Polar Organics Research Articles

The influence of pH on sampler uptake for an improved configuration of the organic-diffusive gradients in thin films passive sampler

Recent literature has demonstrated the utility of the organic-diffusive gradients in thin films (o-DGT) device as an effective passive sampler for polar organics in aquatic environments. Here, a new configuration comprising a polyacrylamide diffusive gel and Sepra™ ZT sorbent was developed and calibrated under multiple pH conditions. Linear uptake (r2 > 0.9) was observed at pH ≈ 5 for a suite of 31 pharmaceuticals and pesticides over 25 days, suitable for typical passive sampler deployments. At pH ≈ 8.5, linear uptake (r2 > 0.9) was observed for many of the same compounds. Comparisons of the uptake rates between the two pH experiments generally agreed (14% average relative error), with only 6 compounds exhibiting marked reduction with pH (e.g. sulfonamide antibiotics). These discrepancies may be explained by changes in analyte-sorbent interaction (H-bonding) due to speciation changes at varying pH. Samplers performed well in field evaluations conducted in an impacted river system, showing close agreement with the previously validated agarose/HLB o-DGT configuration deployed simultaneously. This work illustrates that polyacrylamide diffusive gels are a more robust and resistant outer-membrane material compared to agarose used in earlier o-DGT configurations. Sepra™ ZT binding gels served as an effective binding resin, offering a cost effective and commercially available sorbent.

Multiple, simultaneous, independent gradients for a versatile multidimensional liquid chromatography. Part II: Application 2: Computer controlled pH gradients in the presence of urea provide improved separation of proteins: Stability influenced anion and cation exchange chromatography

This paper details the use of a method of creating controlled pH gradients (pISep) to improve the separation of protein isoforms on ion exchange (IEX) stationary phases in the presence of various isocratic levels of urea. The pISep technology enables the development of computer controlled pH gradients on both cationic (CEX) and anionic (AEX) IEX stationary phases over the very wide pH range from 2 to 12. In pISep, titration curves generated by proportional mixing of the acidic and basic pISep working buffers alone, or in the presence of non-buffering solutes such as the neutral salt NaCl (0–1M), polar organics such as urea (0–8M) or acetonitrile (0–80 Vol%), can be fitted with high fidelity using high order polynomials which, in turn allows construction of a mathematical manifold %A (% acidic pISep buffer) vs. pH vs. [non-buffering solute], permitting precise computer control of pH and the non-buffering solute concentration allowing formation of dual uncoupled liquid chromatographic (LC) gradients of arbitrary shape (Hirsh and Tsonev, 2012 [1]). The separation of protein isoforms examined in this paper by use of such pH gradients in the presence of urea demonstrates the fractionation power of a true single step two dimensional liquid chromatography which we denote as Stability-Influenced Ion Exchange Chromatography (SIIEX). We present evidence that SIIEX is capable of increasing the resolution of protein isoforms difficult to separate by ordinary pH gradient IEX, and potentially simplifying the development of laboratory and production purification strategies involving on-column simultaneous pH and urea unfolding or refolding of targeted proteins. We model some of the physics implied by the dynamics of the observed protein fractionations as a function of both urea concentration and pH assuming that urea-induced native state unfolding competes with native state electrostatic interaction binding to an IEX stationary phase. Implications for in vivo protein-membrane interactions are discussed.

Chemical and toxicological characterizations of hydraulic fracturing flowback and produced water

Hydraulic fracturing (HF) has emerged as a major method of unconventional oil and gas recovery. The toxicity of hydraulic fracturing flowback and produced water (HF-FPW) has not been previously reported and is complicated by the combined complexity of organic and inorganic constituents in HF fluids and deep formation water. In this study, we characterized the solids, salts, and organic signatures in an HF-FPW sample from the Duvernay Formation, Alberta, Canada. Untargeted HPLC-Orbitrap revealed numerous unknown dissolved polar organics. Among the most prominent peaks, a substituted tri-phenyl phosphate was identified which is likely an oxidation product of a common polymer antioxidant. Acute toxicity of zebrafish embryo was attributable to high salinity and organic contaminants in HF-FPW with LC50 values ranging from 0.6% to 3.9%, depending on the HF-FPW fractions and embryo developmental stages. Induction of ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity was detected, due in part to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and suspended solids might have a synergistic effect on EROD induction. This study demonstrates that toxicological profiling of real HF-FPW sample presents great challenges for assessing the potential risks and impacts posed by HF-FPW spills.

Organic vapours sorption on simply modified bentonites

Modified materials based on bentonite (acid-activated bentonite, mineralogically defined clay obtained by sedimentation, and composite material composed of bentonite and humic substances) were prepared in this work and sorption properties of the prepared materials for organic vapours (cyclohexane, toluene, mixture of xylenes and acetone) were determined. The aim of modification was the specific surface area enlargement and reduction of hydrophilic character. Results of the organic vapours adsorption show that the polarity of adsorbate is very important factor. It was found that adsorption of less polar and nonpolar organic vapours on the prepared clay-based materials took place through weak interactions and the specific surface area was key factor influencing adsorption process. Influence of water content in the materials can be considered, too. Adsorbed amounts of weakly polar organics on the clay materials were at most on the half level in comparison with active carbon. In the case of polar acetone the studied bentonites show the comparable adsorbed amounts as active carbon. It was found that acetone replaced water molecules in the solvation shells of interlayer cations, which was proven by infrared spectroscopy. The specific surface area did not play a leading role during adsorption of acetone on the bentonites.

Pervaporative dehydration of concentrated aqueous solutions of selected polar organics by a perfluoropolymer membrane

Abstract A perfluoropolymer membrane known as CMS-3 has been applied to separation of aqueous mixtures containing high concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as acetone, n -butanol and ethanol by pervaporation. A concentrated aqueous solution of much less volatile ethylene glycol was also investigated. The feed compositions for mixtures of water-ethylene glycol were varied between 5 and 30 wt% water. For mixtures containing VOCs encountered in biofuel production, acetone, n -butanol and ethanol, the composition was fixed and temperatures between 30 and 50 °C were explored. Separation factors ranging from 2420 to 12,800 were observed for water over ethylene glycol as the ethylene glycol content in the feed increased from 70% to 95%. In aqueous mixtures of the three VOCs, the separation factors for water over n -butanol, ethanol and acetone at 30 °C were respectively 7180, 900, and 235. These results seem to support evidence of the size-exclusive nature of the CMS-3 polymer membrane; smaller molecular solvents such as water are more selectively transported when compared to larger ones such as n -butanol even though the membrane is highly hydrophobic. Flux values were modest due to the relative thickness of the membrane used. In this study, the maximum water flux was found to be 33 g/(m 2 h) at 50 °C for quaternary mixtures of n -butanol, ethanol, acetone and water using a 25 μm thick, flat sheet membrane. For this membrane, the permeability of a variety of species e.g., permanent gases, vapors, volatile organic liquids, appears to be strongly correlated with the molecular diameter and shows a sharp drop-off as the molecular diameter increases.

Development and Calibration of an Organic-Diffusive Gradients in Thin Films Aquatic Passive Sampler for a Diverse Suite of Polar Organic Contaminants.

A unique configuration of the diffusive gradients in thin films sampler for polar organics (o-DGT) without a poly(ether sulfone) membrane was developed, calibrated, and field-evaluated. Diffusion coefficients (D) through agarose diffusive gels ranged from (1.02 to 4.74) × 10-6 cm2/s for 34 pharmaceuticals and pesticides at 5, 13, and 23 °C. Analyte-specific diffusion-temperature plots produced linear (r2 > 0.85) empirical relationships whereby D could be estimated at any environmentally relevant temperature (i.e., matched to in situ water conditions). Linear uptake for all analytes was observed in a static renewal calibration experiment over 25 days except for three macrolide antibiotics, which reached saturation at 300 ng (≈15 d). Experimental sampling rates ranged from 8.8 to 16.1 mL/d and were successfully estimated with measured and modeled D within 19% and 30% average relative error, respectively. Under slow flowing (2.4 cm/s) and static conditions, the in situ diffusive boundary layer (DBL) thickness ranged from 0.023 to 0.075 cm, resulting in a maximum contribution to mass transfer of <45%. Estimated water concentrations by o-DGT at a wastewater treatment plant agreed well with grab samples and appeared to be less influenced by the boundary layer compared to that of polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) deployed simultaneously. The o-DGT sampler is a promising monitoring tool that is largely insensitive to the DBL under typical flow conditions, facilitating the application of measured/modeled diffusion-based sampling rates. This significantly reduces the need for sampler calibration, making o-DGT more widely applicable, reliable, and cost-effective compared to current polar passive samplers.

Levels of organic compounds in interiors (school, home, university and hospital) of Ouargla city, Algeria

Indoor environments are affected by a number of organic contaminants, whose concentrations can exceed by orders of magnitude those found outdoors in external air. At this regard, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) deserve a special concern. PAHs occur in the air both in the gaseous and particulate forms; they are associated to fine aerosols and soil dust, and deposit on surfaces. Nonetheless, scarce information exists about the PAH pollution of indoor locations in Northern Africa. PAHs were first investigated in dust of interiors in Ouargla (Saharan Algeria), concurrently with n-alkanes and polar organics. Settled dust was collected from pre-cleaned surfaces (0.5 m2 each) at 7 internal locations in total from a school, the city hospital and university, and a home. Three sample series were collected 15, 30 days and random after the preliminary cleaning of surfaces. Contemporarily, organic compounds were collected at 15 locations of the target sites by deploying diffusive samplers over the whole study period to obtain molecular signatures of semi-volatile organic fraction. A consolidated procedure consisting of ultra-sonic bath extraction, semi-preparative column chromatography and gas chromatographic - mass spectrometric analysis was applied for chemical characterization of dusts. n-Alkanes ranged from 3.8 to 41 μg/m2 in dust and 0.17–2.42 μg/m3 in gas phase. PAHs concentrations were 17–89 ng/m2 and 45–182 ng/m3, respectively. Caffeine and nicotine were found both in dust (63–2,02 ng/m2 and 7–284 ng/m2, respectively) and as vapors in air (4–416 ng/m3 and 3.5–60 ng/m3). Two sites were affected by cannabinoids, while traces of nonylphenols occurred at all locations. External air was, on the average, more affected by PAHs than the interiors of school and hospital, but not of university. The compound concentrations show that Ouargla city is seriously polluted and requires actions to improve air quality.

Absorption properties of an inverted cucurbit[7]uril-based porous coordination polymer induced by [ZnCl4]2 − anions

Coordination of an inverted cucurbit[7]uril (iQ[7]) with a series of alkali cations (A+), revealed that iQ[7] can interact with potassium to form iQ[7]-K+-based porous coordination polymer in the presence of [ZnCl4]2− anions as a structure directing agent. Unexpectedly, isothermal titration calorimetry revealed no obvious interaction of iQ[7] with any A+ cation. Moreover, the iQ[7]-K+-based porous coordination polymer showed selective sorption of polar volatile organics, which may have potential applications for molecular sieves, sensors, and absorption and separation processes.

Pyrolysis behavior of a typical Chinese sub-bituminous Zhundong coal from moderate to high temperatures

The pyrolysis mechanism of Zhundong sub-bituminous coal (ZD) was investigated by tube furnace, gas chromatography and GC/MS. Coal samples were pyrolyzed in a tube furnace at any of six temperatures (from 500 to 1000°C in 100°C increments) and the pyrolysis products were analyzed. The volatile release characteristics were investigated by gas chromatography and the tars generated during pyrolysis were analyzed by GC/MS. Additionally, relevant physicochemical properties of the obtained char were discussed by FTIR and BET. Results suggested that increasing pyrolysis temperature could improve the volatile release volume and rate as well as the calorific value of the resultant gas due to the substantial increase of H2 and an incremental increase of CH4. Pyrolysis also effectively increased the coal rank and reduced the O/C ratio of char. FTIR spectra indicated that during pyrolysis, functional groups on the organic macromolecule decomposed and released to form the gas volume. The average pore diameter of ZD char decreased with pyrolysis temperature to a minimum value at about 700°C after which the average pore diameter gradually increased. The trends of specific surface area and pore volume with pyrolysis temperature were opposite the trend for average pore diameter. As for the tar components, the aliphatic hydrocarbons decreased and aromatic hydrocarbons increased while the polar organics first increased to a high value and then decreased. Finally, the mass balance demonstrated the pyrolysis gas yield increased with the temperature while the char showed the opposite trend. Besides, the tar yield achieved its maximum value at about 600°C.

Screening primary racemic amines for enantioseparation by derivatized polysaccharide and cyclofructan columns

It is a challenge to separate the enantiomers of native chiral amines prone to deleterious silanol interactions. A set of 39 underivatized chiral primary amines was screened for enantiomeric separation. Seven recently introduced commercial chiral columns were tested. They included six polysaccharide based chiral stationary phases (CSP) with bonded derivatives, ChiralPak® IA, IB, IC, ID, IE and IF columns and a cyclofructan derivatized CSP, Larihc® CF6-P column. Both the normal phase (NP) mode with heptane/alcohol mobile phases and the polar organic (PO) mode with acetonitrile/alcohol were evaluated. It was found that the cyclofructan based CSP demonstrated the highest success rate in separating primary amines in the PO mode with only one chiral amine not resolved. It is shown that, when screening the columns, there is no standard optimal condition; an excellent mobile phase composition for one column may be poorly suited to another one. Although butylamine was a good mobile phase additive for the polysaccharide columns in both PO and NP modes, it was detrimental to the enantio-recognition capability of the cyclofructan column. Triethylamine was the appropriate silanol screening agent for this latter column.

Microplasma Ionization of Volatile Organics for Improving Air/Water Monitoring Systems On-Board the International Space Station.

Low molecular weight polar organics are commonly observed in spacecraft environments. Increasing concentrations of one or more of these contaminants can negatively impact Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) systems and/or the health of crew members, posing potential risks to the success of manned space missions. Ambient plasma ionization mass spectrometry (MS) is finding effective use as part of the analytical methodologies being tested for next-generation space module environmental analysis. However, ambient ionization methods employing atmospheric plasmas typically require relatively high operation voltages and power, thus limiting their applicability in combination with fieldable mass spectrometers. In this work, we investigate the use of a low power microplasma device in the microhollow cathode discharge (MHCD) configuration for the analysis of polar organics encountered in space missions. A metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure with molybdenum foil disc electrodes and a mica insulator was used to form a 300 μm diameter plasma discharge cavity. We demonstrate the application of these MIM microplasmas as part of a versatile miniature ion source for the analysis of typical volatile contaminants found in the International Space Station (ISS) environment, highlighting their advantages as low cost and simple analytical devices. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Microbe-like inclusions in tree resins and implications for the fossil record of protists in amber.

During the past two decades, a plethora of fossil micro-organisms have been described from various Triassic to Miocene ambers. However, in addition to entrapped microbes, ambers commonly contain microscopic inclusions that sometimes resemble amoebae, ciliates, microfungi, and unicellular algae in size and shape, but do not provide further diagnostic features thereof. For a better assessment of the actual fossil record of unicellular eukaryotes in amber, we studied equivalent inclusions in modern resin of the Araucariaceae; this conifer family comprises important amber-producers in Earth history. Using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), we investigated the chemical nature of the inclusion matter and the resin matrix. Whereas the matrix, as expected, showed a more hydrocarbon/aromatic-dominated composition, the inclusions contain abundant salt ions and polar organics. However, the absence of signals characteristic for cellular biomass, namely distinctive proteinaceous amino acids and lipid moieties, indicates that the inclusions do not contain microbial cellular matter but salts and hydrophilic organic substances that probably derived from the plant itself. Rather than representing protists or their remains, these microbe-like inclusions, for which we propose the term 'pseudoinclusions', consist of compounds that are immiscible with the terpenoid resin matrix and were probably secreted in small amounts together with the actual resin by the plant tissue. Consequently, reports of protists from amber that are only based on the similarity of the overall shape and size to extant taxa, but do not provide relevant features at light-microscopical and ultrastructural level, cannot be accepted as unambiguous fossil evidence for these particular groups.

Synthesis and characterization of monodisperse-porous, zwitterionic microbeads

Zwitterionic, monodisperse-porous polymer beads were newly synthesized using a hydrophilic acrylic crosslinker (glycerol dimethacrylate, GDMA) or a hydrophobic one (ethylene dimethacrylate) including a zwitterionic functional monomer sulfopropyl-2-vinylpyridinium hydroxide (SVP) in a modified-staged shape template polymerization. The effects of monomer/seed latex ratio and diluent/seed latex ratio on the particle size, mean pore size, pore size distribution and specific surface area of the poly(1-(3-sulfopropyl)-2-vinylpyridinium hydroxide-co-glycerol dimethacrylate) poly(SVP-co-GDMA) and poly(1-(3-sulfopropyl)-2-vinylpyridinium hydroxide-co-ethylene glycerol dimethacrylate) poly(SVP-co-EDMA) microbeads were investigated. For both types of microbeads, the mean size decreased with decreasing monomer/seed latex ratio and decreasing diluent/seed latex ratio. Almost tenfold higher specific surface area was achieved using a hydrophobic crosslinking agent (EDMA) with respect to the hydrophilic one. Poly(SVP-co-GDMA) microbeads were satisfactorily used as a stationary phase in HILIC mode for the isocratic separation of polar organics with the plate heights up to 124 microns.

Microtubule dynamics of the centrosome-like polar organizers from the basal land plant Marchantia polymorpha.

The liverwort Marchantia employs both modern and ancestral devices during cell division: it forms preprophase bands and in addition it shows centrosome-like polar organizers. We investigated whether polar organizers and preprophase bands cooperate to set up the division plane. To this end, two novel green fluorescent protein-based microtubule markers for dividing cells of Marchantia were developed. Cells of the apical notch formed polar organizers first and subsequently assembled preprophase bands. Polar organizers were formed de novo from multiple mobile microtubule foci localizing to the nuclear envelope. The foci then became concentrated by bipolar aggregation. We determined the comet production rate of polar organizers and show that microtubule plus ends of astral microtubules polymerize faster than those found on cortical microtubules. Importantly, it was observed that conditions increasing polar organizer numbers interfere with preprophase band formation. The data show that polar organizers have much in common with centrosomes, but that they also have specialized features. The results suggest that polar organizers contribute to preprophase band formation and in this way are involved in controlling the division plane. Our analyses of the basal land plant Marchantia shed new light on the evolution of plant cell division.

An alternative anaerobic treatment process for treatment of heavy oil refinery wastewater containing polar organics

Heavy oil is an important part of energy sources, but the refining wastewater is difficult to treat by the conventional anaerobic process, which has low efficiency and poor ability to resist impact load. In this study, an up-flow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) reactor was applied to treat heavy oil refinery wastewater containing large amounts of polar organics. Through a progressive increase of hydraulic conditions, the average removal efficiencies of COD and total oil reached 70% and 72%, respectively, at an organic loading rate (OLR) of 3.44kg COD/m3d. GC–MS analysis revealed that more biodegradable organic acids and alcohols were generated and macromolecular polar organics were degraded into small molecular intermediates after UASB treatment. The morphology observation of the sludge demonstrated that granular sludge with an average particle size of 1mm was formed. Moreover, the predominant species and microbial community shift could reflect the performance of the reactor. The long-term operation of UASB exhibited excellent polar organic removal efficiency. The study demonstrated the potential of UASB as an alternative for high-efficiency anaerobic treatment of heavy oil refinery wastewater.

Topological control of the Caulobacter cell cycle circuitry by a polarized single-domain PAS protein.

Despite the myriad of different sensory domains encoded in bacteria, only a few types are known to control the cell cycle. Here we use a forward genetic screen for Caulobacter crescentus motility mutants to identify a conserved single-domain PAS (Per-Arnt-Sim) protein (MopJ) with pleiotropic regulatory functions. MopJ promotes re-accumulation of the master cell cycle regulator CtrA after its proteolytic destruction is triggered by the DivJ kinase at the G1-S transition. MopJ and CtrA syntheses are coordinately induced in S-phase, followed by the sequestration of MopJ to cell poles in Caulobacter. Polarization requires Caulobacter DivJ and the PopZ polar organizer. MopJ interacts with DivJ and influences the localization and activity of downstream cell cycle effectors. Because MopJ abundance is upregulated in stationary phase and by the alarmone (p)ppGpp, conserved systemic signals acting on the cell cycle and growth phase control are genetically integrated through this conserved single PAS-domain protein.

Development of an Acid Titration for Fast Pyrolysis Oil

Pyrolysis oil is a renewable resource derived from biomass and can be viewed as a potential crude oil substitute or extender. Pyrolysis oil has several undesirable properties, including very high acid and water contents. Because of the high acid content, pyrolysis oil will likely be blended with conventional crude oil for processing into transportation fuel, lowering the overall acid content of the mixture and mitigating the corrosivity toward refining units. Pyrolysis oil contains polar and nonpolar organics, water, and particulates. These components can be difficult to homogenize and, if left standing, may separate again. Additionally, pyrolysis oil will thicken with time as components react to form higher molecular weight products. ASTM D664 “Standard Test Method for Acid Number of Petroleum Products by Potentiometric Titration” is often used for determining the acid content of pyrolysis oils. However, ASTM D664 was developed specifically for petroleum-based lubricants. The ASTM D664 solvent system is unsuited for use with pyrolysis oil, failing to completely solubilize the pyrolysis oil and yielding unreliable results. This work addresses two related problems with pyrolysis oil. The first is obtaining and maintaining a stable, homogeneous sample for analysis that is representative of the material to be analyzed. The second issue is the development of a reliable method for the measurement of the acid concentration by titration, which is necessary to calculate the amount of pyrolysis oil that can be mixed with a crude oil and safely processed in existing refinery equipment. A simple solvent system based on ethylene glycol (ethane-1,2-diol) has been devised that produces stable, homogeneous solutions and allows for highly repeatable acid numbers on pyrolysis oil. The accuracy and precision for the modified method are both satisfactory.

Preparation and Evaluation of HPLC Chiral Stationary Phases Based on Cationic/Basic Derivatives of Cyclofructan 6

The cyclofructan 6 (CF6) macrocyclic-oligosaccharide was derivatized with five different substituents able to bear positive charges: propyl imidazole, methyl benzimidazole, dimethyl aminopropyl, pyridine, and dimethyl aminophenyl. The derivatized cyclofructans were reacted with triethoxysilyl-propylisocyanate as a linker to bond them to 5 µm spherical silica gel particles and then used to prepare liquid chromatography columns. The bonded silica particles were analyzed to establish the bonding densities. A set of 34 chiral compounds including acids, neutral compounds, and bases was tested with nine different mobile phase compositions including two reverse phase (RP) acetonitrile/pH 4 buffer, three polar organic (PO) acetonitrile/methanol, and four normal phase (NP) heptane/ethanol mobile phases. No compounds could be separated in the RP mode. Eight compounds only could be enantioseparated in the PO mode and 21 compounds in the NP mode. The most effective chiral stationary phase was the propyl imidazole derivatized CF6 phase, provided no more than six imidazole substituents and two linkers are attached per CF6 unit.

Textural Characteristics of Resorcinol—Formaldehyde Resin and Temperature Behavior of Bound Water Affected by Co-Adsorbed Trifluoroacetic Acid or Pyridine in Weakly Polar Organic Media

Resorcinol-formaldehyde resin (RFR) was synthesized as a porous material characterized by specific surface area of 140 m2/g and pore volume of 0.59 cm3/g with major proportions of broad mesopores and macropores. The interfacial behavior of water at low (h = 0.05 g of water/gram of dry RFR) and high (h = 2 g/g) hydration degrees depends on temperature and pore size filled by unfrozen water because its freezing-point depression increases in narrower pores. When water is mixed with co-adsorbates, the effects of such co-adsorbates as non-polar, weakly polar and polar organics depend on the amounts and the pore sizes. Even at a low hydration degree (h = 0.05 g/g), a portion of water can be displaced from pores by organic co-adsorbates because water has a relatively weak interaction with the RFR surface.

Evaluation of polycaprolactone as a new sorbent coating for determination of polar organic compounds in water samples using membrane-SPME.

Commercially available solid-phase microextraction fibers used for isolation of polar analytes are based on the adsorption phenomenon. In consequence, typical limitations bonded with analytes displacement and matrix effects are very frequent. In the present study, alternative solution is described. Polycaprolactone (PCL) was used for the first time as sorbent to isolate polar organic compounds from water samples using the membrane–solid-phase microextraction (M-SPME) technique. In this technique, due to protective role of the mechanically and thermally stable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane, internal polar coating might be melted during extraction and desorption of analytes. In consequence sorbents with low melting points like a PCL might be utilized. Based on chromatographic retention data, triazines were selected as a model compounds for evaluation of the sorptive properties of the polycaprolactone. Applying the screening plan and central composite design, statistically significant parameters influencing extraction efficiency were determined and optimized. The analysis of variance confirmed the significant influence of temperature, salt content, and pH of samples on the extraction efficiency. Besides the new PCL/PDMS fiber, a commercial fiber coated with divinylbenzene/polydimethylsiloxane (DVB/PDMS) was used for comparative studies. The results obtained showed that PCL is an interesting sorbent which can be successfully applied for isolation of polar organics from aqueous matrices at a broad range of analytes concentration. The determined detection limits of procedure based on the novel fiber enable its application at the concentration levels of triazines recommended by the US EPA standards. The practical applicability of the developed fiber has been confirmed by the results based on the analysis of real samples.