Distribution of 35 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Pine Needle Samples from Selected Locations in the Republic of Korea.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), dust, and wax were measured in pine needles, and PAHs were also measured in surface soil. Pearson correlation analysis was performed between the analytical values. The main compounds responsible for the increase in total PAHs were non-carcinogenic phenanthrene and fluoranthene. Therefore, the % content of carcinogenic PAHs decreased with a slope = -0.037 (r = 0.47, p < 0.01), as the total PAH concentration in pine needles increased. Correlations between individual PAHs in pine needles and surface soil were very high when only low-number ring PAHs (2R- and 3R-PAHs) were statistically analyzed and significant when only high-number ring PAHs were statistically analyzed. Low-number ring PAH mainly moves in the gas phase and diffuses into the wax layer, so it was found to be statistically significant with the wax content of pine needles. High-number ring PAHs showed a high correlation with the amount of dust in pine needles because they mainly attached to dust particles and accumulated on the surface of pine needles. The ratios of fluoranthene/pyrene and methylphenanthrene/phenanthrene for predicting the origin of atmospheric PAHs have also been proven valid for pine needles.

Reliable biological indicator identification and evaluation of tobacco-derived nicotine using an ultra-sensitive gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method.

Several countries have exempted synthetic nicotine from existing regulatory frameworks, resulting in the widespread substitution of synthetic nicotine (SN) in almost all e-cigarette products available. However, it remains uncertain whether the purported synthetic nicotine is indeed genuine SN. There is a need to develop biological indicators and an analytical method that more clearly distinguishes between the two sources. Impurities in neat tobacco-derived nicotine (TDN) were characterized and identified through non-targeted and targeted analysis. Gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) conditions were optimized for detecting biological indicators in e-cigarette products. Nine tobacco-related alkaloids were identified and selected as biological indicators for TDN. A liquid-liquid extraction and GC-MS/MS quantitative method were developed to detect nine biological indicators in e-cigarette products with the limit of quantification ranging from 0.2 to 4.2 µg L-1 using 0.5 mL of e-liquid. This method was applied to 50 e-cigarette brands purchased in the Korean market. The developed method was able to easily and accurately identify the origin of nicotine even using a small amount of e-liquid sample. It is expected that effective e-cigarette regulation will be possible if the nicotine biological indicator and high-sensitivity analysis method developed in this study are used.

Determination of N-nitrosodimethylamine and N-nitrosomethylethylamine in drug substances and products of sartans, metformin and ranitidine by precipitation and solid phase extraction and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) has been detected in some drug substance and drug products containing sartans, ranitidine and metformin. N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) has also been found to be present in some sartan medications. A method for the simultaneous detection of NDMA and NDEA in drug substances and finished products of sartans, metformin and ranitidine has been optimized using isotope dilution, clean-up procedure and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The purification of drug substances and excipients was efficient when utilizing precipitation and activated charcoal cartridges. Most of irbesartan, pimasartan, olmesartan, and candesartan were removed by precipitation using solubility difference, while valsartan, rosartan, metformin and ranitidine were completely removed after activated charcoal purification. Even when the extracts were injected in GC-MS/MS more than 100 times, the peak shape and sensitivity did not change, and no peak interference occurred. When a 0.10 g sample was used, the range of the lower limit of detection was 0.07-0.3 µg/kg, and the range of the lower limit of quantification was 0.3-0.9 µg/kg. The precision was in the range of 0.4-2.7 % for NDMA and 0.4-4.2 % for NDEA, and the accuracy was in the range of 95.0-105 % for NDMA and 93.6-104 % for NDEA. NDMA was detected with a concentration of 0.004 mg/kg in a valsartan and 0.012 mg/kg in a ranitidine, and NDEA was detected at concentrations of 0.009 and 0.008 mg/kg in irbesartan and rosartan. Otherwise, NDMA was detected at a concentration of 0.062 mg/kg in a fimasartan product and 0.009 mg/kg in a ranitidine product. This method is available for all drug substances and finished products of sartans; metformin and ranitidine.