Rapid determination of 9 aromatic amines in mainstream cigarette smoke by modified dispersive liquid liquid microextraction and ultraperformance convergence chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

Comparison of gas chromatographic techniques for the analysis of iodinated derivatives of aromatic amines

Some aromatic amines (AA) have been classified as carcinogens to humans. After entering the body, mainly through tobacco smoke, they can be detected in urine. Thus, their trace analysis as biomarkers in biofluids is of high relevance and can be achieved with gas chromatography (GC-MS), usually after derivatization. This study compares three gas chromatographic methods for the analysis of ten iodinated derivatives of AA: GC-MS in single-ion monitoring (SIM) mode with (1) electron ionization (GC-EI-MS) and (2) negative chemical ionization (GC-NCI-MS), and (3) GC-EI-MS/MS in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode using electron ionization. All methods and most analytes showed good coefficients of determination (R² > 0.99) for broad linear ranges covering three to five orders of magnitude in the picogram-per-liter to nanogram-per-liter range, with one and two exceptions for (1) and (2) respectively. Excellent limits of detection (LODs) of 9-50, 3.0-7.3, and 0.9-3.9 pg/L were observed for (1), (2), and (3) respectively, and good precision was achieved (intra-day repeatability < 15% and inter-day repeatability < 20% for most techniques and concentration levels). On average, recoveries between 80 and 104% were observed for all techniques. Urine samples of smokers and non-smokers were successfully analyzed, and p-toluidine and 2-chloroaniline could be found at significantly (α = 0.05) higher concentrations among smokers.

In situ formation of chloroform for dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction of some aromatic amines from aqueous samples optimized by central composite design prior to GC-MS analysis

In the current research, an in situ solvent formation-liquid phase microextraction method based on chloroform has been introduced as an efficient sample preparation procedure and applied for the extraction and preconcentration of some aromatic amines from wastewaters. In this method, chloral hydrate (2,2,2-trichloroethane-1,1-diol) was added to an alkaline solution of the samples in order to form chloroform as an extraction solvent in the sample solution. Thus, the selected analytes were transferred from the aqueous solution into the tiny droplets of the produced chloroform. Following this, the extracted and enriched analytes were quantified using a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. Experimental conditions of the proposed method including the chloral hydrate amount, salt effect, extraction time, and sodium hydroxide concentration were studied and optimized by a central composite design approach. By the offered method, high enrichment factors (292-324) with satisfactory extraction recoveries (82-91%), low limits of detection (0.26-0.39 ng mL^-1), and proper repeatability (relative standard deviations ≤6.3% for intra- and inter-day precisions) were achieved under optimum conditions. Eventually, the suggested method was assessed through the quantification of aromatic amines in aqueous samples.

Integrated sample-pretreatment strategy for separation and enrichment of microplastics and primary aromatic amines in the migration of teabag

In this work, an integrated sample-pretreatment strategy for the separation and enrichment of microplastics and primary aromatic amines from the migration of teabag was developed. The migration solution of teabag was passed through a homemade device. The microplastics were firstly captured by a silver membrane, and then the primary aromatic amines were enriched by a solid-phase extraction column. The microplastics migrated from teabag were detected by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and Raman spectroscopy. The data showed the character, the number of particles, area ratio, and morphology of microplastics migrated from the teabag. Subsequently, after the enrichment procedure, a sensitive analytical method for primary aromatic amines was established followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The method showed wide linear ranges with R² greater than 0.9915, low limits of detection (2-18 ng/L), and low limits of quantification (8-50 ng/L). The developed method was adopted to analyze microplastics and primary aromatic amines migrated from nylon and polyethylene terephthalate teabag under different temperatures and times. The integrated sample-pretreatment strategy displayed promising potentials in the one-step preparation of the microplastics and hazardous molecules in the sample of environment and food security.

Development and validation of ultra-high performance supercritical fluid chromatography method for quantitative determination of six compounds in Guizhi Fuling capsule and tablet samples

A fast and simple ultra-high performance supercritical fluid chromatography method has been developed for the determination of six analytes, namely (paeonol, coumarin, cinnamic alcohol, cinnamic acid, paeoniflorin, and amygdalin) in Guizhi Fuling capsule and tablet samples. The influence of the key chromatographic parameters for the separation purposes was evaluated. The optimal column was Trefoil CEL1 column. The optimal mobile phase was a gradient mixture of carbon dioxide and methanol at flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The back pressure of the system was set to 1.38 × 10⁷  Pa and the temperature to 45°C. The six compounds were separated within 11 min by the proposed ultra-high performance supercritical fluid chromatography method with satisfactory resolution. Method validation confirmed that the procedure is accurate with the recovery rates from 87.04 to 104.30%, intraday precision values less than 4.81% and interday precision less than 5.22%, and linear with R² higher than 0.9967. Therefore, this work provides a simple and novel method for the simultaneous analysis of six compounds in Guizhi Fuling capsule and tablet samples.

On-site sample preparation of trace aromatic amines in environmental waters with monolith-based multichannel in-tip microextraction apparatus followed by HPLC determination

A novel on-site preparation strategy for the determination of trace aromatic amines (AAs) in environmental waters was developed in the present study. To extract AAs effectively, 4-vinylbenzoic acid was copolymerized with ethylene dimethacrylate (ED)/divinylbenzene (DVB) in a pipette tip to obtain a new monolith-based adsorbent (MBA). The MBAs were employed as the extraction phases of home-made multichannel in-tip microextraction apparatus (ITMA) which was used to perform field sample preparation of AAs in different water samples followed by HPLC/DAD analysis. Due to the abundant functional groups, the prepared MBA displayed satisfying extraction performance for studied AAs. Under the optimized conditions, limits of detection varied from 2.1 to 26 ng/L with good coefficients of determination and precision. The recoveries for real water samples with different fortified concentrations were in the range of 78.1-119%, and the RSD values varied from 0.85 to 11%. In addition, the results achieved with the introduced method were well comparable to that obtained with conventional laboratory sample pretreatment process. Compared with existing approaches, the proposed method exhibits some merits such as s high throughput, good sensitivity and eco-friendliness. Most of important, the MBA/ITMA for on-site preparation avoids the storage and transportation of large volumes of waters, and guarantees the analytical accuracy of studied AAs.

Indoor acids and bases

Numerous acids and bases influence indoor air quality. The most abundant of these species are CO₂ (acidic) and NH₃ (basic), both emitted by building occupants. Other prominent inorganic acids are HNO₃ , HONO, SO₂ , H₂ SO₄ , HCl, and HOCl. Prominent organic acids include formic, acetic, and lactic; nicotine is a noteworthy organic base. Sources of N-, S-, and Cl-containing acids can include ventilation from outdoors, indoor combustion, consumer product use, and chemical reactions. Organic acids are commonly more abundant indoors than outdoors, with indoor sources including occupants, wood, and cooking. Beyond NH₃ and nicotine, other noteworthy bases include inorganic and organic amines. Acids and bases partition indoors among the gas-phase, airborne particles, bulk water, and surfaces; relevant thermodynamic parameters governing the partitioning are the acid-dissociation constant (K_a ), Henry's law constant (K_H ), and the octanol-air partition coefficient (K_oa ). Condensed-phase water strongly influences the fate of indoor acids and bases and is also a medium for chemical interactions. Indoor surfaces can be large reservoirs of acids and bases. This extensive review of the state of knowledge establishes a foundation for future inquiry to better understand how acids and bases influence the suitability of indoor environments for occupants, cultural artifacts, and sensitive equipment.

An improved in situ acetylation with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the sensitive determination of phenols in mainstream tobacco smoke

Phenols in tobacco smoke can adversely affect health with serious consequences that include cardiovascular toxicity, tumor promotion and genotoxic activity. Hence, an improved method involving in situ acetylation and dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was developed for the determination of 39 phenols in mainstream tobacco smoke (MTS). The in situ acetylation was optimized using four protocols, after which the effects of experimental variables on acetylation efficiency were studied using a multifactorial experimental design. The optimum conditions were found to involve an initial 75 μL volume of acetic anhydride, 140 mg of NaHCO₃ and 72 mg of K₂CO₃. The phenolic acetates were then subjected to DLLME, after which they were identified and quantified by GC-MS. A total of 32 additional phenols were tentatively identified. Good linearity was observed with R > 0.999 and each lack-of-fit P > 0.05. The relative recoveries were in the range of 94.8-104.3% with repeatabilities and reproducibilities less than 5.5% and 6.8%, respectively. The limits of detection ranged from 1.12 to 1.74 ng cig^-1, with high enrichment factors between 87 and 144. This method was applied to the MTS from three commercial cigarettes with different tar levels. The results provide valuable information for assessing the risks of phenols.

Use of autoclave extraction-supercritical fluid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry to analyze 4-(methylintrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone and N'-nitrosonornicotine in tobacco

4-(methylintrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) and N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) are the most prevalent and toxic tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNAs). Due to their carcinogenicity, knowledge of the composition of NNK and NNN in tobacco is necessary. Herein, a sensitive and rapid method, which employs autoclave extraction-supercritical fluid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (SFC-MS/MS), has been developed for the analysis of NNK and NNN in tobacco. Both water-soluble and matrix-bound NNK and NNN were extracted with 100 mM ammonium acetate in an autoclave (130 °C, 4 h), and the aqueous extract was subjected to solvent replacement prior to SFC-MS/MS analysis. NNK and NNN were effectively separated within 5 min by using supercritical CO2 as the main mobile phase coupled with a co-solvent of methanol. Excellent linearity was obtained with coefficients of determination (R2) greater than 0.9997 in the range of 1-160 ng/mL and 5-800 ng/mL for NNK and NNN, respectively. The recoveries were in the range of 92.5-110.0% at different spiked levels of real samples. 12 tobacco samples which include 3 typical tobacco varieties of burley, flue-cured, and oriental tobaccos had been analyzed, and the fraction of matrix-bound NNK was determined as well. In addition, a comparison between the proposed SFC-MS/MS method and a validated liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) internal standard method was conducted. Both techniques exhibit comparable analysis results, but peak splitting of NNN was observed by LC-MSMS due to the existence of E/Z isomers, while SFC-MS/MS offers great improvement through elution condition optimization, demonstrating the applicability of SFC-MS/MS as an alternative tool for NNK and NNN analysis.

Simultaneous determination of 17 bisphenols in polycarbonate by ultra-high performance supercritical fluid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

A novel method was developed for the first time for the determination of 17 bisphenols by ultra-high performance supercritical fluid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Under the optimal conditions, 17 bisphenols were separated successfully on a high density diol column in 9 min using methanol and carbon dioxide as mobile phase. 0.02% ammonium hydroxide/methanol v/v was used as the post-column compensation solvent to improve response of mass spectrometry. Linear relations of matrix-matched calibration curve were favorable over the selected concentration range of 1-100 μg/kg with correlation coefficients greater than 0.9981. The method limit of detection and limit of quantitation were 0.1-0.5 μg/kg and 0.5-2.5 μg/kg, respectively. The average recoveries at three spiked levels in polycarbonate were in the range of 81.8-114.5%. Intra-day and inter-day precisions for six replicates were below 15.0%. This method was successfully applied to determine bisphenols in polycarbonate.

An environmentally friendly method for the enantioseparation and determination of benalaxyl in tobacco and soil by ultra-performance convergence chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

For the purpose of chiral separation and determination of benalaxyl enantiomers in tobacco and soil, we developed a rapid, green, and sensitive method using ultra-performance convergence chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. The samples were extracted and purified by the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe method before injection. The baseline separation was obtained on a chiral column in 5 min with carbon dioxide and ethanol as mobile phase. Separation parameters were optimized for the best separation efficiency. Under optimal conditions, the recoveries of both enantiomers were 77.1-98.4% with relative standard deviations <5.0% at spiked level of 0.1, 2.0, and 5.0 mg/kg in two matrices. Good coefficients of determination were achieved over the concentration range of 10-250 ng/mL. The limit of detection and the limit of quantification for all enantiomers ranged from 0.43 to 0.72 μg/kg and from 1.25 to 2.15 μg/kg, respectively. The results show that ultra-performance convergence chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry provides a reliable, green, and rapid method for the separation and determination of benalaxyl enantiomers in tobacco and soil. This method has important theoretical significance for studying the enantioselectivity and bioactivity of benalaxyl in the environment and in organisms.

Comparison between Different Extraction Methods for Determination of Primary Aromatic Amines in Food Simulant

The primary aromatic amines (PAAs) are food contaminants which may exist in packaged food. Polyurethane (PU) adhesives which are used in flexible packaging are the main source of PAAs. It is the unreacted diisocyanates which in fact migrate to foodstuff and then hydrolyze to PAAs. These PAAs include toluenediamines (TDAs) and methylenedianilines (MDAs), and the selected PAAs were 2,4-TDA, 2,6-TDA, 4,4'-MDA, 2,4'-MDA, and 2,2'-MDA. PAAs have genotoxic, carcinogenic, and allergenic effects. In this study, extraction methods were applied on a 3% acetic acid as food simulant which was spiked with the PAAs under study. Extraction methods were liquid-liquid extraction (LLE), dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME), and solid-phase extraction (SPE) with C18 ec (octadecyl), HR-P (styrene/divinylbenzene), and SCX (strong cationic exchange) cartridges. Extracted samples were detected and analyzed by HPLC-UV. In comparison between methods, recovery rate of SCX cartridge showed the best adsorption, up to 91% for polar PAAs (TDAs and MDAs). The interested PAAs are polar and relatively soluble in water, so a cartridge with cationic exchange properties has the best absorption and consequently the best recoveries.

Caryophyllane sesquiterpenes inhibit DNA-damage by tobacco smoke in bacterial and mammalian cells

In the present study, the ability of the natural sesquiterpene β-caryophyllene (CRY) and its metabolite β-caryophyllene oxide (CRYO) to inhibit the genotoxicity of a condensate of cigarette smoke (CSC) was evaluated both in bacterial and mammalian cells. Also, the inhibition of the CSC-mediated STAT3 phosphorylation and intracellular oxidative stress was evaluated as potential chemopreventive mechanism. Under our experimental conditions, both the sesquiterpenes exhibited antimutagenic properties, being CRY the most potent compound. The antimutagenicity was highlighted in all experimental protocols, being particularly strong in the co- and post-treatments. The test substances also reduced the micronuclei frequency induced by CSC, with a major effectiveness of CRY. CRY was also able to reduce the CSC-mediated increase of the Y705- pSTAT3 levels, in spite of a lacking effect of CRYO. Furthermore, the sesquiterpenes CRY and CRYO displayed a moderate antioxidant activity, with a 25 % and 40 % inhibition of the ROS-levels increased by CSC, respectively. On the basis of these results, CRY seems to be a multi-target chemopreventive agent, although the genoprotective and antioxidant effects of CRYO suggest that both compounds deserve to be deeply investigated for a possible application in the prevention and treatment of different smoke-related ailments.

Simultaneous determination of isomeric substituted anilines by imidization with benzaldehyde and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

The chromatographic separation of several isomeric anilines is a challenging issue. Herein, a simple method for the simultaneous determination of four groups of isomeric primary aromatic amines, including chloroanilines, methylanilines, methoxylanilines, and dimethylanilines, was presented. In this method, all of the 15 primary aromatic amines were easily transformed into the corresponding imine derivative by treatment with benzaldehyde under mild conditions. The formed isomeric imine derivatives were completely separated on a commercial capillary gas chromatography column. The effects of several derivatization parameters were investigated and optimized. Linearity in the optimized method ranged from 0.050 to 50 μg/mL with the squared correlation coefficients (R² ) between 0.9981 and 0.9999. Reasonable reproducibility was obtained, with the intraday relative standard deviation (N = 5) ranging from 0.89 to 4.57% and interday relative standard deviation ranging from 2.26 to 7.69% at the concentration of 5.0 μg/mL. The developed method has been successfully applied to determine these isomeric aromatic amines in real samples.

Enantioseparation of nornicotine in tobacco by ultraperformance convergence chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

Nornicotine, an alkaloid constituent of tobacco, is a precursor to the carcinogen N-nitrosonornicotine that is produced during the curing and processing of tobacco. Accumulating evidence reveals that nornicotine enantiomers have different neurochemical and behavioral effects. In the present study, an accurate and rapid method was developed for the enantioseparation of (R)-(+)-nornicotine and (S)-(-)-nornicotine enantiomers in tobacco by ultra-performance convergence chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Chromatographic conditions were investigated to achieve the optimal resolution of two enantiomers. Results indicated that (R)-(+)-nornicotine and (S)-(-)-nornicotine could be separated within 5 min when ammonium hydroxide was added into the cosolvent, and the best resolution (Rs  = 4.76) was achieved on a immobilized cellulose tris-(3,5-dichlorophenylcarbamate) chiral stationary phase. The proposed method was validated and was finally applied to analyze the compositions of (R)-(+)-nornicotine and (S)-(-)-nornicotine in three typical types of tobaccos (flue-cured, burley, and oriental). It was found that, enantiomer fraction of nornicotine (the proportion of (S)-(-)-nornicotine in the nornicotine pool) in burley tobacco samples was relatively high and constant compared with flue-cured and oriental tobaccos. The effective and rapid enantioseparation of nornicotine may help the understanding of alkaloid metabolites in different tobacco varieties and may also benefit pharmacological studies of alkaloid enantiomers.