Renewable sorbent material for solid phase extraction with direct coupling of sequential injection analysis-bead injection to liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.

The use of small scale renewable sorbent material for automated solid phase extraction of multi-residue pharmaceuticals in environmental samples exploiting the sequential injection analysis-bead injection with direct coupling to liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (SIA-BI-µSPE-LC-ESI-MS/MS) is presented to determine beta-blockers, namely atenolol, sotalol, pindolol, acebutolol, timolol, metoprolol, labetalol, carazolol, propranolol and betaxolol. These compounds yielded the same product ions, therefore were affected in terms of quantification when flow injection analysis-mass spectrometry (FIA-MS) was used. Thus, analytes and matrix present in the sample travel together into the ionization source which can seriously affect the ionization efficiency and analyte signals due to monitoring over a short time period. Graphical abstract A two-dimensional analysis involving a time dimension (retention time) and an m/z dimension (fragmentation ion) is promising for the various sample types. Using the developed method, absolute recoveries percentages of 10 mL of sample loading volume were >91% for all ß-blockers with enrichment factor of 62-74, limits of detection of 0.005-0.07 µg L(-1), limits of quantification of 0.01-0.23 µg L(-1), enrichment factor of 62-72 and repeatability within range 7-12%. This developed method is suggested to be used as quantitative screening technique for drugs of abuse or persistent contamination using different kinds of sorbent materials and complex matrix such as biological fluid sample as well.

Retention and selectivity of basic drugs on solid-phase extraction sorbents: application to direct determination of ß-blockers in urine.

Seven solid phase sorbent materials with reversed-phase, mixed-mode interactions (ion-exchange and reversed-phase), and molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP), namely Oasis HLB, Oasis MAX, Oasis MCX, Bond Elute Plexa, Bond Elute Plexa PAX, Bond Elute Plexa PCX, and SupelMIP sorbents, were investigated. The present study was focused on the retention and elution of pharmaceutically active substances based on several analyte-sorbent interaction properties. Basic drugs, such as ß-blockers (i.e., atenolol, pindolol, acebutolol, metoprolol, labetalol, and propranolol) were selected as the model compounds for this study. These compounds are frequently encountered in anti-doping tests. The extraction efficiencies of the individual sorbents were compared based on the recovery of known amounts of the targeted analytes in a metered elution volume (500 µL) in three separate elution fractions. The elution efficiency of the total amount of the target analytes on various sorbents was not appreciably influenced by the volume of eluent required for complete elution. Based on the small matrix effects and clear baseline, SupelMIP was the most suitable sorbent for urine analysis. The relative analyte recoveries of the SPE-HPLC procedure proved satisfactory for the range from 94% to 105%, with an RSD ranging from 2% to 4%. The regression equations for all of the targeted compounds exhibited excellent linearity (r(2) > 0.9991) over the range of 10 to 1000 ng mL(-1). The limits of detection and quantification for the selected ß-blocker compounds in urine were in the ranges of 0.6 to 2.0 ng mL(-1) and 2.0 to 6.7 ng mL(-1), respectively.

In-line sequential injection-based hollow-fiber sorptive microextraction as a front-end to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry: a novel fully automatic sample processing technique for residue analysis.

A novel and affordable analytical setup is herein reported for automatic flow-through sorptive microextraction of organic contaminants, exploiting polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a front-end to gas chromatography-ion trap-tandem mass spectrometry. The analytical procedure involves a short single-strand PDMS hollow fiber integrated in a sequential injection (SI) network for automatic fluidic handling by programmable flow. The target species are in-line extracted from 10 mL of sample containing 20% (v/v) methanol followed by elution with a metered volume of organic solvent, which is whereupon quantitatively transferred into the programmed temperature vaporization (PTV) injector of the GC. Diffusional resistance to mass transfer was overcome by effecting the overall concentration and stripping steps at a single PDMS tubing interface. The proof of concept of the novel hyphenated system was demonstrated for extraction and determination of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), namely, heptachlor, dieldrin, endrin, endosulfan, p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane, p,p'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, and endrin ketone, taken as model analytes, in environmental and industrial waters. Four organic solvents with a broad spectrum of polarity were investigated as eluents in the SI-based assembly, namely, ethyl acetate, methyl tert-butyl ether, hexane, and chloroform. Chloroform was proven the most suitable solvent for expedient elution and fast evaporation in the PTV injector. Under the selected experimental variables, limits of detection (signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) = 3) within the range of 0.3-1.1 ng L(-1), limits of quantification (S/N = 10) of 1.0-3.6 ng L(-1), and method repeatabilities spanning from 1.7 to 4.7% were obtained for the suite of OCPs. The hyphenated flow analyzer was harnessed to the analysis of samples of varying matrix complexity with good relative recoveries (86-112%) in drinking water, surface water, and influent and effluent wastewaters, with quantification limits far below those endorsed by WHO and EU drinking water directives setting maximum allowed concentrations at ≤100 ng L(-1) OCPs.

Flow-through dispersed carbon nanofiber-based microsolid-phase extraction coupled to liquid chromatography for automatic determination of trace levels of priority environmental pollutants.

Handling of carbon nanoparticles as sorptive materials in a flow-through packed-bed mode has been to date hampered by undue pressure drop and deteriorated retention efficiency because of nanoparticle bundling and entanglement. To surmount this limitation, a dedicated stirred-flow sorptive microchamber integrated in a fully automated sequential injection (SI) assembly is herein proposed for expedient handling and reuse of carbon nanoparticles in microsolid-phase extraction (µSPE) procedures. The assembled setup features automatic uptake, preconcentration, and retrieval of target organic species using dispersed nanoparticles as a front-end to liquid chromatographic (LC) assays. Chlorotriazine residues (atrazine, simazine, and propazine) and dealkylated metabolites thereof (deisopropyltriazine (DIA) and deethylatrazine (DEA)) were selected as model compounds because of their electron-poor aromatic structure and potentially strong π-π interactions with electron-rich sorptive materials. The effect of several parameters on the analytical performance including the type and amount of nanoparticles (carbon nanofibers (CNFs), multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and oxidized carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-COOH), the sample volume (breakthrough volume), the nature and volume of eluent, and the interface between the sample processing module and LC was explored in detail. Using dispersed CNFs at-line coupled to LC, absolute recovery percentages for 10 mL sample percolation were >94% for the overall herbicides with enrichment factors of ca. 20, limits of detection (S/N = 3) of 0.004-0.03 ng mL(-1), limits of quantification (S/N = 10) of 0.01-0.09 ng mL(-1) and repeatability within the range 0.5-1.8%. The SI-CNF-LC hyphenated system was harnessed to the analysis of not merely untreated environmental waters at concentration levels below those endorsed by the current EU Water Framework Directives but to crude soil extracts for which CNF reuse with no loss of retention efficiency was proven feasible by resorting to appropriate automatic regeneration procedures and internal standardization.

Online hyphenation of multimodal microsolid phase extraction involving renewable molecularly imprinted and reversed-phase sorbents to liquid chromatography for automatic multiresidue assays.

Molecular imprinted polymers (MIP) have recently drawn much attention as highly selective solid-phase materials for handling and isolation of organic pollutants in complex matrices. Because of the impaired retention capacity for target species as compared with reversed-phase materials and irreversible sorption of interfering compounds by nonspecific interactions, the implementation of MIP-based solid-phase reactors as permanent components in automatic flow-systems has not received widespread acceptance as of yet. To tackle this limitation, a dynamic microscale solid phase extraction (microSPE) method capitalizing on the principle of programmable flow and bead injection analysis is herein proposed as a front end to liquid chromatography for multiresidue assays. It involves in-line renewable tandem-SPE microcolumns composed of molecularly imprinted polymers and copolymeric N-vinylpyrrolidone/divinylbenzene beads integrated within the flow network for multimodal extraction. Chlorotriazine herbicides (namely, atrazine, simazine, propazine) and principal degradation products thereof (namely, deisopropylatrazine and deethylatrazine) were selected as model analytes. The effect of several parameters, including the dimensions and chemical composition of the sorptive microcolumns, the sample loading flow rate, the type and volume of eluent, the interface with liquid chromatography (LC), and the disposable nature of the column on the analytical performance were investigated in detail. The assembled flow setup features appropriate removal of interfering organic species via solvent switch with toluene, the circumvention of analyte band-broadening in LC by in-line merging of the eluate with a water stream, and the transfer of the overall analyte-containing eluate into the LC. For 10-mL sample percolation, limits of detection (S/N = 3) of 0.02-0.04 ng mL(-1), limits of quantification (S/N = 10) of 0.07-0.12 ng mL(-1), absolute recovery percentages >79%, precision within 1.4-5.5%, and enrichment factors of 46-49 were obtained for the suite of assayed herbicides. The multimodal microSPE method with renewable beads was applied to the multiresidue determination of the target herbicides in crude soil extracts and untreated environmental waters at concentration levels below those endorsed by the current EU Water Framework Directives following appropriate sample preconcentration and/or cleanup.

Online coupling of bead injection lab-on-valve analysis to gas chromatography: application to the determination of trace levels of polychlorinated biphenyls in solid waste leachates.

Online sorptive preconcentration exploiting renewable solid surfaces, so-called bead injection (BI), in the miniaturized lab-on-valve (LOV) platform is for the first time hyphenated to gas chromatography (GC) for automated determination of trace level concentrations of organic environmental pollutants. Microfluidic handling of solutions and suspensions in LOV is accomplished by programmable flow with a multisyringe flow injection (MSFI) setup. The method involves the incorporation of minute amounts (3 mg) of reversed-phase copolymeric beads with hydroxylated surface (Bond Elut Plexa) into the channels of a poly(ether imide) LOV microconduit, thus serving as a transient microcolumn packed reactor for preconcentration of organic species. The analyte-loaded beads are afterward eluted with 80 microL of ethyl acetate into a rotary injection valve and subsequently introduced via an air stream into the programmable-temperature vaporizer (PTV) injector of the GC. The used beads are then backflushed and delivered to waste. The GC separation and determination is synchronized with the preconcentration steps of the ensuing sample. The potentials of the devised BI-LOV-GC assembly with electron capture detector for downscaling and automation of sample processing were demonstrated in the determination of polychlorinated biphenyls in raw landfill leachates and a leachate containing the Aroclor 1260 congener mixture. By sampling 12 mL of leachates to which 50 vol % methanol was added to minimize sorption onto the components of the flow network, the automated analytical method features relative recovery percentages >81%, limits of quantification within the range of 0.5-6.1 ng L(-1), relative standard deviations better than 9% at the 50 ng L(-1) level, and 25-fold decrease in cost of solid-phase extraction (SPE) consumables as compared with online robotic systems or dedicated setups.

Critical evaluation of novel dynamic flow-through methods for automatic sequential BCR extraction of trace metals in fly ash.

Two novel dynamic extraction approaches, the so-called sequential injection microcolumn extraction and sequential injection stirred-flow chamber extraction, based on the implementation of a sample-containing container as an external extraction reactor in a sequential injection network, are for the first time, optimized and critically appraised for fractionation assays. The three steps of the original Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) sequential extraction scheme have been performed in both automated dynamic fractionation systems to evaluate the extractability of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in a standard reference material of coal fly ash (NIST 1633b). In order to find the experimental conditions with the greatest influence on metal leachability in dynamic BCR fractionation, a full-factorial design was applied, in which the solid sample weight (100-500 mg) and the extraction flow rate (3.0-6.0 mL min(-1)) were selected as experimental factors. Identical cumulative extractabilities were found in both sequential injection (SI)-based methods for most of assayed trace elements regardless of the extraction conditions selected, revealing that both dynamic fractionation systems, as opposed to conventional steady-state BCR extraction, are not operationally defined within the selected range of experimental conditions. Besides, the proposed automated SI assemblies offer a significant saving of operational time with respect to classical BCR test, that is, 3.3 h versus 48 h, for complete fractionation with minimum analyst involvement.

Multiple stirred-flow chamber assembly for simultaneous automatic fractionation of trace elements in fly ash samples using a multisyringe-based flow system.

There is a current trend in automation of leaching tests for trace elements in solid matrixes by use of flow injection based column approaches. However, as a result of the downscaled dimensions of the analytical manifold and execution of a single extraction at a time, miniaturized flow-through column approaches have merely found applications for periodic investigations of trace element mobility in highly homogeneous environmental solids. A novel flow-based configuration capitalized on stirred-flow cell extraction is proposed in this work for simultaneous fractionation of trace elements in three solid wastes with no limitation of sample amount up to 1.0 g. A two-step sequential extraction scheme involving water and acetic acid (or acetic acid/acetate buffer) is utilized for accurate assessment of readily mobilizable fractions of trace elements in fly ash samples. The fully automated extraction system features high tolerance to flow rates (< or = 6 mL min(-1)) and, as opposed to operationally defined batchwise methods, the solid to liquid ratio is not a critical parameter for determination of overall readily leachable trace elements provided that exhaustive extraction is ensured. Analytical performance of the dynamic extractor is evaluated for fractionation analysis of a real coal fly ash and BCR-176R fly ash certified reference material. No significant differences were found at the 0.05 significance level between summation of leached concentrations in each fraction plus residue and concentration values of BCR-176R, thus revealing the accuracy of the automated method. Overall extractable pools of trace metals in three samples are separated in less than 115 min, even for highly contaminated ashes, versus 18-24 h per fraction in equilibrium leaching tests. The multiple stirred-flow cell assembly is thus suitable for routine risk assessment studies of industrial solid byproduct.

On-line speciation analysis of inorganic arsenic in complex environmental aqueous samples by pervaporation sequential injection analysis.

A proof of concept of a novel pervaporation sequential injection (PSI) analysis method for automatic non-chromatographic speciation analysis of inorganic arsenic in complex aqueous samples is presented. The method is based on hydride generation of arsine followed by its on-line pervaporation-based membrane separation and CCD spectrophotometric detection. The concentrations of arsenite (As(III)) and arsenate (As(V)) are determined sequentially in a single sample zone. The leading section of the sample zone merges with a citric acid/citrate buffer solution (pH 4.5) for the selective reduction of As(III) to arsine while the trailing section of the sample zone merges with hydrochloric acid solution to allow the reduction of both As(III) and As(V) to arsine at pH lower than 1. Virtually identical analytical sensitivity is obtained for both As(III) and As(V) at this high acidity. The flow analyzer also accommodates in-line pH detector for monitoring of the acidity throughout the sample zone prior to hydride generation. Under optimal conditions the proposed PSI method is characterized by a limit of detection, linear calibration range and repeatability for As(III) of 22 µg L(-1) (3sblank level criterion), 50-1000 µg L(-1) and 3.0% at the 500 µg L(-1) level and for As(V) of 51 µg L(-1), 100-2000 µg L(-1) and 2.6% at the 500 µg L(-1) level, respectively. The method was validated with mixed As(III)/As(V) standard aqueous solutions and successfully applied to the determination of As(III) and As(V) in river water samples with elevated content of dissolved organic carbon and suspended particulate matter with no prior sample pretreatment. Excellent relative recoveries ranging from 98% to 104% were obtained for both As(III) and As(V).