Solid-phase Microextraction Extraction Research Articles

The kinetics of solid-phase microextraction measured for freshly added and aged hydrophobic compounds in two different soils

The proper choice of exposure times is critical if the freely dissolved concentration of chemicals in soil porewater is to be measured via the equilibrium solid-phase microextraction (SPME) as the times to equilibrium may vary depending on compound and soil properties. To reveal the effects of compound hydrophobicity, ageing and soil organic matter content on times to equilibrium, the SPME uptake was measured for five freshly added and aged hydrophobic organic compounds (phenanthrene, pyrene, lindane, p,p′-DDT and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) 153) in two contrasted soils (arable and forest soil). The tested compound-soil systems behaved kinetically different. Longer equilibrium times were observed with increasing hydrophobicity of compounds for aged compared to freshly added chemicals and for the forest soil in comparison to the arable soil. The calculated soil–porewater partition coefficients (i.e. sorption coefficients, Kd) of chemicals differed between soil types mainly due to various organic carbon (OC) contents as evidenced by the comparable Koc values (i.e. Kd values normalised to soil OC content). Similar Koc values were also found with the various extent of ageing, indicating that both the freshly added and aged compounds linearly partitioned between the soil organic matter and porewater. Our results suggest that, for a respective compound, variations in equilibrium times may be expected depending upon the residence time and the organic matter content in soil where the longest equilibrium times seems to appear for a combination of aged compounds and high organic soils. With regard to this outcome, the effect of the level of sample depletion due to the SPME extraction (LDSPME) on equilibrium times was assessed. At LDsSPME of up to 10%, equilibrium times increases linearly with LDsSPME for p,p′-DDT and PCB 153. For phenanthrene (LDSPME<10%), and for lindane and pyrene (1.2% < LDSPME > 40%), no clear relationships were observed.

Quantification of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and o-xylene in internal combustion engine exhaust with time-weighted average solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography mass spectrometry

A new and simple method for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and o-xylene (BTEX) quantification in vehicle exhaust was developed based on diffusion-controlled extraction onto a retracted solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber coating. The rationale was to develop a method based on existing and proven SPME technology that is feasible for field adaptation in developing countries. Passive sampling with SPME fiber retracted into the needle extracted nearly two orders of magnitude less mass (n) compared with exposed fiber (outside of needle) and sampling was in a time weighted-averaging (TWA) mode. Both the sampling time (t) and fiber retraction depth (Z) were adjusted to quantify a wider range of Cgas. Extraction and quantification is conducted in a non-equilibrium mode. Effects of Cgas, t, Z and T were tested. In addition, contribution of n extracted by metallic surfaces of needle assembly without SPME coating was studied. Effects of sample storage time on n loss was studied. Retracted TWA–SPME extractions followed the theoretical model. Extracted n of BTEX was proportional to Cgas, t, Dg, T and inversely proportional to Z. Method detection limits were 1.8, 2.7, 2.1 and 5.2mgm−3 (0.51, 0.83, 0.66 and 1.62ppm) for BTEX, respectively. The contribution of extraction onto metallic surfaces was reproducible and influenced by Cgas and t and less so by T and by the Z. The new method was applied to measure BTEX in the exhaust gas of a Ford Crown Victoria 1995 and compared with a whole gas and direct injection method.

A rapid method for breath analysis in cystic fibrosis patients.

For easy handling and speed of lung diseases diagnostics, approaches based on volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including those emitted by pathogenic microorganisms, are considered but currently require considerable sampling efforts. We tested whether easy-to-handle and fast detection of lung infections is possible using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) of 100ml of exhaled breath. An analytical procedure for the detection of VOCs from the headspace of epithelial lung cells infected with four human pathogens was developed. The feasibility of this method was tested in a cystic fibrosis (CF) outpatient clinic in vivo. Exhaled breath was extracted by SPME and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The compositions of VOCs released in the infection model were characteristic for all individual pathogens tested. Exhaled breath of CF patients allowed clear distinction of CF patients and controls by their VOC compositions using multivariate analyses. Interestingly, the major specific VOCs detected in the exhaled breath of infected CF patients in vivo differed from those monitored during bacterial in vitro growth. SPME extraction of VOCs from 100ml of human breath allowed the distinction between CF patients and healthy probands. Our results highlight the importance of assessing the entire pattern of VOCs instead of selected biomarkers for diagnostic purposes, as well as the need to use clinical samples to identify reliable biomarkers. This study provides the proof-of-concept for the approach using the composition of exhaled VOCs in human breath for the rapid identification of infectious agents in patients with lower respiratory tract infections.

High throughput quantification of prohibited substances in plasma using thin film solid phase microextraction

Simple, fast and efficient sample preparation approaches that allow high-throughput isolation of various compounds from complex matrices are highly desired in bioanalysis. Particularly sought are methods that can, without sacrificing time, easily remove matrix interferences capable of inducing ionization suppression/enhancement, or causing detrimental effects in instrumental performance. In this work, an automated high-throughput sample preparation method using thin film solid phase microextraction (SPME) for the analysis of multiple prohibited substances in plasma is proposed. A biocompatible SPME extraction phase made of hydrophilic–lipophilic balance particles immobilized with polyacrylonitrile (PAN) demonstrated satisfactory extraction capabilities for 25 compounds of a wide range of polarities (logP from −2 to 6.8). Due to the well-known biocompatible characteristics of PAN-based SPME coatings, minimum sample handling was required. Experimental conditions for pre-conditioning, extraction, wash and desorption were carefully optimized for the proposed method. By taking full advantage of the 96 thin film handling capability of the automated system, a preparation time of approximately 1.5min per sample can be achieved. Satisfactory results in terms of absolute matrix effects were found for the majority of the studied analytes, given that 24 out of 25 compounds exhibited values in the range of 100 and 120%. The method was validated in terms of linearity (R2>0.99), inter and intra-day accuracy (85–130%) and precision (<20%) and limits of quantitation (0.25–10ngmL−1 for most compounds).

Elucidation of key aroma compounds in traditional dry fermented sausages using different extraction techniques

The use of different extraction techniques - solid phase microextraction (SPME) and solvent assisted flavour evaporation (SAFE) - can deliver different aroma profiles and it is essential to determine which is most suitable to extract the aroma compounds from dry fermented sausages. Forty-five aroma-active compounds were detected by SPME and SAFE, with 11 of them reported for the first time as aroma compounds in dry fermented sausages: ethyl 3-hydroxy butanoate, trimethyl pyrazine, D-pantolactone, isobutyl hexanoate, ethyl benzoate, α-terpineol, ethyl 3-pyridinecarboxylate, benzothiazole, 2,3-dihydrothiophene, methyl eugenol, γ-nonalactone. The aroma concentration and odour activity values (OAVs) were calculated. Flavour reconstitution analyses were performed using 20 odorants with OAVs above 1 obtained from the SAFE and SPME extracts to prepare the aroma model. SPME and SAFE techniques were complementary and necessary to reproduce the overall dry fermented sausage aroma. The final aroma model included the odorants from both extraction techniques (SPME and SAFE) but it was necessary to incorporate the compounds 2,4-decadienal (E,E), benzothiazole, methyl eugenol, α-terpineol, and eugenol to the final aroma model to evoked the fresh sausage aroma although a lowest cured meat aroma note was perceived.

Solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for quantitative determination of chlordecone in water, plant and soil samples

Introduction. Chlordecone (CLD), an organochlorine formerly used to control the banana black weevil, is strongly adsorbed on soils, particularly on andosols. A simplified analytical procedure for the quantitative determination of chlordecone residues in water and micro-samples of soil and plants was compared with a standard method. Materials and methods. The procedure combines a simplified sampling protocol and a 10-min solid phase microextraction (SPME), followed by gas chromatographic separation (GC) and mass spectrometric (MS and MS/MS) identification. Quantitation of CLD used a standard addition method with zero extrapolation. First, seventy samples were analysed using the proposed method and the standard method based on hot solvent extraction. Second, fifteen soil samples were analysed with two SPME methods followed by GC-MS but using CLD labelled with C13 as an internal standard or the proposed method. Results and discussion. The detection (LOD) and quantitation (LOQ) limits of our SPME extraction procedure were determined for GC-MS and GC-MS/MS with water, plant (pineapple roots) and soil samples: in water for MS/MS, LOD MS/MS-water = 0.5 ng⋅L -1 , LOQ MS/MS-water = 2.0 ng⋅L -1 ; in andosol for MS/MS, LOD MS/MS-soil = 15.0 ng⋅kg -1 dw, LOQ MS/MS-soil = 80.0 ng⋅kg -1 dw. Data from the seventy contaminated soils obtained with the proposed method and the standard method showed a correlation coefficient of r = 0.86. Data obtained by the two SPME/GC-MS quantitation procedures showed a correlation of r = 0.8073. Conclusion. The method proposes a simplified sample preparation and extraction of CLD in water, plant and soil samples, with no solvent manipulation and which is not time-consuming. The LOD and LOQ were similar to those obtained with other currently used methods. The method is reli- able and accurate and may be considered as a good tool for research purposes. France (Martinique) / chlordecone / extraction / analytical methods / quantitative analysis / water analysis / soil analysis / tissue analysis

Aroma active volatiles in four southern highbush blueberry cultivars determined by gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Aroma active volatiles in four southern highbush blueberry cultivars ('Prima Dona', 'Jewel', 'Snow Chaser', and 'Kestrel') were determined using solid phase microextraction (SPME) in combination with gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) and identified via GC-PFPD and GC-MS using retention indices of reference compounds and mass spectral data. The aromas of total, unseparated SPME extracts evaluated using GC-O were rated 8.2-9.0/10 for the four cultivars in terms of similarity to the original blueberry homogenates. In terms of GC-O aroma similarity, those aroma active volatile groups characterized as green, fruity, and floral were most intense. Of the 43 volatiles found to have aroma activity, 38 were identified and 13 had not been previously reported in blueberries. Although linalool and (E)-2-hexenal were common major aroma impact volatiles, dominant aroma-active volatiles were different for each cultivar. Principal component analysis confirmed that each cultivar possessed a unique aroma active profile as each cultivar was clustered into a separate score plot quadrant.

Simultaneous determination of ten taste and odor compounds in drinking water by solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Taste and odor (T&O) problems in drinking water frequently occur because of many compounds present in the water, of which trans-1,10-dimethyl-trans-9-decalol (geosmin) and 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) are well-known. In this study, a fast and effective method was established for simultaneous determination of 10 T&O compounds, including geosmin, MIB, 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), 2-methylbenzofuran, 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (IPMP), 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (IBMP), cis-3-hexenyl acetate, trans,trans-2,4-heptadienal, trans, cis-2,6-nonadienal, and trans-2-decenal in water samples by headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. An orthogonal array experimental design was used to optimize the effects of SPME fiber, extraction temperature, stirring rate, NaCl content, extraction time, and desorption time. The limits of detection ranged from 0.1 to 73 ng/L were lower than or close to the odor threshold concentrations (OTCs). All the 10 T&O compounds were detected in the 14 water samples including surface water, treatment process water and tap water, taken from a waterworks in Lianyungang City, China. MIB and geosmin were detected in most samples at low concentration. Six T&O compounds (IPMP, IBMP, trans,cis-2,6-nonadienal, 2-methylbenzofuran, trans-2-decenal, and TCA) were effectively decreased in water treatment process (sedimentation and filtration) that is different from cis-3-hexenyl acetate, MIB and geosmin. It is noted that the TCA concentrations at 15.9–122.3 ng/L and the trans,cis-2,6-nonadienal concentrations at 79.9–190.1 ng/L were over 10 times higher than their OTCs in tap water. The variation of the analytes in the all water samples, especially distribution system indicated that distribution system cannot be ignored as a T&O compounds source.

In matrix derivatization of trichloroethylene metabolites in human plasma with methyl chloroformate and their determination by solid-phase microextraction–gas chromatography-electron capture detector

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a common industrial chemical that has been widely used as metal degreaser and for many industrial purposes. In humans, TCE is metabolized into dichloroacetic acid (DCA), trichloroacetic acid (TCA) and trichloroethanol (TCOH). A simple and rapid method has been developed for the quantitative determination of TCE metabolites. The procedure involves the in situ derivatization of TCE metabolites with methyl chloroformate (MCF) directly in diluted plasma samples followed by extraction and analysis with solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to gas chromatography-electron capture detector (GC-ECD). Factors which can influence the efficiency of derivatization such as amount of MCF and pyridine (PYR), ratio of water/methanol were optimized. The factors which can affect the extraction efficiencies of SPME were screened using 2(7-4) Placket-Burman Design (PBD). A central composite design (CCD) was then applied to further optimize the most significant factors for optimum SPME extraction. The optimum factors for the SPME extraction were found to be 562.5mg of NaCl, pH at 1 and an extraction time of 22 min. Recoveries and detection limits of all three analytes in plasma were found to be in the range of 92.69-97.55% and 0.036-0.068 μg mL(-1) of plasma, respectively. The correlation coefficients were found to be in the range of 0.990-0.995. The intra- and inter-day precisions for TCE metabolites were found to be in the range of 2.37-4.81% and 5.13-7.61%, respectively. The major advantage of this method is that MCF derivatization allows conversion of TCE metabolites into their methyl esters in very short time (≤30 s) at room temperature directly in the plasma samples, thus makes it a solventless analysis. The method developed was successfully applied to the plasma samples of humans exposed to TCE.

Optimization of solid phase microextraction for non-lethal in vivo determination of selected pharmaceuticals in fish muscle using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

A new thin film microextraction (TFME) configuration based on C18 thin film was optimized to improve solid phase microextraction (SPME) sensitivity and extraction kinetics for in vivo determinations of trace pharmaceuticals in fish tissue. Optimization of SPME involved increasing sampler surface area and volume of extraction phase to improve performance within in vitro applications such as agarose gel matrix and spiked fish tissue, as well as in vivo determinations of pharmaceuticals in fish exposed to municipal wastewater. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were exposed for 4d to effluents from a municipal wastewater plant that was treated under three different configurations of a pilot plant. Fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) were caged for 14d upstream and downstream of municipal wastewater effluent discharges along Grand River at near Kitchener, ON. TFME and regular C18 fibers were inserted into the dorsal-epaxial muscle of rainbow trout and fathead minnow, respectively, for 30min sampling intervals. Sample extracts obtained from fibers were desorbed in methanol:water (3:2) for 90min under 1500rpm agitation and analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS–MS) to determine pharmaceutical bioconcentration. Most target pharmaceuticals were detected in the wastewater with the exception of norfluoxetine and paroxetine. C18 TFME phase successfully quantified fluoxetine, venlafaxine, sertraline, paroxetine, and carbamazapine in muscle of living fish at concentrations ranging from 1.7 to 259ng/g. Reproducibility of the method in spiked fish muscle was 9–18% RSD with limits of detection and quantification ranging from 0.08 to 0.21ng/g and 0.09 to 0.64ng/g (respectively) for the analytes examined. Ibuprofen and gemfibrozil were not detected in fish tissues, likely due to rapid excretion leading to low rates of bioconcentration. This study demonstrates improved in vivo SPME sensitivity (recovery) and extraction rates during pre-equilibrium sampling of target pharmaceuticals in fish tissue due to the improved C18 extraction phase geometry.

Solid phase microextraction coupled with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry for high-resolution metabolite profiling in apples: Implementation of structured separations for optimization of sample preparation procedure in complex samples

Metabolomics currently represents one of the fastest growing high-throughput molecular analysis platforms that refer to the simultaneous and unbiased analysis of metabolite pools constituting a particular biological system under investigation. In response to the ever increasing interest in development of reliable methods competent with obtaining a complete and accurate metabolomic snapshot for subsequent identification, quantification and profiling studies, the purpose of the current investigation is to test the feasibility of solid phase microextraction for advanced fingerprinting of volatile and semivolatile metabolites in complex samples. In particular, the current study is focussed on the development and optimization of solid phase microextraction (SPME) – comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC–ToFMS) methodology for metabolite profiling of apples (Malus ×domestica Borkh.). For the first time, GC×GC attributes in terms of molecular structure–retention relationships and utilization of two-dimensional separation space on orthogonal GC×GC setup were exploited in the field of SPME method optimization for complex sample analysis. Analytical performance data were assessed in terms of method precision when commercial coatings are employed in spiked metabolite aqueous sample analysis. The optimized method consisted of the implementation of direct immersion SPME (DI-SPME) extraction mode and its application to metabolite profiling of apples, and resulted in a tentative identification of 399 metabolites and the composition of a metabolite database far more comprehensive than those obtainable with classical one-dimensional GC approaches. Considering that specific metabolome constituents were for the first time reported in the current study, a valuable approach for future advanced fingerprinting studies in the field of fruit biology is proposed. The current study also intensifies the understanding of SPME–GC×GC–ToFMS hyphenation and outlines the benefits of facilitating GC×GC for SPME method optimization. The obtained results clearly illustrate that acquisition of a more complete metabolome snapshot is only attainable under optimized conditions for both techniques.

Analytical comparison and sensory representativity of SAFE, SPME, and Purge and Trap extracts of volatile compounds from pea flour

Pisum sativum is of great economic and nutritional interest due to its protein content. Nevertheless, pea products are underused as a protein source in human food because of their strong beany flavour. Therefore, the objective of this study was to select an efficient and representative method to extract volatile molecules of pea flour. In the first step, three extraction methods were chosen: solid phase micro extraction (SPME); Purge and Trap extraction and solvent assisted flavour evaporation (SAFE). The corresponding extracts were analysed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. In the second step, the sensory representativity of the extracts was assessed either by direct gas chromatography–olfactometry for SPME and for Purge and Trap extracts, or by sniffing for the aqueous SAFE extract. It appeared that SAFE extraction was the most suitable method because of its good extraction capacities and its high sensory representativity of the global odour of pea flour.

Determination of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol in water samples by solid-phase microextraction with on-fiber derivatization and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

A new method for the determination of two cannabinoids, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THCCOOH), in wastewater samples is proposed using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) as extraction technique and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS) as determination technique. Several parameters involved in SPME extraction were studied and optimized (time, temperature, volume, pH and ionic strength of sample, and type of fiber). Moreover two derivatization reagents, N-methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (MSTFA) and N-methyl-N-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA), were studied in depth, providing MSTFA the best results. The use of internal standard calibration (with their corresponding deuterated analogs) allows avoiding standard addition calibration for the quantification of samples. Under optimal conditions, limits of detection at low nanograms per liter were achieved (1.0 and 2.5ngL−1 for THC and THCCOOH respectively). Precision (RSD<15%) and trueness (92–112% relative recovery) were also satisfactory. Analysis of several samples from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) shows the presence of cannabinoids at notable concentrations in raw wastewater (12–35ngL−1 for THC and 50–153ngL−1 for THCCOOH) and an incomplete removal, which translates into their detection in the receiving river.

Semi-automated in vivo solid-phase microextraction sampling and the diffusion-based interface calibration model to determine the pharmacokinetics of methoxyfenoterol and fenoterol in rats

In vivo solid-phase microextraction (SPME) can be used to sample the circulating blood of animals without the need to withdraw a representative blood sample. In this study, in vivo SPME in combination with liquid–chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) was used to determine the pharmacokinetics of two drug analytes, R,R-fenoterol and R,R-methoxyfenoterol, administered as 5mgkg−1i.v. bolus doses to groups of 5 rats. This research illustrates, for the first time, the feasibility of the diffusion-based calibration interface model for in vivo SPME studies. To provide a constant sampling rate as required for the diffusion-based interface model, partial automation of the SPME sampling of the analytes from the circulating blood was accomplished using an automated blood sampling system. The use of the blood sampling system allowed automation of all SPME sampling steps in vivo, except for the insertion and removal of the SPME probe from the sampling interface. The results from in vivo SPME were compared to the conventional method based on blood withdrawal and sample clean up by plasma protein precipitation. Both whole blood and plasma concentrations were determined by the conventional method. The concentrations of methoxyfenoterol and fenoterol obtained by SPME generally concur with the whole blood concentrations determined by the conventional method indicating the utility of the proposed method. The proposed diffusion-based interface model has several advantages over other kinetic calibration models for in vivo SPME sampling including (i) it does not require the addition of a standard into the sample matrix during in vivo studies, (ii) it is simple and rapid and eliminates the need to pre-load appropriate standard onto the SPME extraction phase and (iii) the calibration constant for SPME can be calculated based on the diffusion coefficient, extraction time, fiber length and radius, and size of the boundary layer. In the current study, the experimental calibration constants of 338.9±30mm−3 and 298.5±25mm−3 are in excellent agreement with the theoretical calibration constants of 307.9mm−3 and 316.0mm−3 for fenoterol and methoxyfenoterol respectively.

Determination of volatile organic compounds in water by headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry with triple quadrupole analyzer

In the present work, a rapid method with little sample handling has been developed for determination of 23 selected volatile organic compounds in environmental and wastewater samples. The method is based on headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) followed by gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS) determination using triple quadrupole analyzer (QqQ) in electron ionization mode. The best conditions for extraction were optimised with a factorial design taking into account the interaction between different parameters and not only individual effects of variables. In the optimized procedure, 4 mL of water sample were extracted using a 10 mL vial and adding 0.4 g NaCl (final NaCl content of 10%). An SPME extraction with carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane 75 μm fiber for 30 min at 50 °C (with 5 min of previous equilibration time) with magnetic stirring was applied. Chromatographic determination was carried out by GC–MS/MS working in Selected Reaction Monitoring (SRM) mode. For most analytes, two MS/MS transitions were acquired, although for a few compounds it was difficult to obtain characteristic abundant fragments. In those cases, a pseudo selected reaction monitoring (pseudo-SRM) with three ions was used instead. The intensity ratio between quantitation ( Q) and confirmation ( q) signals was used as a confirmatory parameter. The method was validated by means of recovery experiments ( n = 6) spiking mineral water samples at three concentration levels (0.1, 5 and 50 μg L −1). Recoveries between 70% and 120% were generally obtained with relative standard deviations (RSDs) lower than 20%. The developed method was applied to surface water and wastewater from a wastewater treatment plant and from a municipal solid-waste treatment plant. Several compounds, like chloroform, benzene, trichloroethylene, toluene, tetrachloroethylene, dibromochloromethane, xylenes and bromoform were detected and confirmed in all the samples analyzed.

Solid-Phase Microextraction Coupled to LC-ESI-MS/MS: Evaluation and Correction for Matrix-Induced Ionization Suppression/Enhancement for Pharmaceutical Analysis in Biological and Environmental Samples

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) has been widely used to analyze biological fluids, tissues, and environmental matrixes for a variety of organic compounds including pharmaceuticals. However, effects of the sample matrix coextracted by SPME on tandem mass spectrometry analysis have not been systematically investigated. In this study, we characterized the complexity of matrix effects (ME) by analyzing SPME extracts of fish muscle and brain tissue, blood, and bile, as well as tap water, surface water, and the influent and effluent from a wastewater treatment plant. Significant enhancement or suppression of ionization (>15%) was observed with all biological and environmental samples. Intrasample ME variability was assessed through comparison of multiple samples from the same sample matrix, while intersample variability between different experimental subjects or varying sample treatment, storage, and sampling conditions were evaluated. To correct for ME, an isotopic internal standard (IIS) method was developed, with the strengths and limitations of the approach discussed. This study provides a framework for applying SPME within complex sample systems where the influences of ME are inevitable, thus ensuring more accurate quantitation of analytes during biological and environmental analysis.

Estimation of Partition Coefficients of Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and p-Xylene by Consecutive Extraction with Solid Phase Microextraction

It is very important to use partition coefficients of organic pollutants to predict their fate in the environment. A liquidliquid extraction technique was used to determine the partition coefficients of organic compounds between water and organic solvent. The concentration of the target compounds must be determined after equilibrium is established between the two phases. The partition coefficients can be estimated using the capacity factors of HPLC and GC. The solid phase microextraction (SPME) technique has been widely used for the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in water and air; fragrances in perfume, food, and cosmetics; and many other emerging pollutants. In addition, the fact that SPME extraction is based on equilibrium drove scientists to develop a new approach to determine partition coefficient (Kd) values. Vaes et al. used the kinetics of partitioning to SPME fibers to estimate the Kd values for 19 organic compounds. Nardi used the “depletion technique” and a capillary tubing coated with siloxane to estimate the Kow values of BTEX. 6 The Kd values of hydrophobic compounds are generally known to have a close relationship with Kow. 7 Dean and colleagues showed a close correlation between water-fiber coefficients (Kfs) and octanol-water partition coefficients (Kow). 8 All these approaches use an absolute amount of analyte extracted from the SPME fiber. The liquid injection of a known amount of standard solution is a common technique to calibrate GC for quantitative analysis with the SPME fiber. This technique assumes that the sample transfer efficiency by the SPME fiber is the same as that of liquid injection. However, this study shows that several factors need to be considered in order to achieve higher sample transfer efficiency in the case of liquid injection, i.e., the liner, glass wool, and the temperature of the injector. The difference in sample transfer efficiency between liquid injection and the SPME fiber may result in errors in the estimation of Kfs values, i.e., Kow values. In this study, water-fiber partition coefficients (Kfs) were determined from consecutive extraction data by a SPME fiber. Instead of using the absolute mass of the analyte, the relative GC signal ratio was used to estimate the partition coefficients. An SPME fiber extracts target compounds multiple times from the same sample vial and inserts the fiber into a hot GC injector. The extracted amount on the fiber coating decreases exponentially after each extraction; Kfs of an analyte can be derived from the resulting GC responses. Theory. The following is the equation showing the relationship among the extracted amount (n, the number of moles of the analyte with an initial concentration of Co), the extraction phase volume, (Vf, typically 0.6 μL ), and the sample volume (Vs) when an SPME fiber has reached equilibrium with the analyte. Eq. (1) shows that the extracted amount is governed by the partition coefficient (Kfs) of the target analyte:

Optimization of in situ derivatization SPME by experimental design for GC‐MS multi‐residue analysis of pharmaceutical drugs in wastewater

This paper presents the development of a procedure, which enables the analysis of nine pharmaceutical drugs in wastewater using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) associated with solid-phase microextraction (SPME) for the sample preparation. Experimental design was applied to optimize the in situ derivatization and the SPME extraction conditions. Ethyl chloroformate (ECF) was employed as derivatizing agent and polydimethylsiloxane-divinylbenzene (PDMS-DVB) as the SPME fiber coating. A fractional factorial design was used to evaluate the main factors for the in situ derivatization and SPME extraction. Thereafter, a Doehlert matrix design was applied to find out the best experimental conditions. The method presented a linear range from 0.5 to 10 μg/L, and the intraday and interday precision were lower than 16%. Applicability of the method was verified from real influent and effluent samples of a wastewater treatment plant, as well as from samples of an industry wastewater and a river.

Polyparameter Linear Free Energy Models for Polyacrylate Fiber−Water Partition Coefficients to Evaluate the Efficiency of Solid-Phase Microextraction

The fiber-water partition coefficient, K(fw), is decisive for performance of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) techniques in organic chemical analyses. In this study, polyacrylate (PA)-coated fiber was evaluated for its K(fw) values toward diverse neutral organic compounds. Literature K(fw) data were thoroughly evaluated, and additional K(fw) values for 69 compounds were measured in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution at 37 °C. These K(fw) data, spanning over 6 orders of magnitude, were used to construct polyparameter linear free energy relationship (PP-LFER) models. The PP-LFER models fit well to the data with a standard deviation of 0.15-0.23 log units. Additional experiments indicated that the differences in temperature (25 vs 37 °C), electrolyte concentrations (pure water vs PBS), and conditioning methods (heat vs methanol) had only minor influences (<0.3 log units) on K(fw). Using the established PP-LFERs, the SPME extraction efficiency of PA coating toward compounds of differing polarity was evaluated in comparison to poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) coating. PA exhibited higher extraction capacities for H-bond donor compounds (e.g., phenols, anilines, amides, and many drugs and pesticides) with the estimated K(fw) values being 1-4 log units higher than those of PDMS. Also, PA was shown to be more efficient than PDMS for hydrophobic aromatic compounds.

Determination of volatile compounds of pine honeys

The volatile compounds of 13 Turkish pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) honey samples were characterized by solid phase microextraction (SPME) analysis, followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. A total of 42 volatile compounds were identified, but volatile compounds such as nonana1, benzene, 4-hexen-3-ol, alpha-pinene, and 2-heptanone were recognized to be specific floral origin markers of the pine honey. The SPME extraction method was proposed as an alternative way to carry out pollen analysis for floral source detection, especially for products such as pine honey, by characterization of honeydew elements.