A novel and green extraction strategy for sensitive determination of phthalates in aqueous samples: Analytical and computational studies

Abstract

A self-assembled rotating cigarette filter sorptive extraction (R-CFSE) followed by in-syringe elution with packed cigarette filter has been established for trace analysis of phthalates (PAEs) in water using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultra-violet detection. Well supported by computational ab initio simulations, efficient sorption of PAEs on cigarette filter coupled with innovative analytical design results in a highly sensitive determination of PAEs in water samples up to pg/mL with an improved control over lower scalability ranges i.e. 1–100 ng/mL. Limits of detection (LODs) and Limits of quantification (LOQs) were as low as in the ranges 0.007–0.09 ng/mL and 0.023–0.27 ng/mL respectively. The precision and accuracy were validated adequately with highly acceptable values obtained in the range 3.11–7.88 and 2.64–5.44 respectively. Optimum chromatographic separations of selected PAEs have been achieved within 10 min using a PurospherR STAR C-18 column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 mm, Merck) as a stationary phase maintained at 25 °C. The mobile phase was acetonitrile: water (75:25, v/v) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. Detection wavelength was set at 210 nm. Finally, and most importantly, to the best of authors knowledge, this is the first report that have demonstrated the new kind of CF based hybrid analytical podium for sample preparation in trace analysis of PAEs in aqueous samples.