A Dilute and Shoot Strategy for Determining Alternaria Toxins in Tomato-Based Samples and in Different Flours Using LC-IDMS Separation

Alternaria toxins are emerging mycotoxins whose regulation and standardization are in progress by the European Commission and the European Committee for Standardization. This paper describes a dilute and shoot approach to determine five Alternaria toxins in selected food samples using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The strategy involves sample extraction with acidified aqueous methanol, followed by a solvent change accomplished via sample evaporation and reconstitution. The quantification is based on isotope dilution, applying all corresponding isotopically labeled internal standards to compensate possible matrix effects of the analysis. The main advantages of the present method over other existing methods includes simple and effective sample preparation, as well as detection with high sensitivity. The five-fold sample dilution can decrease matrix effects, which were evaluated with both external and internal standard methods. The results demonstrated a limit of quantification lower than 1.0 µg/kg for all five analytes for the first time. The newly presented method showed acceptable accuracy (52.7–111%) when analyzing naturally contaminated and spiked standard samples at the described levels. The method was validated for tomato-based and flour samples (wheat, rye, and maize). The absolute recovery ranged from 66.7% to 91.6% (RSD < 10%). The developed method could be an alternative approach for those laboratories that exclude sample cleanup and pre-concentration of state-of-the-art instruments with enhanced sensitivity.     

The Effects of CO2 Additional on Flame Characteristics in the CH4/N2/O2 Counterflow Diffusion Flame

The effects (chemical, thermal, transport, and radiative) of CO₂ added to the fuel side and oxidizer side on the flame temperature and the position of the flame front in a one-dimensional laminar counterflow diffusion flame of methane/N₂/O₂ were studied. Overall CO₂ resulted in a decrease in flame temperature whether on the fuel side or on the oxidizer side, with the negative effect being more obvious on the latter side. The prominent effects of CO₂ on the flame temperature were derived from its thermal properties on the fuel side and its radiative properties on the oxidizer side. The results also highlighted the differences in the four effects of CO₂ on the position of the flame front on different sides. In addition, an analysis of OH and H radicals and the heat release rate of the main reactions illustrated how CO₂ affects the flame temperature.     

同位素稀释-高分辨气相色谱/高分辨质谱测定大气中有机氯农药

建立了测定大气中25种有机氯农药(OCPs)的同位素稀释-高分辨气相色谱/高分辨质谱法(ID-HRGC/HRMS)。样品用正己烷/二氯甲烷(1∶1, v/v)进行加速溶剂萃取(ASE)。通过柱洗脱实验、单柱和组合柱净化实验,最终确定样品的净化方案为弗罗里硅土固相萃取柱和石墨化炭黑固相萃取柱组合净化。样品萃取液净化后进行HRGC/HRMS分析。采用平均相对响应因子(RRF)法对样品中目标物进行定量,6点校准溶液RRF的相对标准偏差(RSD)均≤20%。线性范围为0.4~800 μg/L,相关系数R²均>0.992。对空白样品依次进行100 pg、400 pg和15 ng水平下的加标试验,各添加水平下OCPs测定值的RSD为0.64%~16%,加标回收率为67.2%~135%。穿透试验表明,滤膜+聚氨酯泡沫/聚氨酯泡沫作为吸附介质的大体积主动大气采样器(AAS)在采集环境空气时,五氯苯极易发生穿透,有效采样模式待进一步研究。在上述采样模式下,六氯苯的有效采样体积较小,标准状态(101.325 kPa, 273 K)采样体积应≤30 m³,其他OCPs应≤1200 m³。以上述体积计算,25种目标化合物的检出限为0.002~0.7 pg/m³。对北京环境空气样品分析测定,结果显示除反式-环氧七氯、异狄氏剂、顺式-九氯和4,4'-滴滴滴在部分样品中未检出外,其他OCPs均为100%检出;六氯苯浓度在514~563 pg/m³之间,其他OCPs的浓度在0.01~18.9 pg/m³之间;替代标回收率为33.9%~155%。由于现有相关监测标准的仪器灵敏度较低、方法检出限较高,已无法满足目前空气中痕量OCPs的测定需求,因此亟待修订新的高灵敏度监测方法标准。该方法适用于目前大气中OCPs的超痕量水平分析,为新标准的制订奠定基础,也为国家履行相关国际公约提供有力技术指导。     

一个各向异性磁稀释杂化钙钛矿系列[CH3NH3][CoxZn1-x(HCOO)3]

Inorganic-organic or hybrid perovskite materials, which are the complementary counterparts of pure inorganic perovskites, can provide many new opportunities in the researches of phase transitions, critical phenomena, and relevant properties, as they combine the characteristics of inorganic and organic components. Therefore, the hybrid perovskites of ammonium metal formate framework are very promising, and their properties have been found to be strongly dependent on the characteristics of the constituent metal ions and/or ammonium ions. Herein, we used solid solution strategies, borrowed from solid state chemistry, to investigate the anisotropic diluted magnetic hybrid perovskite system of [CH₃NH₃][Co_xZn_1-x(HCOO)₃], wherein the B-sites are occupied by the mixed metal ions of Co²⁺ and Zn²⁺. The solid solution compounds of this series in the range x = 0–1 (or the molar percent Co% = 0–100%) were successfully prepared using conventional solution chemistry methods. The resulting compounds were demonstrated to be iso-structural by using both single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction analyses. The solid solution crystals belong to the orthorhombic space group Pnma, with the cell parameters being a = 8.3015(2)–8.3207(3) Å, b = 11.6574(4)–11.6811(5) Å, c = 8.1315(3)–8.1427(4) Å, and V = 787.89(5)–790.98(7) ų. The perovskite structure consists of a simple cubic anionic metal-formate framework and CH₃NH₃⁺ cations which are located in the framework cavities, with N―H···O hydrogen bonds formed between the framework and the cation. The members of this series showed negligible changes (< 0.4%) in their respective lattice and structural parameters. Thus, the prepared solid solution compounds constitute good molecule-based examples for the study of magnetic dilution under almost the same structural parameters and molecular geometries. Upon dilution, the magnetization per mole of Co at low temperatures and low fields was suppressed by the magnetic anisotropy of Co²⁺ and gradual destruction of the large spin canting between coupled Co²⁺ ions, in contrast to the magnetization enhancement observed in the isotropic diluted system of [CH₃NH₃][Mn_xZn_1-x(HCOO)₃] with the same perovskite structure. The percolation limit was estimated as (Co%)_P = 27(1)% (or x_P = 0.27(1)) from the magnetic data, which was slightly lower than that predicted by the percolation theory for a simple cubic lattice (31%); this trend was due to the strong magnetic anisotropy of the present system. In addition, rare incommensurate phase transitions were primarily detected below ~120 K for the pure Co and Zn members, which may also affect the magnetic properties of the materials.     

同位素稀释高效液相色谱-串联质谱法测定水体、底泥、鱼及虾中氯硝柳胺残留量

建立了水体、底泥、鱼体自然比例带皮肌肉和虾肌肉中氯硝柳胺(NIC)残留量测定的同位素稀释高效液相色谱-串联质谱(HPLC-MS/MS)法。水样经碱化后以乙酸乙酯提取,其他样品采用0.1%氨水乙腈提取,C_(18)粉进行样品净化。以乙腈-水为流动相,流速为0.3 mL/min,采用Thermo Hypersil Gold C_(18)(150 mm×2.1 mm,5μm)色谱柱进行分离,氯硝柳胺稳定同位素标记物(氯硝柳胺-~(13)C_6)为内标,选择反应监测(SRM)模式扫描,内标法定量。结果表明氯硝柳胺在0.2～200μg/L范围内呈良好线性关系,相关系数(r~2)不小于0.999 5。空白水样在2.5、25、250 ng/L加标水平下的平均回收率为90.5%～109%,相对标准偏差(RSD)为3.2%～11%,检出限(LOD)为1.0 ng/L,定量下限(LOQ)为2.5 ng/L;空白底泥、黄颡鱼自然比例带皮肌肉和克氏原螯虾肌肉在0.5、5.0、50μg/kg加标水平下的平均回收率分别为89.4%～113%、92.8%～110%和94.1%～107%,RSD分别为4.6%～12%、2.8%～11%和3.2%～9.3%,LOD均为0.2μg/kg,LOQ均为0.5μg/kg。该方法的灵敏度、准确度和选择性高,适用于实际水产养殖环境水体、底泥、鱼和虾中氯硝柳胺的残留分析。     

An efficient and scalable process to produce morpholine-d8

Incorporation of isotopes has long been used as a research tool to label carbons and elucidate biochemical pathways. More recently, H→D exchange has led to analogs of therapeutic agents with improved metabolic stability and properties. Such compounds also have the potential for an improved drug/drug interaction profile and may even avoid the formation of toxic metabolites. Hence, a clear need for an efficient access to deuterated intermediates on large scale has emerged. In the context of an ongoing drug discovery program, we required large quantities of morpholine-d₈. We herein report the successful optimization of a one-pot process allowing a near complete exchange of all methylene hydrogens in morpholine to deuterium atoms using D₂O as the sole source of deuterium and Raney Nickel as catalyst. This facile and safe protocol will be used to scale up the synthesis of morpholine-d₈ in due course.     

Isotopes in groundwater as indicators of climate changes

Isotopes of the water molecule (δ¹⁸O and δ²H) are a well-used tool for investigating groundwater origin and history (i.e. tracing the recharge conditions over time, processes occurring during infiltration of rainwater towards aquifers and those involved in the water-rock interaction, and mixing of different waters).This review covers several large European aquifers (Portugal, France, UK, Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, and Poland), which were investigated in terms of their recharge conditions, and the story of the groundwater at a large scale, involving recent, Holocene and Pleistocene components and their eventual mixing.     

Deuterium dilution technique for body composition assessment: resolving methodological issues in children with moderate acute malnutrition

Childhood malnutrition is highly prevalent and associated with high mortality risk. In observational and interventional studies among malnourished children, body composition is increasingly recognised as a key outcome. The deuterium dilution technique has generated high-quality data on body composition in studies of infants and young children in several settings, but its feasibility and accuracy in children suffering from moderate acute malnutrition requires further study. Prior to a large nutritional intervention trial among children with moderate acute malnutrition, we conducted pilot work to develop and adapt the deuterium dilution technique. We refined procedures for administration of isotope doses and collection of saliva. Furthermore, we established that equilibration time in local context is 3?h. These findings and the resulting standard operating procedures are important to improve data quality when using the deuterium dilution technique in malnutrition studies in field conditions, and may encourage a wider use of isotope techniques.     

Experimental determination of chlorine isotope separation factor by anion-exchange chromatography

Chlorine isotope fractionation factor was determined by strongly basic anion-exchange chromatography with 0.1 mol/l HCl at 25 °C. The magnitude of the factor was calculated as a single-stage separation factor of 1.00030 with analytical precision of 0.00006 (1σ). The results showed that the lighter isotope () was preferentially fractionated into the resin phase, while the heavier one () enriched into the aqueous phase. This trend suggested that the hydrated Cl⁻ ions in the aqueous phase were slightly more stable than the hydrated Cl⁻ ions electrostatically interacting with the ion-exchange groups of the resin.     

Analysis of acrylamide in food by isotope-dilution liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

A confirmatory method for the determination of low levels of acrylamide in different food products is presented. The method entails extraction of acrylamide with water, precipitation of matrix constituents with acetonitrile, and two clean-up steps consecutively over Isolute Multimode and cation-exchange cartridges. The final extract is analyzed by liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to positive electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry employing [13C3]-acrylamide as internal standard. For the chromatographic step, a LC column based on a polymethacrylate gel is employed which shows good retention of acrylamide under isocratic flow conditions (k' = 1.2). Mass spectral acquisition is done by selected reaction monitoring, choosing the characteristic transitions m/z 72-->55, 72-->54 and 72-->27. In-house validation data for breakfast cereals and crackers show good precision of the method, with intra- and interassay variation below 10%. The limits of detection for crackers and breakfast cereals, respectively are estimated at 15 and 20 microg/kg, and recoveries of fortified samples ranged between 58 and 76%. Furthermore, the method is applicable to a number of different food products, including biscuits, crisp bread, wafers, confectionery cocoa liquor, and nuts. Finally, the good results obtained in several small-scale interlaboratory tests provided additional confidence in the performance of the method.