized as a sorbent, can be retrieved by n‐octanol under the application of a magnetic field due to hydrophobic interactions. Elution of pesticide residues is then carried out with an organic solvent. A total of 26 pesticides were included in this procedure and the target compounds were analyzed using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry in the selective ion monitoring mode. The average extraction recoveries obtained from carrot samples fortified at three different concentrations (20, 50, and 500 μg/kg) were 77–107%. The estimated limits of quantitation for most target analytes were in the low μg/kg level. The study demonstrates that the proposed extraction procedure is simple and effective, avoiding a clean‐up step for the sample preparation of vegetable.     

Simultaneous Determination of Inorganic Anions and Selected Organic Acids in Airborne Particulate Matter by Ion Chromatography

Abstract

This paper reports a simple, selective, and sensitive method for the simultaneous determination of inorganic anions (fluoride, chloride, nitrite, nitrate, sulfate, phosphate and methanesulfonate) and organic anions (formate, acetate, pyruvate, glutarate, succinate, malonte, and oxalate) in particulate matter (PM) by ion chromatography. The separation of 14 anions can be accomplished in 26 minutes with the procedure being validated by standard reference materials and a standard addition method. The method was then applied to PM sampled in Singapore during the infamous 1997–98 haze episode. The results showed considerably high concentrations of particulate‐bound sulfate, formate, acetate, and oxalate in biomass‐impacted air masses.