Addressing analytical uncertainties in the determination of trichloroacetic acid in soil

Soil is an important compartment in the environmental cycling of trichloroacetic acid (TCA), but soil TCA concentration is a methodologically defined quantity; analytical methods either quantify TCA in an aqueous extract of the soil, or thermally decarboxylate TCA to chloroform in the whole soil sample. The former may underestimate the total soil TCA, whereas the latter may overestimate TCA if other soil components (e.g. humic material) liberate chloroform under the decarboxylation conditions. The aim of this work was to show that extraction and decarboxylation methods yield different TCA concentrations because the decarboxylation method can also determine "bound" TCA. Experiments with commercial humic acid solutions showed there was no additional chloroform formation under decarboxylation conditions, and that all TCA in a TCA-humic acid mixture could be quantitatively determined (108 +/- 13%). Anion exchange resin was used as a provider of solid-phase TCA binding; only 5 +/- 1% of a TCA solution mixed with the resin was present in the aqueous extract subsequently separated from the resin, yet the decarboxylation method yielded mass balance (123 +/- 22%) with TCA remaining in the resin. In aqueous extraction of a range of soil samples (with or without added TCA spike), the decarboxylation method was able to satisfactorily account for TCA in the extractant + residue post-extraction, compared with whole-soil TCA (+ spike) pre-extraction: e.g. mass balances for unspiked soil from Sikta spruce and larch forest were 99 +/- 8% and 93 +/- 6%, respectively, and for TCA-spiked forest and agricultural soils were 114 +/- 13% and 102 +/- 2%. In each case recovery of TCA in the extractant was substantially less than 100%(<20% for unspiked soils, <55% for spiked soils). Extraction efficiencies were generally lower in more organic soils. The results suggest that analytical methods which utilise aqueous extraction may underestimate whole-soil TCA concentrations. Application of both methodologies together may enhance insight into TCA behaviour in soil.     

Optimization of extractants, purifying packings, and eluents for analytical extraction of organochlorine pesticides in Hydragric Acrisols

In this study, we screened for an economic, rapid, and efficient hypotoxic pretreatment method for organochlorine pesticides in soil samples for gas chromatography (GC) analysis. The analytical extraction efficiencies of 11 different extractants, nine types of solid-phase purification (SPP) cartridge packings, and three types of eluents for 13 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in spiked and natural Chinese red soil (Hydragric Acrisols) were evaluated using an ultrasonic extraction and solid-phase purification method. High percent recoveries (85-106%) were obtained for the 13 organochlorine pesticides in soil when petroleum ether/acetone/water (10:5:2, v/v) was used an extractant. They were purified using celite SPP cartridge packing and eluted with 9 mL of dichloromethane/petroleum ether (1:9, v/v). The OCPs purification pretreatment of Hydragric Acrisols, using the above method, meets the GC analysis requirements. Compared with other traditional pretreatment methods for OCPs in soil samples, this method has several advantages, such as a short extraction time, reducing the amount of solvent, having no emulsion phenomenon, and hypotoxicity to the laboratory technicians. The concentrations of 1,1,1,-trichloro-2(p-chlorophenyl)-2-(o-chlorophenyl) ethane (DDTs; 3.42-8.08 ng g(-1)) in field soils were higher than the hexachlorocyclohexane concentration (2.94-6.12 ng g(-1)). The 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethylene (p,p'-DDE)?+?1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-ethane (p,p'-DDD)/p,p'-DDT ratio in this field soil was approximately 2.7, suggesting that no new DDT pollution source was introduced into the sampling site.     

Determination of CH4, CO2 and N2O in air samples and soil atmosphere by gas chromatography mass spectrometry, GC-MS

A method for determination of the climate gases CH4, CO2 and N2O in air samples and soil atmosphere was developed using GC-MS. The method uses straightforward gas chromatography (separation of the gases) with a mass spectrometric detector in single ion mode (specific determination). The gases were determined with high sensitivity and high sample throughput (18 samples h(-1)). The LOD (3sigma) for the gases were 0.10 micro L L(-1) for CH4, 20 microL L(-1) for CO2 and 0.02 microL L(-1) for N2O. The linear range (R2 = 0.999) was up to 500 microL L(-1) for CH4, 4000 microL L(-1) for CO2 and 80 microL L(-1) for N2O. The samples were collected in 10 mL vials and a 5 microL aliquot was injected on column. The method was tested against certified gas references, the analytical data gave an accuracy within +/-5% and a precision of +/-3%. The presence of < or = 10% by volume of C2H2 (often used experimentally to prevent N2 formation from N2O) did not interfere with detection for the targeted trace gases.     

Contamination of Canadian and European bottled waters with antimony from PET containers

Using clean lab methods and protocols developed for measuring Sb in polar snow and ice, we report the abundance of Sb in fifteen brands of bottled water from Canada and forty-eight from Europe. Comparison with the natural abundance of Sb in pristine groundwaters, water bottled commercially in polypropylene, analyses of source waters prior to bottling, and addition of uncontaminated groundwater to PET bottles, provides unambiguous evidence of Sb leaching from the containers. In contrast to the pristine groundwater in Ontario, Canada containing 2.2 +/- 1.2 ng l(-1) Sb, 12 brands of bottled natural waters from Canada contained 156 +/- 86 ng l(-1) and 3 brands of deionized water contained 162 +/- 30 ng l(-1); all of these were bottled in PET containers. Natural water from Ontario bottled in polypropylene contained only 8.2 +/- 0.9 ng l(-1). Comparison of three German brands of water available in both glass bottles and PET containers showed that waters bottled in PET contained up to 30 times more Sb. To confirm that the elevated Sb concentrations are due to leaching from the PET containers, water was collected in acid-cleaned LDPE bottles from a commercial source in Germany, prior to bottling; this water was found to contain 3.8 +/- 0.9 ng l(-1) Sb (n = 5), compared with the same brand of water purchased locally in PET bottles containing 359 +/- 54 ng l(-1) (n = 6). This same brand of water in PET bottles, after an additional three months of storage at room temperature, yielded 626 +/- 15 ng l(-1) Sb (n = 3). Other German brands of water in PET bottles contained 253-546 ng l(-1) Sb (n = 5). The median concentration of Sb in thirty-five brands of water bottled in PET from eleven other European countries was 343 ng l(-1) (n = 35). As an independent check of the hypothesis that Sb is leaching from PET, the pristine groundwater from Canada (containing 2.2 +/- 1.2 ng l(-1) Sb) was collected from the source using PET bottles from Germany: this water contained 50 +/- 17 ng l(-1) Sb (n = 2) after only 37 days, even though it was stored in the refrigerator, and 566 ng l(-1) after six months storage at room temperature.     

Preparation and utilization of molecularly imprinted polymer for chlorsulfuron extraction from water, soil, and wheat plant

A molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was prepared using chlorsulfuron (CS), a herbicide as a template molecule, methacrylic acid as a functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EDMA) as a cross-linker, methanol and toluene as a porogen, and 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator. The binding behaviors of the template chlorsulfuron and its analog on MIP were evaluated by equilibrium adsorption experiments, which showed that the MIP particles had specific affinity for the template CS. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) with the chlorsulfuron molecularly imprinted polymer as an adsorbent was investigated. The optimum loading, washing, and eluting conditions for chlorsulfuron molecularly imprinted polymer solid-phase extraction (CS-MISPE) were established. The optimized CS-MISPE procedure was developed to enrich and clean up the chlorsulfuron residue in water, soils, and wheat plants. Concentrations of chlorsulfuron in the samples were analyzed by HPLC-UVD. The average recoveries of CS spiked standard at 0.05~0.2 mg L(-1) in water were 90.2~93.3%, with the relative standard deviation (RSD) being 2.0~3.9% (n=3). The average recoveries of 1.0 mL CS spiked standard at 0.1~0.5 mg L(-1) in 10 g soil were 91.1~94.7%, with the RSD being 3.1~5.6% (n=3). The average recoveries of 1.0 mL CS spiked standard at 0.1~0.5 mg L(-1) in 5 g wheat plant were 82.3~94.3%, with the RSD being 2.9~6.8% (n=3). Overall, our study provides a sensitive and cost-effective method for accurate determination of CS residues in water, soils, and plants.     

快速溶剂萃取—气相色谱法分析土壤中的20种有机氯

采用加速溶剂萃取—气相色谱法对土壤中20种有机氯农药进行了提取测定.通过改变加速溶剂萃取条件,选取了最佳条件参数,减少了组份的损失;通过改变气相色谱条件,使得20种有机氯农药快速分离.该方法具有操作简便、灵敏度高、检出限低、快速、溶剂消耗少等优点,方法检出限为1.23～ 3.11 μg/kg,实际样品的加标回收率为62.3％～119.7％.     

加压流体萃取-气相色谱质谱法测定土壤和沉积物中27种拟除虫菊酯类农药

建立了加压流体萃取-气相色谱质谱法测定土壤和沉积物中27种拟除虫菊酯类农药的方法。以丙酮/正己烷(V∶V=1∶1)为萃取溶剂,在120℃和10. 3 MPa条件下静态萃取7 min,循环3次,石墨化炭黑串接氨丙基键合硅胶固相萃取柱净化,HP-5MS UI色谱柱分离,优化了提取和分析过程的重要条件。方法检出限为0. 001~0. 012 mg/kg,土壤中低、高浓度的加标回收率范围分别为68. 3%~123%和75. 3%~115%,沉积物中低、高浓度的加标回收率范围分别为67. 1%~120%和78. 6%~110%,单一目标物的相对标准偏差(RSD)均<20%(n=6)。实验结果表明,该方法消耗溶剂少、效率高、检出限低、精密度和准确度好,适用于土壤和沉积物中拟除虫菊酯类农药残留的测定。     

自制固相微萃取涂层用于自来水中五氯酚的测定

采用石英毛细管作为模具,甲基丙烯酸和乙二醇二甲基丙烯酸酯在石英纤维表面原位聚合得到聚(甲基丙烯酸-乙二醇二甲基丙烯酸酯)作为固相微萃取涂层,并以五氯酚为研究对象,采用顶空SPME-GC-ECD法对该涂层的萃取性能进行评价。使用正交试验优化萃取温度、萃取时间、盐浓度、pH和搅拌速度。在最优条件下,建立了水样中五氯酚的分析方法,方法检出限为1ng/L,线性范围为2～5000ng/L,线性相关系数为0.9999,相对标准偏差(RSD,n=5)为8.9%,加标回收率为110.8%。     

Simplification and validation of a large volume polyurethane foam sampler for the analysis of persistent hydrophobic compounds in drinking water

The use of a large volume polyurethane foam (PUF) sampler was validated for rapid extraction of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), in raw water and treated water from drinking water plants. To validate the recovery of target compounds in the sampling process, a (37)Cl-labeled standard was spiked into the 1st PUF plug prior to filtration. An accelerated solvent extraction method, as a pressurized liquid extractor (PLE), was optimized to extract the PUF plug. For sample preparation, tandem column chromatography (TCC) clean-up was used for rapid analysis. The recoveries of labeled compounds in the analytical method were 80-110% (n = 9). The optimized PUF-PLE-TCC method was applied in the analysis of raw water and treated potable water from seven drinking water plants in South Korea. The sample volume used was between 18 and 102 L for raw water at a flow rate of 0.4-2 L min(-1), 95 and 107 L for treated water at a flow rate of 1.5-2.2 L min(-1). Limit of quantitation (LOQ) was a function of sample volume and it decreased with increasing sample volume. The LOQ of PCDD/Fs in raw waters analyzed by this method was 3-11 times lower than that described using large-size disk-type solid phase extraction (SPE) method. The LOQ of PCDD/F congeners in raw water and treated water were 0.022-3.9 ng L(-1) and 0.018-0.74 ng L(-1), respectively. Octachlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (OCDD) was found in some raw water samples, while their concentrations were well below the tentative criterion set by the Japanese Environmental Ministry for drinking water. OCDD was below the LOQ in the treated drinking water.     

快速溶剂萃取-气相色谱/串联质谱法测定农作物中的有机氯农药

建立快速溶剂萃取,固相萃取柱净化,气相色谱/串联四极杆质谱检测分析农作物中23种有机氯农药残留的方法。以油菜为样品,加标浓度为5、10、25、50μg/kg时,平均回收率在72%~101%之间,相对标准偏差3%~14%(n=5)。8种农作物(莴笋、黄瓜、蒜苗、辣椒、油菜、茄子、玉米和水稻)加标浓度为25μg/kg时的平均回收率在71%~113%之间,相对标准偏差3%~16%(n=5)。方法检出限0.75~1.76μg/kg之间。     

A new mussel certified reference material (CRM 477) for the quality control of butyltin determination in the marine environment

The analytical techniques used for the determination of butyltin compounds in biological tissues are generally based on a succession of steps (e.g., extraction, derivatization, separation, detection) which are all prone to systematic errors. An interlaboratory programme performed at the EU level and based on a stepwise approach has enabled one to identify and remove most of these errors and to improve considerably the state of the art so that certification of a mussel reference material has been made possible. This paper describes the preparation of this mussel reference material containing monobutyltin (MBT), dibutyltin (DBT) and tributyltin (TBT), the homogeneity and stability studies and the analytical work performed for the certification of the contents of MBT [Sn(C4H9)3+], DBT [Sn(C4H9)2(2+)] and TBT [Sn(C4H9)3+]. The results obtained by a group of expert EU laboratories are discussed along with the methods used to certify the mass fractions (based on dry mass) of monobutyltin (1.50 +/- 0.28 mg kg-1 as MBT cations), dibutyltin (1.54 +/- 0.12 mg kg-1 as DBT cations) and tributyltin (2.20 +/- 0.19 mg kg-1 as TBT cations). The paper also describes an attempt to certify the content of triphenyltin in this material which, although reasonable agreement was found among the participants' results, failed owing to the instability of this compound. This new material will be of great support to ensure the quality control of butyltin determination in shellfish, as carried out in environmental monitoring programmes.     

Comparison of pressurized fluid extraction, Soxhlet extraction and sonication for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in urban air and diesel exhaust particulate matter

In order to characterize and compare the chemical composition of diesel particulate matter and ambient air samples collected on filters, different extraction procedures were tested and their extraction efficiencies and recoveries determined. This study is an evaluation of extraction methods using the standard 16 EPA PAHs with HPLC fluorescence analysis. Including LC analysis also GC and MS methods for the determination of PAHs can be used. Soxhlet extraction was compared with ultrasonic agitation and pressurized fluid extraction (PFE) using three solvents to extract PAHs from diesel exhaust and urban air particulates. The selected PAH compounds of soluble organic fractions were analyzed by HPLC with a multiple wavelength shift fluorescence detector. The EPA standard mixture of 16 PAH compounds was used as a standard to identify and quantify diesel exhaust-derived PAHs. The most effective extraction method of those tested was pressurized fluid extraction using dichloromethane as a solvent.     

Determination of resin acids during production of wood pellets--a comparison of HPLC/ESI-MS with the GC/FID MDHS 83/2 method

Resin acids are constituents of natural and technical products of widespread use. Exposure is known to cause health effects in the airways and on the skin. Liquid chromatography/positive ion electrospray-mass spectrometry (HPLC/pos ESI-MS) was investigated for determination of 7-oxodehydroabietic (7-OXO), dehydroabietic (DHAA) and abietic acid (AA) in wood dust-containing air samples as a derivatisation-free alternative to the GC/FID HSE method 83/2, developed by the Health and Safety Executive UK. The resin acid 7-OXO was measured as a marker for oxidised resin acids, which are known to be the main contact allergens in colophonium. The found detection limits were 0.42 ng m(-3) for 7-OXO, 5.2 ng m(-3) for DHAA and 9.4 ng m(-3) for AA, respectively, which are considerably lower than with the GC/FID method (24, 115 and 89 ng m(-3)). The two methods correlated well, although consistently and significantly lower concentrations of 7-OXO were detected with LC/MS. The higher concentration of this compound with MDHS 83/2 is suggested to be an artefact from the derivatisation step in the presence of soluble wood dust remains.     

气相色谱法测定水体中多氯联苯Aroclor系列

采用液液萃取—气相色谱法(GC-ECD)测定水体中多氯联苯Aroclor系列Aroclor1016、Aroclor1221、Aroclor1232、Aroclor1242、Aroclor1248、Aroclor1254、Aroclor1260。样品经正己烷溶剂萃取,再经全自动样品浓缩仪(EVA)浓缩萃取液至1 mL,供气相色谱仪测定,外标法定量,加标回收率在75%~110%之间,检出限为0.1μg/L。该方法采用双塔双柱双检测器,排除了误检和其他物质的干扰,保证了分析结果的可靠性,方法简单、灵敏、准确。     

快速溶剂萃取—凝胶渗透色谱净化-GC／MS分析土壤中酞酸酯（PAEs）

采用毛细管柱气相色谱-质谱选择离子检测技术，结合加速溶剂萃取和凝胶渗透色谱净化方法，分析土壤中的6种酞酸酯类（PAFs）化合物。结果表明，土壤中6种PAEs检出限在14—42μg/kg间，加标平均回收率为65．5％～104．4％，相对标准偏差为5．19％～9．61％。方法具有操作简便、纯化效果好和对环境友好的特点，且具有很强的实用性。     

Intercomparison of five PM10 monitoring devices and the implications for exposure measurement in epidemiological research

Five different instruments for the determination of the mass concentration of PM10 in air were compared side-by-side for up to 33 days in an undisturbed indoor environment: a tripod mounted BGI Inc. PQ100 gravimetric sampler with a US EPA certified Graseby Andersen PM10 inlet; an Airmetrics Minivol static gravimetric sampler; a Casella cyclone gravimetric personal sampler; an Institute of Occupational Medicine gravimetric PM10 personal sampler; and two TSI Inc. Dustrak real-time optical scattering personal samplers. For 24 h sampling of ambient PM10 concentrations around 10 microg m(-3), the estimated measurement uncertainty for the two gravimetric personal samplers was larger (approximately +/- 20%) compared with estimated measurement uncertainty for the PQ100/Graseby Andersen sampler (< +/- 5%). Measurement uncertainty for the Dustraks was lower (approximately +/- 15% on average) but calibration of the optical response against a reference PM10 method is essential since the Dustraks systematically over-read PM10 determined gravimetrically by a factor approximately 2.2. However, once calibrated, the Dustrak devices demonstrated excellent functionality in terms of ease of portability and real-time data acquisition. Estimated measurement uncertainty for PM10 concentrations determined with the Minivol were +/- 5%. The Minivol data correlated well with PQ100/Graseby Andersen data (r= 0.97, n = 18) but were, on average, 23% greater. The reason for the systematic discrepancy could not be traced. Intercomparison experiments such as these are essential for assessing measurement error and revealing systematic bias. Application of two Dustraks demonstrated the spatial and temporal variability of exposure to PM10 in different walking and transport microenvironments in the city of Edinburgh, UK. For example, very large exposures to PM10 were identified for the lower deck of a double-decker tour bus compared with the open upper deck of the same vehicle. The variability observed emphasises the need to determine truly personal exposure profiles of PM10 for quantifying exposure response relationships for epidemiological studies.     

气相色谱-质谱法测定废酸油渣中的16种多环芳烃

建立了废酸油渣中16种多环芳烃超声萃取、Florisil萃取柱净化、气相色谱-质谱测定的方法。笔者对提取方式、提取剂类型和体积、提取时间和次数、净化方式等进行研究,采用无水硫酸钠分散,二氯甲烷作为提取剂超声40 min,提取液经纯水清洗、离心后取适量有机相经过3 g Florisil萃取柱净化,采用气相色谱-质谱选择离子模式(SIM),加入内标进行定量分析。结果表明:二氯甲烷提取效率比正己烷好,丙酮可能引起酸性样品中多环芳烃的降解,丙酮超声萃取时加入无水硫酸钠能在一定程度上防止目标物降解,但萃取效率不可控制,宜采用二氯甲烷作为萃取剂。分散提取能有效减少提取时间,超声清洗仪超声40 min提取效率为86.2%～104%。3g Florisil萃取柱净化比1 g Florisil萃取柱净化和GPC净化效果略好。方法检出限为0.4～1.3 mg/kg,6次空白加标的相对标准偏差为2.3%～15.3%,6个实际样品测定结果的相对标准偏差为1.2%～27.3%,基体加标回收率为51.3%～126%,连续校准稳定。该方法适用于废酸油渣样品中16种多环芳烃的检测,比直接溶解有效,比加速溶剂萃取、索氏提取、微波萃取和超声探头萃取简单、快捷,能有效减少设备污染和腐蚀,净化方法有效,测定结果准确可靠,是实现大批量样品检测的可行方法。     

土壤中酞酸酯类化合物监测方法的质量控制研究

从监测结果控制的角度对近10年的土壤中PAEs监测方法进行了探讨,重点比较了索氏萃取柱净化GC/MS、微波萃取柱净化GC、加速溶剂萃取柱净化GC/MS和加速溶剂萃取GPCGC/MS方法的检出限、精密度和准确度。旨在为中国土壤监测方法的建立提供基础支撑,为开展质量控制工作提供评价依据。     

Diffusive sampling of methyl isocyanate using 4-nitro-7-piperazinobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBDPZ) as derivatizing agent

A diffusive sampling method for the determination of methyl isocyanate (MIC) in air is introduced. MIC is collected using a glass fiber filter impregnated with 4-nitro-7-piperazinobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBDPZ). The urea derivative formed is desorbed from the filter with acetonitrile and analyzed by means of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using fluorescence detection (FLD) with lambdaex = 471 nm and lambdaex = 540 nm. Additionally, a method was developed using tandem mass spectrometric (MS-MS) detection, which was performed as selected reaction monitoring (SRM) on the transition [MIC-NBDPZ + H]+ (m/z 307) to [NBDPZ + H]+ (m/z 250). The diffusive sampler was tested with MIC concentrations between 1 and 35 microg m(-3). The sampling periods varied from 15 min to 8 h, and the relative humidity (RH) was set from 20% up to 80%. The sampling rate for all 15 min experiments was determined to be 15.0 mL min(-1) (using HPLC-FLD) with a relative standard deviation of 9.9% for 56 experiments. At 80% RH, only 15 min sampling gave acceptable results. Further experiments revealed that humidity did not affect the MIC derivative but the reagent on the filter prior to and during sampling. The sampling rate for all experiments (including long term sampling) performed at 20% RH was found to be 15.0 mL min(-1) with a relative standard deviation of 6.3% (N = 42). The limit of quantification was 3 microg m(-3) (LC-MS-MS: 1.3 microg m(-3)) for 15 min sampling periods and 0.2 microg m(-3) (LC-MS-MS: 0.15 microg m(-3)) for 8 h sampling runs applying fluorescence detection.     

Method for the determination of sub-ppm concentrations of perfluoroalkylsulfonate anions in water

The determination of sub-ppm concentrations of aqueous perfluoroalkylsulfonate (PFSt) anions, including perfluorooctylsulfonate (PFOS), has been accomplished with a relatively simple mass spectrometric procedure that does not require extraction of the analytes into an organic solvent or a chromatographic separation prior to injection into the negative-ion electrospray ionization mass spectrometer. Sample pretreatment was minimized and consisted of dilution of the aqueous samples of groundwater, surface water, tap water, and distilled water with acetonitrile, addition of dodecylsulfate (DDS) as an internal standard, and, in some cases, addition of known amounts of perfluorobutylsulfonate (PFBS) or PFOS for standard-addition experiments. The linear-response range for PFOS is 25.0 microg L(-1) to 2.5 mg L(-1). The lower limit of this range is three orders of magnitude lower than an equally straightforward chromatographic method. The relative errors for standard aqueous solutions containing only 25.0 microg L(-1) and 2.5 mg L(-1) PFOS are +/- 14% and +/- 7%, respectively, with 133 microg L(-1) DDS as the internal standard. The detection limit and quantification limit for PFOS in these standards are 5.0 microg L(-1) and 25.0 microg L(-1), respectively. Six different PFS anions, containing three to eight carbon atoms, were identified and quantified in an aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) formulation using the method of standard additions. Two alkylsulfate anions and two perfluoroalkylcarboxylate anions were also identified in the AFFF formulation.