Membrane-assisted solvent extraction coupled to large volume injection–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry for the determination of a variety of endocrine disrupting compounds in environmental water samples

Membrane-assisted solvent extraction coupled to large volume injection in a programmable temperature vaporisation injector using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis was optimised for the simultaneous determination of a variety of endocrine disrupting compounds in environmental water samples (estuarine, river and wastewater). Among the analytes studied, certain hormones, alkylphenols and bisphenol A were included. The nature of membranes, extraction solvent, extraction temperature, solvent volume, extraction time, ionic strength and methanol addition were evaluated during the optimisation of the extraction. Matrix effects during the extraction step were studied in different environmental water samples: estuarine water, river water and wastewater (influent and effluent). Strong matrix effects were observed for most of the compounds in influent and effluent samples. Different approaches were studied in order to correct or minimise matrix effects, which included the use of deuterated analogues, matrix-matched calibration, standard addition calibration, dilution of the sample and clean-up of the extract using solid-phase extraction (SPE). The use of deuterated analogues corrected satisfactorily matrix effect for estuarine and effluent samples for most of the compounds. However, in the case of influent samples, standard addition calibration and dilution of the sample were the best approaches. The SPE clean-up provided similar recoveries to those obtained after correction with the corresponding deuterated analogue but better chromatographic signal was obtained in the case of effluent samples. Method detection limits in the 5–54 ng L⁻¹ range and precision, calculated as relative standard deviation, in the 2–25% range were obtained.     

Ion‐Pair SN2 Reaction of OH− and CH3Cl: Activation Strain Analyses of Counterion and Solvent Effects

We have theoretically studied the non‐identity S_N2 reactions of M_nOH^(n?1)+CH₃Cl (M⁺=Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, and MgCl⁺; n=0, 1) in the gas phase and in THF solution at the OLYP/6‐31++G(d,p) level using polarizable continuum model (PCM) implicit solvation. We want to explore and understand the effect of the metal counterion M⁺ and solvation on the reaction profile and the stereoselectivity of these processes. To this end, we have explored the potential energy surfaces of the backside (S_N2‐b) and frontside (S_N2‐f) pathways. To explain the computed trends, we have carried out analyses with an extended activation strain model (ASM) of chemical reactivity that includes the treatment of solvation effects.     

Resolution and identification of co‐eluting alkylphenols in comprehensive two‐dimensional gas chromatography–mass spectrometry by multivariate curve resolution‐alternating least squares

The interest in the analysis of alkylphenols (APs) has widely increased in the last decades because of the endocrine disrupting features of these phenol derivatives. However, the isolation and identification of many of the multiple chemical structures of all APs is a very challenging task because of their similar physicochemical properties. In this work, the co‐elution of the isomers present in technical mixtures and using comprehensive two‐dimensional gas chromatography coupled to quadrupole mass spectrometry was resolved using multivariate curve resolution‐alternating least squares algorithm. The mass spectrum of each resolved compound was compared with the theoretical mass spectrum obtained from the literature, in order to assign the appropriate identification of each isomer. Two commercial mixtures were studied; in one of them, 34 compounds were resolved, and in the second mixture, 40 compounds were resolved. The relative abundances of the compounds were also calculated in both mixtures. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of solid phase extraction, saponification and gel permeation chromatography for the clean-up of microwave-assisted biological extracts in the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

The feasibility of different clean-up procedures was studied for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in biota samples such as oysters, mussels and fish liver. In this sense, once the samples were extracted--essentially with acetone and in a microwave system--and before they could be analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), three different approaches were studied for the clean-up step: solid phase extraction (SPE), microwave-assisted saponification (MAS) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The main aim of this work was to maximise the recoveries of PAHs and to minimise the presence of interfering compounds in the last extract. In the case of SPE, Florisil cartridges of 1, 2 and 5 g, and silica cartridges of 5 g were studied. In that case, and with oysters and mussels, microwave-assisted extraction and 5 g Florisil cartridges provided good results. In addition, the concentrations obtained for Standard Reference Material (SRM) NIST 2977 (mussel tissue) were in good agreement with the certified values. In the case of microwave-assisted saponification, the extracts were not as clean as those obtained with 5 g Florisil and this fact lead to overestimate the concentration of the heaviest PAHs. Finally, the cleanest extracts were obtained by GPC. The method was successfully applied to mussels, oysters and hake liver, and the results obtained for NIST 2977 (mussel tissue) were within the confidence interval of the certified reference material for most of the certified analytes.     

Preparation of a reference mussel tissue material for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and trace metals determination

Due to high cost of certified reference materials (CRMs), reference materials (RMs) are preferred to check the method performance in environmental analysis. In this work, a laboratory reference material (LRM) was prepared and characterised to carry out the quality control in monitoring analysis of eight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nine trace metals in mussel tissue. Mussels were collected in a naturally polluted area. Before the reference material was bottled, the mussel tissue was stabilised by freeze-drying, ground and sieved. For the material characterisation, several statistical tests were applied to check the homogeneity of the analytes in the tissue, and a stability test was performed to study the effect of the storage temperature in the analyte concentration. Other characteristics such as specific density, moisture and lipid contents as well as particle size distribution of the material were determined. Although the LRM had a homogeneous distribution for all PAHs and almost all metals, the stability study showed different results at both storage temperatures studied. For both PAHs and trace metals, the material was suitable to assure the quality control of the analysis.     

MultiSimplex optimisation of the solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,polychlorinated biphenyls and phthalates from water samples

Solid-phase microextraction coupled to GC-MS was optimised for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalate esters and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in water samples. A 30-microm polydimethylsiloxane fiber was immersed in a 30-ml water sample that contained the analytes of interest (PAHs, PCBs and phthalate esters) and the variables studied were extraction time (15-60 min), extraction temperature (30-90 degrees C), desorption time (1-5 min), desorption temperature (220-270 degrees C) and the addition of sodium chloride (0-9 g). The MultiSimplex programme based on the simplex algorithm was used to establish the optimal conditions. MultiSimplex allowed the simultaneous study of the variables mentioned above and considered the answers of all types of compounds studied in this work. Thus, the optimal conditions obtained allowed the simultaneous determination of PAHs, phthalate esters and PCBs. Furthermore, the accuracy and repeatability of the developed method were calculated from water samples spiked at known concentrations of the analytes. Finally, the optimised method was used to analyse water samples from different sampling points of the Urdaibai and Nerbioi-Ibaizabal estuaries (Biscay, Spain).     

Multisorbent tubes sampling used in thermal desorption cold trap injection with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for C2–C6 hydrocarbon measurements in an urban atmosphere

Three solid adsorbents (Carbotrap, Carbotrap C, and Carbosieve III) were evaluated for sampling trace non-methane hydrocarbons in urban atmospheres. The sampled atmosphere was pumped through a multisorbent tube containing the three sorbents separated by a small amount of silanized glass wool. The trapped compounds were recovered by thermal desorption and analysed by combining cryogenic enrichment with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Adsorption/thermal desorption and breakthrough experiments were performed to test their ability to quantitatively trap the light hydrocarbons. The technique was suitable for determination of low ppbv concentrations of these compounds. Ambient atmospheric sampling was conducted in Vitoria-Gasteiz (Basque Country, Spain), and the measurements cover a period of one year (2001–2002). Fifteen C₂–C₆ hydrocarbons are identified and quantified, and seasonal trends are discussed.     

Multisimplex Optimisation of the Purge-and-Trap Preconcentration of Volatile Fatty Acids, Phenols and Indoles in Cow Slurries

In this work the simultaneous purge-and-trap (P&;T) preconcentration of volatile fatty acids (acetic acid, propanoic acid, butanoic acid, iso-butanoic acid, pentanoic acid, iso-pentanoic acid, hexanoic acid and heptanoic acid), phenols (phenol, 4-methylphenol and 4-ethylphenol) and indoles (indole and 3-methylindole) from cow slurries was carried out in order to quantify them by gas chromatography flame ionisation detection (GC–FID). The optimisation of the preconcentration was performed using spiked cow slurries and the variables studied were the nature of the trap, the purge and heating time and the amount of inert salt (NaCl) added. Other parameters such as purge flow, sample volume, desorption time and temperature and baking time and temperature were kept constant. The first variable studied was the nature of the preconcentration trap. Four different commercially available traps (Vocarb 4000, Vocarb 3000, BTEXTRAP and Tenax/silica gel/carbon) were studied and Vocarb 3000 gave best results. Once the optimum trap was chosen, appearance of possible memory peaks were studied and significant signals were observed for 4-methylphenol, 4-ethylphenol, indole and 3-methylindole. In order to improve the blanks after each analysis the following actions were taken: (1) the needle sparger was located in the headspace of the sample and (2) all the replaceable parts of the P&;T (sample tube, needle sparger, Teflon ferrules, nuts, etc.) were washed, sonicated in acetone for 15 min and dried in an oven at 350 °C. Once the blank problems were minimised, the remaining variables (purge and heating time and the amount of NaCl) were optimised using the MultiSimplex^® program, which enabled the study of several variables and responses simultaneously. Optimum conditions for the simultaneous preconcentration were obtained after 24 experiments and the final optimised preconcentration conditions were as follows: 0.4 g of NaCl were added to 10 mL sample which was heated at 80 °C for 10 min and purged for 20 min while the Vocarb 3000 trap remained at room temperature. Once the purge step was over, the trap was desorbed at 250 °C for 6 min and baked at 260 °C for 10 min. After the optimisation of the P&;T based preconcentration, the precision (within and among days), accuracy and detection limits of the method were studied.