Sampling and analysis of airborne particulate matter and aerosols using in-needle trap and SPME fiber devices

Superhydrophilic molecularly imprinted polymers based on a water-soluble functional monomer for the recognition of gastrodin in water media

In this study, the first successfully developed superhydrophilic molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for gastrodin recognition have been described. MIPs were prepared via the bulk polymerization process in an aqueous solution using alkenyl glycosides glucose (AGG) as the water-soluble functional monomer. The non-imprinted polymers (NIPs) were also synthesized using the same method without the use of the template. The dynamic water contact angles and photographs of the dispersion properties confirmed that the molecularly imprinted polymers displayed excellent superhydrophilicity. The results demonstrated that the MIPs exhibited high selectivity and an excellent imprinting effect. A molecularly imprinted solid phase extraction (MISPE) method was established. Optimization of various parameters affecting MISPE was investigated. Under the optimized conditions, a wide linear range (0.001-100.0μgmL(-1)) and low limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) (0.03 and 0.09ngmL(-1), respectively) were achieved. When compared with the NIPs, higher recoveries (90.5% to 97.6%) of gastrodin with lower relative standard deviations values (below 6.4%) using high performance liquid chromatography were obtained at three spiked levels in three blank samples. These results demonstrated one efficient, highly selective and environmentally-friendly MISPE technique with excellent reproducibility for the purification and pre-concentration of gastrodin from an aqueous extract of Gastrodia elata roots.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations in gas and particle phases and source determination in atmospheric samples from a semiurban area of Dourados, Brazil

A headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) procedure that employs a PDMS/DVB fiber was developed for the analysis of gas-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) collected in polyurethane foam (PUF) by gas chromatography (GC) mass spectrometry. The method exhibited good linearity (R (2) > 0.99) and repeatability (4.9-25 %) as well as an impressive detection limit that ranged from 1.1 to 3.3 ng. Twenty-two air samples were collected by high-volume samplers from January to November 2007 in a semiurban area of Dourados (Brazil) and were analyzed for their content of total suspended particulates and PAHs. The PAHs were extracted from the PUF samples using the developed procedure (HS-SPME), and PAHs adsorbed on particulate matter were extracted with dichloromethane/methanol (4:1 [v/v]) in an ultrasonic bath. The values of the total daily concentrations of 16 PAHs determined in the samples ranged from 0.375 to 8.407 ng m(-3). In addition, diagnostic ratios were calculated, showing that the PAHs in the atmosphere at the sampling site originated predominantly from vehicle emissions and the combustion of grass and wood. Hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis were performed as well, the results of which indicated (1) the same sources of PAH identified by the diagnostic ratios and (2) that the sampling days could be categorized into three groups depending on the atmospheric conditions. GC retention indices were also used to identify PAHs, biphenyl (phenylbenzene), and heterocyclic organic compounds (benzofurans) in some of the samples.

Silver nanoparticle aggregates on metal fibers for solid phase microextraction–surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Silver–copper fibers loaded with silver nanoparticles are used for SPME–SERS detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which can be further confirmed by GC-MS.

Optimization of the in-needle extraction device for the direct flow of the liquid sample through the sorbent layer

In-needle extraction was applied for preparation of aqueous samples. This technique was used for direct isolation of analytes from liquid samples which was achieved by forcing the flow of the sample through the sorbent layer: silica or polymer (styrene/divinylbenzene). Specially designed needle was packed with three different sorbents on which the analytes (phenol, p-benzoquinone, 4-chlorophenol, thymol and caffeine) were retained. Acceptable sampling conditions for direct analysis of liquid sample were selected. Experimental data collected from the series of liquid samples analysis made with use of in-needle device showed that the effectiveness of the system depends on various parameters such as breakthrough volume and the sorption capacity, effect of sampling flow rate, solvent effect on elution step, required volume of solvent for elution step. The optimal sampling flow rate was in range of 0.5-2 mL/min, the minimum volume of solvent was at 400 µL level.

Iterative trapping of gaseous volatile organic compounds in a capillary column

The iterative trapping method has been developed for concentrating gaseous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) prior to gas chromatographic analysis. VOCs are trapped in a 50 cm × 0.53 mm metal capillary column coated with a 7 μm thick film of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Iterative trapping does not employ the two-step thermal desorption approach used by most VOC concentrating techniques. Instead, a four-step cycle involving synchronized changes in flow direction and temperature is repeated throughout the sampling process. This iterative process causes VOCs to accumulate within the capillary well past the level where a standard two-step method reaches its saturation limit. Iterative trapping is capable of sampling and desorbing C5 through C11 n-alkanes with uniform efficiency. This new technique, in its current form, is most appropriate for focusing VOCs from gas volumes on the order of 10 mL. Iterative trapping increases the focusing power of a weak sorbent like PDMS and allows narrow chromatographic peaks to be generated without the use of high desorption temperatures or a secondary focusing stage.

Development of needle trap technology for on-site determinations: active and passive sampling

This study presents a thorough evaluation of new prototypes of extended tip needle trap devices (NT), as well as their application to in situ sampling of biological emissions and active/passive on-site sampling of indoor air. A new NT prototype was constructed with a side hole above the sorbent and an extended tip that fits inside the restriction of the narrow neck liner to increase desorption efficiency. New prototype needles were initially packed with divinylbenzene particles at SGE Analytical Science for the purpose of studying biogenic emissions of pine trees. Prior to their final application, they were evaluated in terms of robustness after multiple use (n > 10), as well as amount extracted of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). An ANOVA test for all the probes showed that at a 95% level of confidence, there were not statistical differences observed among the 9 NTs tested. In addition, the needles were also packed in laboratory with synthesized highly cross-linked PDMS as a frit to immobilize carboxen (Car) particles for spot sampling. For passive sampling, the needles were packed with Car particles embedded in PDMS to simplify calculations in passive mode. The use of NTs as spot samplers, as well as a passive sampler under controlled conditions in the laboratoryyielded a relative standard deviation of less than 15%. Finally, a new, reusable and readily deployable penlike diffusive sampler for needle traps (PDS-NT) was built and tested. Application of the PDS-NT in combination with NT-spot sampling toward the analysis of indoor air in a polymer synthesis laboratory showed good agreement between both techniques for the analyte studied, yielding averages of 0.03 and 0.025 ng/mL of toluene, respectively.

Needle-trap device for the sampling and determination of chlorinated volatile compounds

A needle-trap device, with immobilized sorbent inside the syringe, coupled with GC-MS was applied for air sampling and determination of chlorinated volatile organic compounds such as dichloromethane, trichloromethane, and tetrachloromethane. The application of a needle trap packed with combination of three sorbents including Tenax TA, Carbopack X, and Carboxen 1000 resulted in detection limits of few pg for chlorinated volatile compounds and recoveries of 99.2-102.8%. The extraction and desorption parameters were optimized within the study. As a result, the precision determined as RSD was equal to 5.05 and 3.03 and 6.52% for dichloromethane, trichloromethane, and tetrachloromethane, respectively. The storage time for chlorinated compounds up to 48 h and reusability of the needle-trap device were verified. The obtained results have proved the ability of needle traps to compete with other solventless sampling and sample preparation extraction techniques.

On-site airborne pheromone sensing

Pheromones and other semiochemicals play an important role in the natural world by influencing the behavior of plants, mammals, and insects. In the latter case, species-dependent pheromone communication has numerous applications, including the detection, trapping, monitoring and guiding of insects, as well as pest management in agriculture. On-site sensors are desirable when volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are used as semiochemicals. Insects have evolved highly selective sensors for such compounds, so biosensors comprising complete insects, isolated organs or individual proteins can be highly effective. However, isolated insect organs have a limited lifetime as biosensor, so biomimetic approaches are needed for prolonged monitoring, novel applications, or measurements in challenging environments. We discuss the development of on-site biosensors and biomimetic approaches for airborne-pheromone sensing, together with biomimetic VOC sensor systems. Furthermore, the infochemical effect describing the anthropogenic contamination of the ecosystem through semiochemicals, will be considered in the context of novel on-site pheromone sensing-systems.

Considerations on the application of miniaturized sample preparation approaches for the analysis of organic compounds in environmental matrices

The miniaturization and improvement of sample preparation is a challenge that has been fulfilled up to a point in many fields of analytical chemistry. Particularly, the hyphenation of microextraction with advanced analytical techniques has allowed the monitoring of target analytes in a vast variety of environmental samples. Several benefits can be obtained when miniaturized techniques such as solid-phase microextraction (SPME) or liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) are applied, specifically, their easiness, rapidity and capability to separate and pre-concentrate target analytes with a negligible consumption of organic solvents. In spite of the great acceptance that these green sample preparation techniques have in environmental research, their full implementation has not been achieved or even attempted in some relevant environmental matrices. In this work, a critical review of the applications of LPME and SPME techniques to isolate and pre-concentrate traces of organic pollutants is provided. In addition, the influence of the environmental matrix on the effectiveness of LPME and SPME for isolating the target organic pollutants is addressed. Finally, unsolved issues that may hinder the application of these techniques for the extraction of dissolved organic matter from environmental samples and some suggestions for developing novel and less selective enrichment and isolation procedures for natural organic matter on the basis of SPME and LPME are included.