Assessment of Modified Matrix Solid-Phase Dispersion as Sample Preparation for the Determination of CH3Hg+ and Hg2+ in Fish

Assessment of total mercury in urban particulate matter by filter fiber assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion coupling with microplasma assisted-cold vapor generation

BACKGROUND

The evaluation of particle-bound mercury (PBM) exposure is a crucial aspect of assessing the global cycle of mercury (Hg) and its adverse effects on human health and ecosystems. Nevertheless, the precise and reliable measurement of PBM remains a formidable task because of the costly and cumbersome equipment required, as well as the inadequate sensitivities exhibited by current analytical techniques. In this study, we provided a unique and straightforward approach utilising filter fiber-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion (FF-MSPD) in conjunction with single-drop solution electrode discharge-induced cold vapor generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry (SD-SEGD-CVG-AFS) for the precise quantification of PBM. The PBM contained in a small filter was efficiently extracted with 200 μL of eluent (0.2 % L-cysteine and 4 % HCOOH) by FF-MSPD and subsequently converted to Hg0 using SD-SEGD-CVG, before being subjected to examination using AFS.

RESULTS

The resulted limit of detection (LOD, 3σ) was 0.17 pg m-3, obtained with a sample volume of 12 m3, which was much higher than that of the techniques published in the literatures. The aforementioned technique was effectively utilised for the detection of mercury in 19 samples of PM2.5 and PM10 which were collected over a span of several months.

SIGNIFFCANCE

Contrast to conventional methods, the proposed method offers a range of distinct advantages, including simplified operation, absence of memory effects, enhanced sensitivity, substantial reduction in reagent usage, and decreased secondary pollution. These advantages are particularly valuable for advancing research on the fate, transport, and exposure routes of environmental mercury.

Distribution in marine fish and EDI estimation of contaminants of emerging concern by vortex-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion and HPLC-MS/MS

Due to their persistence or continuous discharge, toxic substances are present in the aquatic environment, and can bioaccumulate and biomagnify in the food web, generating a significant ecological risk and a threat to human health. The present study assess the occurrence and tissue (muscle, liver, stomach and gills) distribution of 59 anthropogenic contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in marine fish from Brazil. A simpler and faster analytical methodology based on vortex-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion (VA-MSPD) and liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was developed and validated. Limits of quantification ranged from 3.31 to 114 ng g^-1 dw with recovery rates between 60 and 140 % and relative standard deviation below 20 %. The ultraviolet filters 4-hydroxybenzophenone (4HB) (benzophenone-3 metabolite) and benzocaine (Et-PABA), and the antibacterial salicylic acid were frequently accumulated in muscle and liver at concentrations between 39.5 and 21.0 ngg^-1 dw. The determined concentrations resulted to be lower than the tolerable daily intake recommended by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Synergistic Effect of Bio-Inspired Nanochannels: Hydrophilic DNA Probes at Inner Wall and Hydrophobic Coating at Outer Surface for Highly Sensitive Detection

During the past few decades, bio-inspired nanochannels have been well developed and applied in biosensing, energy transfer, separation, and so on. Here, inspired by the synergistic effect of biological nanopores, biomimetic solid-state nanochannels with hydrophilic DNA probes at the inner wall (DNA@IW_Hydrophilic ) and hydrophobic coating at the outer surface (None@OS_Hydrophobic ) are designed. To demonstrate their prompted sensing properties, Hg²⁺ and its specific probe are selected as target and hydrophilic DNA probes, respectively. Compared with the traditional solid-state nanochannels with hydrophilic probes distributed on both the inner wall and outer surface, the nanochannels with DNA@IW_Hydrophilic +None@OS_Hydrophobic significantly decrease the limit of detection (LOD) by 10⁵ -fold. The obvious improvement of sensitivity (with LOD of 1 nM) is attributed to the synergistic effect: None@OS_Hydrophobic results in the nanochannel's effective diameter decrease and DNA@IW_Hydrophilic induces a specific sensing target. Meanwhile, nanomolar detection of Hg²⁺ in human serum and in vivo fish muscle are achieved. Through molecular dynamics simulation, the synergistic effect can be confirmed by ion fluxes increasement; the relative carbon nanotube increases from 135.64% to 135.84%. This work improves the understanding of nanochannels' synergistic effect and provides a significant insight for nanochannels with improved sensitivity.

Boron nitride nanosheet-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion microextraction of alkaloids from lotus plumule by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection and ion mobility quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A boron nitride nanosheet (BNNS)-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion method was established to microextract alkaloids from medicinal plants. The target compounds were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection and ion mobility quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. During the experimental process, several important parameters, including the type of dispersant, the amount of dispersant, the grinding time, and the type of elution solvent, were optimized. Finally, the BNNSs were chosen as the best dispersant, and their microcosmic morphologies were identified by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Because of the special property of BNNSs, the cost of this experiment was greatly reduced, especially in elution volume, sample amount (50 mg), and extraction time (2 min). Under the best conditions, 50 mg of sample powder was dispersed with 50 mg of BNNSs, the grinding time was 120 s, the mixed powder was eluted with 200 μL of methanol, and good linearity (r²  > 0.9993) and satisfactory recoveries (80-100%) were obtained. The inter- and intraday precisions were acceptable, with RSDs lower than 2.01 and 4.84%, respectively. The limits of detection ranged from 2.54 to 15.00 ng/mL, and the limits of quantitation were 8.47 to 50.00 ng/mL. The proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of liensinine, isoliensinine, and neferine in lotus plumule.

Magnetic solid-phase extraction based on sulfur-functionalized magnetic metal-organic frameworks for the determination of methylmercury and inorganic mercury in water and fish samples

A novel magnetic metal-organic frameworks (Fe₃O₄@UiO-66-SH) was successfully prepared by coating Fe₃O₄ nanospheres with sulfur-functionalized UiO-66. The Fe₃O₄@UiO-66-SH possesses both the magnetic properties of Fe₃O₄ and the diverse properties of metal-organic framework (MOF) in one material, which has the superiority of high surface area, easy-operation and strong adsorb ability with mercury, is used for the magnetic solid-phase extraction of methylmercury (MeHg⁺) and inorganic mercury (Hg²⁺) in water and fish samples. The analyzes were conducted by high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS). The different pretreatment conditions influencing the extraction recoveries of Hg²⁺ and MeHg⁺, including adsorbent amount, pH, extraction time, elution solvent, elution volume, desorption time, co-existing ions and dissolved organic materials were investigated. Under the optimized conditions, the limits of detection (LODs) of Hg²⁺ and MeHg⁺ for water samples were 1.4 and 2.6 ng L^-1, and the limits of quantification (LOQs) of Hg²⁺ and MeHg⁺ for water samples were 4.7 and 8.7 ng L^-1. The enrichment factors (EFs) were 45.7 and 47.6 fold for Hg²⁺ and MeHg⁺, respectively. The accuracy of the proposed method was demonstrated by analyzing the certified reference material of fish tissue (GBW10029) and by determining the analyte content in spiked water and fish samples. The determined values were in good agreement with the certified values and the recoveries for the spiked samples were in the range of 84.5-96.8%.

Metal organic framework assisted in situ complexation for miniaturized solid phase extraction of organic mercury in fish and Dendrobium officinale

Zirconium-based metal-organic frameworks, namely Zr-based MOF, was employed as adsorbent material in the miniaturized solid phase extraction of organic mercury compounds in food prior to capillary electrophoresis-diode array detector analysis. The synthesized adsorbent was characterized by different spectroscopic techniques. Parameters influencing the extraction and complexation of methylmercury chloride, ethylmercury chloride and phenylmercury chloride such as type of eluent solvent, type and amount of adsorbent were investigated. In addition, linear ranges contained 2.00-300.00 ng mL^-1 for MeHg⁺, 5.00-500.00 ng mL^-1 for EtHg⁺ and PhHg⁺, and the established method presented good linearity (R² ≥ 0.998). Under the optimized experimental conditions, the ranges of detection limit and quantitation limit were 0.022-0.067 ng mL^-1 and 0.073-0.220 ng mL^-1, respectively. The relative standard deviations of intra- and inter-day analysis were less than 3.2 and 3.1%, respectively. Trueness of the present method was successfully accomplished by means of the recovery assays (81.4-98.5%) in the blank samples with two concentration levels. The repeatability %RSD of the method was lower than 2.7%. Overall, the developed approach proved to have the latent capability to be utilized in routine analysis of organic mercury compounds in fish and Dendrobium officinale.

Balls-in-tube matrix solid phase dispersion (BiT-MSPD): An innovative and simplified technique for multiresidue determination of pesticides in fruit samples

Sample preparation of complex matrices, like food samples, continues to be a challenge demanding great effort for improvements. In this study, a new technique named balls-in-tube matrix solid-phase dispersion (BiT-MSPD) is proposed based on a simplification of the conventional MSPD technique being all sample preparation performed directly in a closed extraction tube with the assistance of steel balls. An innovative method using BiT-MSPD was successfully established for the determination of 133 pesticide residues in apple, peach, pear and plum by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Several sorbents were evaluated as solid support in different proportions with the sample. The homogenization step using mortar, glass rod or steel balls, with methanol and acetonitrile as extraction solvent, was evaluated. Vortex and ultrasound assisted extractions were also tested. Best results were obtained with C18, homogenization with steel balls, acetonitrile as solvent and ultrasound assisted extraction. Validation presented adequate trueness and precision results for the evaluated pesticides with recovery results ranging from 72 to 113% and RSD ≤ 17%. Practical limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) for the compounds were 3 and 10 µg kg^-1, respectively. The developed method proved to be easier and faster to perform than the MSPD, considering that extraction and clean-up are performed in the same tube without the need to transfer to cartridges, recipients or to use a separate clean-up step. The proposed BiT-MSPD technique was successfully applied to fruit samples and has great potential to be applied in other matrices, like cereals and meat, since the steel balls promote an efficient sample dispersion and extraction of pesticides. The BiT-MSPD permit a fully automation of the entire sample preparation step.

Dinuclear HgII tetracarbene complex-triggered aggregation-induced emission for rapid and selective sensing of Hg2+ and organomercury species

Mercury-mediated chelate ring formation and subsequent aggregation gives strong fluorescence for rapid and selective sensing of Hg²⁺ and organomercury.

Rapid, reliable and highly selective detection of mercury species, including Hg²⁺ ions and organomercury, is of significant importance for environmental protection and human health. Herein, a new fluorescent dye 1,1,2,2-tetrakis[4-(3-methyl-1H-benzimidazol-1-yl)phenyl ethylene tetraiodide (Tmbipe) with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) potential was prepared and characterized. The presence of four positively charged methylated benzimidazole groups endows Tmbipe with excellent water solubility and almost undetectable background fluorescence. However, it can coordinate with two Hg²⁺ ions or two organomercury molecules (e.g. methylmercury and phenylmercury) to form a planar dinuclear Hg^II tetracarbene complex, which can then self-aggregate to turn on AIE fluorescence. Such a fluorescence turn-on process can be completed in 3 min. In addition, synergic rigidification of the tetraphenylethylene-bridged Tmbipe molecule by mercury-mediated chelate ring formation and subsequent aggregation results in obviously higher fluorescence enhancement than that given by the single aggregation-induced one. Low background, high fluorescence enhancement and rapid response time make Tmbipe a good fluorescent probe for reliable, sensitive and highly selective quantitation of both inorganic and organic mercury species. This probe was also demonstrated to work well for identification of mercury species accumulation in living cells.

Occurrence, toxicity, and speciation analysis of arsenic in edible mushrooms

Owing to the strong concentration and biotransformation of arsenic, the influence of some edible mushrooms on human health has attracted widespread attention. The toxicity of arsenic greatly depends on its species, so the speciation analysis of arsenic is of critical importance. The aim of the present review is to highlight recent advances in arsenic speciation analysis in edible mushrooms. We summarized the contents and distribution of arsenic species in some edible mushrooms, the methods of sample preparation, and the techniques for their identification and quantification. Stability of the arsenic species during sample pretreatment and storage is also briefly discussed.

A homogeneous electrochemical sensor for Hg2+ determination in environmental water based on the T-Hg2+-T structure and exonuclease III-assisted recycling amplification

A simple, fast, sensitive, and homogeneous electrochemical sensor based on the T-Hg2+-T structure and exonuclease III-assisted recycling amplification has been constructed for mercury ion (Hg2+) detection. The cT and methylene blue-labeled DNA probes (MB-TDNA) were designed to contain poly T sequences, which were repulsed from the negatively charged indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode due to their abundant negative charges. Hg2+ could trigger the formation of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) between two DNA probes owing to the stable T-Hg2+-T structure. Then, Exo III specifically recognizes the cleavage of the double-stranded structure to release a methylene blue-labeled mononucleotide fragment (MB-MF). Moreover, the release of the target Hg2+ induces new hybridization and produces a large number of MB-MFs; MB-MFs are not repulsed by the negatively charged ITO electrode surface, thus producing a significant current signal. Under optimal conditions, the differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) response had a linear relationship with the logarithm of Hg2+ concentration in the range of 1.0 nM-0.5 μM, and the proposed method displayed great applicability for detecting Hg2+ in tap-water samples.

Speciation analysis of mercury by dispersive solid-phase extraction coupled with capillary electrophoresis

A pretreatment method of dispersive solid-phase extraction (DSPE) along with back-extraction followed by CE-UV detector was developed for the determination of mercury species in water samples. Sulfhydryl-functionalized SiO2 microspheres (SiO2 -SH) were synthesized and used as DSPE adsorbents for selective extraction and enrichment of three organic mercury species namely ethylmercury (EtHg), methylmercury (MeHg), and phenylmercury (PhHg), along with L-cysteine (L-cys) containing hydrochloric acid as back-extraction solvent. Several main extraction parameters were systematically investigated including sample pH, amount of adsorbent, extraction and back-extraction time, volume of eluent, and concentration of hydrochloric acid. Under optimal conditions, good linearity was achieved with correlation coefficients over 0.9990, in the range of 4-200 μg/L for EtHg, and 2-200 μg/L for MeHg and PhHg. The LODs were obtained of 1.07, 0.34, and 0.24 μg/L for EtHg, MeHg, and PhHg, respectively, as well as the LOQs were 3.57, 1.13, and 0.79 μg/L, respectively, with enrichment factors ranging from 109 to 184. Recoveries were attained with tap and lake water samples in a range of 62.3-107.2%, with relative standard deviations of 3.5-10.1%. The results proved that the method of SiO2 -SH based DSPE coupled with CE-UV was a simple, rapid, cost-effective, and eco-friendly alternative for the determination of mercury species in water samples.

Antifouling booster biocide extraction from marine sediments: a fast and simple method based on vortex-assisted matrix solid-phase extraction

This paper reports the development of an analytical method employing vortex-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) for the extraction of diuron, Irgarol 1051, TCMTB (2-thiocyanomethylthiobenzothiazole), DCOIT (4,5-dichloro-2-n-octyl-3-(2H)-isothiazolin-3-one), and dichlofluanid from sediment samples. Separation and determination were performed by liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry. Important MSPD parameters, such as sample mass, mass of C18, and type and volume of extraction solvent, were investigated by response surface methodology. Quantitative recoveries were obtained with 2.0 g of sediment sample, 0.25 g of C18 as the solid support, and 10 mL of methanol as the extraction solvent. The MSPD method was suitable for the extraction and determination of antifouling biocides in sediment samples, with recoveries between 61 and 103% and a relative standard deviation lower than 19%. Limits of quantification between 0.5 and 5 ng g^-1 were obtained. Vortex-assisted MPSD was shown to be fast and easy to use, with the advantages of low cost and reduced solvent consumption compared to the commonly employed techniques for the extraction of booster biocides from sediment samples. Finally, the developed method was applied to real samples. Results revealed that the developed extraction method is effective and simple, thus allowing the determination of biocides in sediment samples.

A smart material for the in situ detection of mercury in fish

We have developed a new fluorogenic polymer capable of detecting the presence of mercury contamination in fish samples. The modified polymer emits blue light when irradiated with UV light proportional to the quantity of mercury, as MeHg⁺ or Hg²⁺, present in fish. The quantitative relation between the concentration of mercury in fish and the increase of fluorescence in the polymer in contact with fish samples was confirmed, giving rise to quick and reliable results in the measurements of the presence of mercury in fish using a portable fluorogenic polymeric probe.

Assessment of graphene aerogel matrix solid-phase dispersion as sample preparation for the determination of chlorophenols in soil

Three-dimensional graphene aerogels (GAs) were synthesized by hydrothermal reduction and introduced as dispersing materials of matrix solid-phase dispersion for the determination of six chlorophenols in soil via high performance liquid chromatography.

Evaluation of alternative environmentally friendly matrix solid phase dispersion solid supports for the simultaneous extraction of 15 pesticides of different chemical classes from drinking water treatment sludge

This study describes the development, optimization and validation of a method for the extraction of 15 pesticides of different chemical classes in drinking water treatment sludge (DWTS) by vortex-assisted Matrix Solid Phase Dispersion (MSPD) with determination by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. It focused on the application of alternative and different solid supports to the extraction step of the MSPD. The main parameters that influenced the extraction were studied in order to obtain better recovery responses. Recoveries ranged from 70 to 120% with RSD below 20% for all analytes. Limits of quantification (LOQ) of the method ranged from 5 to 500 μg kg^-1 whereas the analytical curves showed correlation coefficients above 0.997. The method under investigation used low volume of solvent (5 mL), low sample mass (1.5 g) and low mass of chitin (0.5 g), an environmentally friendly support. It has advantages, such as speed, simplicity and low cost material, over other methods. When the method was applied, 4 out of 15 pesticides were detected in the DWTS samples in concentrations below the LOQ.

Single-Drop Solution Electrode Discharge-Induced Cold Vapor Generation Coupling to Matrix Solid-Phase Dispersion: A Robust Approach for Sensitive Quantification of Total Mercury Distribution in Fish

Sensitive quantification of mercury distribution in fish is challenging because of insufficient sensitivities of conventional analytical methods, the limited mass of organs (tens of micrograms to several milligrams), and dilution of analyte concentration from sample digestion. In this work, a simple and robust approach coupling multiwall carbon nanotubes assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion (MWCNTs-MSPD) to single-drop solution electrode glow discharge-induced cold vapor generation (SD-SEGD-CVG) was developed for the sensitive determination of mercury in limited amount of sample. Mercury species contained in a limited amount of sample can be efficiently extracted into a 100 μL of eluent by MWCNTs-MSPD, which are conveniently converted to Hg⁰ by SD-SEGD-CVG and further transported to atomic fluorescence spectrometry for their determination. Therefore, analyte dilution resulted from sample preparation is avoided and sensitivity is significantly improved. On the basis of consumption of 1 mg of sample, a limit of detection of 0.01 μg L^-1 (0.2 pg) was obtained with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 5.2% and 4.6% for 2 and 20 μg L^-1, respectively. The accuracy of the proposed method was validated by analysis of three Certified Reference Materials with satisfying results. To confirm that SD-SEGD-CVG-AFS coupling to MWCNTs-MSPD is a promising method to quantify mercury distribution in fish, this method was successfully applied for the sensitive determination of mercury in seven organs of common carps (muscle, gill, intestine, liver, gallbladder, brain, and eye) after dietary of mercury species. The proposed method provides advantages of minimum sample dilution, low blank, high sample introduction efficiency, high sensitivity, and minimum toxic chemicals and sample consumption.

Soxhlet-assisted matrix solid phase dispersion to extract flavonoids from rape (Brassica campestris) bee pollen

Soxhlet-assisted matrix solid phase dispersion (SA-MSPD) method was developed to extract flavonoids from rape (Brassica campestris) bee pollen. Extraction parameters including the extraction solvent, the extraction time, and the solid support conditions were investigated and optimized. The best extraction yields were obtained using ethanol as the extraction solvent, silica gel as the solid support with 1:2 samples to solid support ratio, and the extraction time of one hour. Comparing with the conventional solvent extraction and Soxhlet method, our results show that SA-MSPD method is a more effective technique with clean-up ability. In the test of six different samples of rape bee pollen, the extracted content of flavonoids was close to 10mg/g. The present work provided a simple and effective method for extracting flavonoids from rape bee pollen, and it could be applied in the studies of other kinds of bee pollen.

Recent Developments in the Speciation and Determination of Mercury Using Various Analytical Techniques

This paper reviews the speciation and determination of mercury by various analytical techniques such as atomic absorption spectrometry, voltammetry, inductively coupled plasma techniques, spectrophotometry, spectrofluorometry, high performance liquid chromatography, and gas chromatography. Approximately 126 research papers on the speciation and determination of mercury by various analytical techniques published in international journals since 2013 are reviewed.

Study of vortex-assisted MSPD and LC-MS/MS using alternative solid supports for pharmaceutical extraction from marketed fish

A procedure based on vortex-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) for the extraction of 15 pharmaceuticals from fish samples with determination by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was validated. Florisil, C18, diatomaceous earth, chitin, and chitosan were evaluated as solid supports. Best results were obtained with 0.5 g of diatomaceous earth, 0.5 g of sodium sulfate, and 5 mL of methanol. Analytical recoveries ranged from 58 to 128 % with relative standard deviation (RSD) lower than 15 %. Limit of quantification (LOQ) values for the 15 compounds ranged from 5 to 1000 ng g(-1). The method under investigation has shown to be a simple and fast extraction tool with minimum instrumentation and low amount of reagent, resulting in method low cost. Besides, alternative materials, such as chitin and chitosan, which were applied to the dispersion step for the first time, were found to be interesting alternatives.

Hg2+ion-imprinted polymers sorbents based on dithizone–Hg2+chelation for mercury speciation analysis in environmental and biological samples

Novel Hg²⁺ion-imprinted polymers were synthesized using the chelate of dithizone and Hg²⁺as template for mercury speciation analysis.

Speciation analysis of mercury in water samples by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction coupled to capillary electrophoresis

In this study, a method of pretreatment and speciation analysis of mercury by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction along with CE was developed. The method was based on the fact that mercury species including methylmercury (MeHg), ethylmercury (EtHg), phenylmercury (PhHg), and Hg(II) were complexed with 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol to form hydrophobic chelates and l-cysteine could displace 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol to form hydrophilic chelates with the four mercury species. Factors affecting complex formation and extraction efficiency, such as pH value, type, and volume of extractive solvent and disperser solvent, concentration of the chelating agent, ultrasonic time, and buffer solution were investigated. Under the optimal conditions, the enrichment factors were 102, 118, 547, and 46, and the LODs were 1.79, 1.62, 0.23, and 1.50 μg/L for MeHg, EtHg, PhHg, and Hg(II), respectively. Method precisions (RSD, n = 5) were in the range of 0.29-0.54% for migration time, and 3.08-7.80% for peak area. Satisfactory recoveries ranging from 82.38 to 98.76% were obtained with seawater, lake, and tap water samples spiked at three concentration levels, respectively, with RSD (n = 5) of 1.98-7.18%. This method was demonstrated to be simple, convenient, rapid, cost-effective, and environmentally benign, and could be used as an ideal alternative to existing methods for analyzing trace residues of mercury species in water samples.