Purge and trap with monolithic sorbent for gas chromatographic analysis of pesticides in honey

Portable purge and trap-microplasma optical emission spectrometric device for field detection of iodine in water

Iodine is essential for human growth and can enter the body through food, water, and air. Analyzing its presence in the environment is crucial for ensuring healthy human development. However, current large-scale instruments have limitations in the field analysis of iodine. Herein, a miniaturized purge and trap point discharge microplasma optical emission spectrometric (P&T-μPD-OES) device was developed for the field analysis of iodine in water. Volatile iodine molecules were produced from total inorganic iodine (TII) through a basic redox reaction under acidic conditions, then the purge and trap module effectively separated and preconcentrated iodine molecules. The iodine molecules were subsequently atomized and excited by the integrated point discharge microplasma and an iodine atomic emission line at 206.24 nm was monitored by the spectrometer. Under optimal conditions, this proposed method had a detection limit of 16.2 μg L-1 for iodine and a precision better than 4.8%. Besides, the accuracy of the portable device was validated by successful analysis of surface and groundwater samples and a comparison of the mass spectrometry method. This proposed portable, low-power device is expected to support rapid access to iodine levels and distribution in water.

Pesticide Residues and Metabolites in Greek Honey and Pollen: Bees and Human Health Risk Assessment

BACKGROUND

Bees encounter a plethora of environmental contaminants during nectar and pollen collection from plants. Consequently, after their entrance into the beehives, the transfer of numerous pollutants to apicultural products is inevitable.

METHODS

In this context, during the period of 2015-2020, 109 samples of honey, pollen, and beebread were sampled and analyzed for the determination of pesticides and their metabolites. More than 130 analytes were investigated in each sample by applying two validated multiresidue methods (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS).

RESULTS

Until the end of 2020, 40 determinations were reported in honey, resulting in a 26% positive to at least one active substance. The concentrations of pesticides ranged from 1.3 ng/g to 785 ng/g honey. For seven active substances in honey and pollen, maximum residue limits (MRLs) exceedances were observed. Coumaphos, imidacloprid, acetamiprid, amitraz metabolites (DMF and DMPF), and tau-fluvalinate were the predominant compounds detected in honey, while several pyrethroids such as λ-cyhalothrin, cypermethrin, and cyfluthrin were also found. Pollen and beebread, as expected, accumulated a higher number of active substances and metabolites (32 in total), exhibiting almost double the number of detections.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the above findings verify the occurrence of numerous pesticide and metabolite residues in both honey and pollen, the human risk assessment in the majority of the cases does not raise any concerns, and the same applies to bee risk assessment.

Effective and reusable monolith capillary trap of nitrosamine extraction by superheated water from frankfurter sausage

A novel, simple, rapid, and inexpensive method of extraction and cleanup of nitrosamines from frankfurter sausage was achieved with a capillary filled with monolith of either polystyrene-co-divinylbenzene (PS-DVB), Polydivinylbenzene (P-DVB), or silica that had been fabricated. The study of capability in trapping nonpolar matrix and monolith capillaries with varied lengths revealed that a silica monolith gave the best result for nitrosamine determination. With an online coupling between superheated water extraction (SWE) and silica monolith capillary connected to a 5% phenyl-methylpolysiloxane column, factors affecting the extraction and determination, namely, sensitivity with and without the monolith, reusability, injection-injection repeatability, capillary-capillary precision, and chromatographic separation, were investigated. This confirmed the feasibility of the method. The optimal length of silica monolith capillary was 30 mm, offering reuse more than 20 times. Separation and quantification of selected volatile nitrosamines were carried out using gas chromatography (GC) coupled with either a flame ionization detector (FID) or mass spectrometer (MS). The overall extraction and determination method determined by GC-MS allowed for a recovery of 75-88% with a <5% relative standard deviation (RSD) and detection limit of 2-5 ng of injected nitrosamine.