Revolving hollow fiber–liquid phase microextraction coupled to GC/MS using electron ionization for quantification of five aromatic hydrocarbon isomers

Abstract

A dynamic liquid phase microextraction method using a revolving hollow fiber was demonstrated for coupling to GC/MS [using EI (electronic ionization) and selected ion monitor (SIM)] as a concentrating probe for rapid analysis and quantitative determination of five aromatic hydrocarbon isomers (cumene; propylbenzene; 2-ethyltoluene; 1,2,3-trimethylbenzene; and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene) from biological matrices (human urine and human plasma). This technique was named as revolving hollow fiber-liquid phase microextraction (RHF-LPME). The optimized parameters of RHF-LPME coupled to GC/MS experiments were extraction solvent, toluene; extraction time, 2 min; sample agitation rate, 700 rpm; salt concentration, 0%; rotating speed for motor driving rotator, 250 rpm; and the rotator was operated in a reversed direction with the stirrer. The linear range of calibration curve of RHF-LPME was from 0.002 to 0.4 microg/mL with R(2) > 0.9916 and the RSD values were from 4.5 to 5.2%. Additionally, comparing to single drop microextraction (SDME), this method offers better limits of detection (LODs) and EF (enrichment factor). This approach exhibits many advantages including simplicity, rapid detection with high reproducibility and high extraction efficiency, easy to operate and fast to reach equilibrium for analyzing biological samples. This approach has the potential to be widely used because it only requires simple devices to perform all extraction processes. We believe that this technique can be a powerful tool for GC/MS analysis of biological samples and clinical applications in the near future.