Identification of Volatile Compounds and Selection of Discriminant Markers for Elephant Dung Coffee Using Static Headspace Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Chemometrics.

Elephant dung coffee (Black Ivory Coffee) is a unique Thai coffee produced from Arabica coffee cherries consumed by Asian elephants and collected from their feces. In this work, elephant dung coffee and controls were analyzed using static headspace gas chromatography hyphenated with mass spectrometry (SHS GC-MS), and chemometric approaches were applied for multivariate analysis and the selection of marker compounds that are characteristic of the coffee. Seventy-eight volatile compounds belonging to 13 chemical classes were tentatively identified, including six alcohols, five aldehydes, one carboxylic acid, three esters, 17 furans, one furanone, 13 ketones, two oxazoles, four phenolic compounds, 14 pyrazines, one pyridine, eight pyrroles and three sulfur-containing compounds. Moreover, four potential discriminant markers of elephant dung coffee, including 3-methyl-1-butanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, 2-furfurylfuran and 3-penten-2-one were established. The proposed method may be useful for elephant dung coffee authentication and quality control.

The role of previously unmeasured organic acids in the pathogenesis of severe malaria.

INTRODUCTION: Severe falciparum malaria is commonly complicated by metabolic acidosis. Together with lactic acid (LA), other previously unmeasured acids have been implicated in the pathogenesis of falciparum malaria. METHODS: In this prospective study, we characterised organic acids in adults with severe falciparum malaria in India and Bangladesh. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to measure organic acids in plasma and urine. Patients were followed until recovery or death. RESULTS: Patients with severe malaria (n=138), uncomplicated malaria (n=102), sepsis (n=32) and febrile encephalopathy (n=35) were included. Strong ion gap (mean ± SD) was elevated in severe malaria (8.2 mEq/L ± 4.5) and severe sepsis (8.6 mEq/L ± 7.7) compared with uncomplicated malaria (6.0 mEq/L ± 5.1) and encephalopathy (6.6 mEq/L ± 4.7). Compared with uncomplicated malaria, severe malaria was characterised by elevated plasma LA, hydroxyphenyllactic acid (HPLA), α-hydroxybutyric acid and ß-hydroxybutyric acid (all P<0.05). In urine, concentrations of methylmalonic, ethylmalonic and α-ketoglutaric acids were also elevated. Multivariate logistic regression showed that plasma HPLA was a strong independent predictor of death (odds ratio [OR] 3.5, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.6-7.5, P=0.001), comparable to LA (OR 3.5, 95 % CI 1.5-7.8, P=0.003) (combined area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.81). CONCLUSIONS: Newly identified acids, in addition to LA, are elevated in patients with severe malaria and are highly predictive of fatal outcome. Further characterisation of their sources and metabolic pathways is now needed.

Separation selectivity patterns of fully charged achiral compounds in capillary electrophoresis with a neutral cyclodextrin.

Based on the separation selectivity equation, related to the dimensionless parameters for fully charged achiral analytes using a neutral CD, the separation selectivity can be classified into seven patterns. With respect to CZE without CD, the presence of CD in the buffer may improve, or reduce, the separation selectivity with this effect being accompanied by the same or reversed electrophoretic mobility order for charged analytes. This can depend on the separation selectivity of the two analytes in free solution, the binding selectivity, the separation selectivity of analyte-CD complexes and the ratio of electrophoretic mobility of the analytes in free, and complexed forms. Using positional isomers of benzoic acids and phenoxy acids as test analytes and α-CD as a selector, the observed separation selectivity shapes were found to be in excellent agreement with the predicted separation selectivities.

Micro-scale membrane extraction of glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid in water followed by high-performance liquid chromatography and post-column derivatization with fluorescence detector.

A carrier-mediated supported liquid membrane micro-extraction using single hollow fiber membrane suitable for the determination of the herbicide glyphosate and its main metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid in water is reported. A solution of 0.20 M Aliquat-336, a cationic carrier, in di-n-hexyl ether was selected as the supported liquid. A 20 microL of 1.0 M potassium chloride as the acceptor phase was filled in the membrane lumen. The membrane was immersed in a 20 mL of pH 9.0 sample solution. After 60-min extraction, the acceptor phase was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with post-column derivatization. The enrichment factors were found to be 853 and 136 for glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid, respectively. The method detection limits are 0.22 microg/L for glyphosate and 3.40 microg/L for aminomethylphosphonic acid. The procedure was validated and showed good accuracy and precision over a large linear dynamic range. The validated method was tested for the analysis of both analytes in spiked groundwater with good success.

Solid-phase extraction for multiresidue determination of sulfonamides, tetracyclines, and pyrimethamine in Bovine's milk.

This paper describes a systematic approach to the development of a solid-phase extraction method for simultaneous extraction of 10 antibiotic residues in bovine milk, belonging to groups of sulfonamides, tetracyclines, and pyrimethamine. The sample preparation steps include acidic deproteinization of milk proteins followed by sample enrichment and cleanup using a polymer-based Oasis HLB solid-phase extraction cartridge. The analyses were carried out by using a method based on liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry with positive ion mode. The parameters affecting the extraction efficiency such as sample loading pH, SPE wash solvent composition, and eluting solution pH were carefully investigated and optimized. The developed solid-phase extraction procedure coupled to multiresidue liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry method was applied for the analysis of 10 antibiotic residues in milk samples, and it proved to be simple, sensitive, and selective providing a recovery ranging from 70 to 106%.

Validation of a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry multi-residue method for the simultaneous determination of sulfonamides, tetracyclines, and pyrimethamine in milk.

A multiresidue method suitable for confirmation and determination of six sulfonamides (SAs), three tetracyclines (TCs), and pyrimethamine (PYR) in cow milk was validated. Milk samples were extracted using copolymer Oasis HLB solid-phase extraction (SPE) and analyzed by liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry with positive ion mode. Estimated method detection limits (MDL) and method quantitation limits (MQL) ranged from 0.48 to 2.64 and 0.61 to 8.64ng/mL, respectively. These values are far lower than the maximum residue limits (MRLs) established by several control authorities. Excellent linear dynamic range was observed from the method quantitation limits to 300ng/mL with correlation coefficients better than 0.9900 for all compounds. The method was accurate with recoveries ranging from 72.01 to 97.39%. Good intra-precision and intermediate precision were obtained with RSD better than 11.08%. The method is fairly robust with sample pH being the only critical control point.

Simultaneous determination of bisphenol-A-diglycidyl ether, bisphenol-F-diglycidyl ether, and their derivatives in oil-in-water and aqueous-based canned foods by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.

A gradient reversed-phase liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection method for simultaneous identification and quantification of bisphenol-A-diglycidyl ether (BADGE), bisphenol-F-diglycidyl ether (BFDGE), and their 10 derivatives in food matrixes was developed and validated for the analysis of oil-in-water- and aqueous-based foodstuffs. The method linearity range 0.016-10 ppm which are hundred-fold below and tenfold above the EU restriction at 1 ppm (mg/kg). The method detection limits range 0.72-4.20 ppb and the method quantitation limits range 2.40-14.85 ppb, respectively. The validation data indicate excellent precision, acceptable recovery, and good robustness, all supporting a good potential to further develop the method as a standard method for the determination of migrations from interior can coatings into foodstuffs.

Evaluation of a modified QuEChERS method for analysis of mycotoxins in rice.

A simple and efficient QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) sample preparation method was modified to provide good analytical results for 14 mycotoxins in rice. The method involved mixing sample with acidified aqueous acetonitrile, followed by salt-out liquid partitioning using MgSO4, NaCl, and citrate buffer salts. The extract was cleaned-up by dispersive solid-phase extraction with MgSO4, PSA, C18, and alumina-neutral. The analysis was performed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Throughout the validation experiments, 70-98% overall recoveries were achieved with RSDs ⩽ 7% for most analytes at concentrations 10-100 µg kg(-1). Limit of detections were 0.5-15 µg kg(-1). Inter-laboratory precision was performed by proficiency testing, |z|⩽ 2 was considered satisfactory. We compared our modified QuEChERS method against sample preparation using an immunoaffinity column; the recovery and specificity were comparable for the two methods, but the QuEChERS approach was more time- and cost-effective.

Characteristic fingerprint based on gingerol derivative analysis for discrimination of ginger (Zingiber officinale) according to geographical origin using HPLC-DAD combined with chemometrics.

Chromatographic fingerprints of gingers from five different ginger-producing countries (China, India, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam) were newly established to discriminate the origin of ginger. The pungent bioactive principles of ginger, gingerols and six other gingerol-related compounds were determined and identified. Their variations in HPLC profiles create the characteristic pattern of each origin by employing similarity analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). As results, the ginger profiles tended to be grouped and separated on the basis of the geographical closeness of the countries of origin. An effective mathematical model with high predictive ability was obtained and chemical markers for each origin were also identified as the characteristic active compounds to differentiate the ginger origin. The proposed method is useful for quality control of ginger in case of origin labelling and to assess food authenticity issues.

Low-temperature cleanup with solid-phase extraction for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in edible oils by reversed phase liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.

Low-temperature cleanup, which is a simple and cost-efficient sample preparation technique that allows the convenient treatment of multiple samples simultaneously, was developed in conjunction with solid-phase extraction (SPE) cleanup for the determination of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in refined and used edible oil samples by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD). Samples are extracted with a small amount of organic solvent and most of lipids in the extract were removed by low-temperature cleanup. SPE cartridge was used to further cleanup prior to HPLC-FLD analysis. Optimum extraction of low-temperature cleanup was achieved when using two extractions with a 4:1 (v/v) mixture of acetonitrile: acetone as the extraction solvent, freezing at between -18 °C and -25 °C for 24 h and then cleanup with an Alumina-N SPE cartridge. The PAH recoveries were 45.9-118.5%, with limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) values of 0.13-3.13 µg/kg and 0.25-6.25 µg/kg across the 16 tested PAHs, respectively. The validated method was successfully applied for the determination of PAHs in reference materials of olive oil and real refined and used edible oil samples.

Liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric method for simultaneous determination of small organic acids potentially contributing to acidosis in severe malaria.

Acidosis is an important cause of mortality in severe falciparum malaria. Lactic acid is a major contributor to metabolic acidosis, but accounts for only one-quarter of the strong anion gap. Other unidentified organic acids have an independent strong prognostic significance for a fatal outcome. In this study, a simultaneous bio-analytical method for qualitative and quantitative assessment in plasma and urine of eight small organic acids potentially contributing to acidosis in severe malaria was developed and validated. High-throughput strong anion exchange solid-phase extraction in a 96-well plate format was used for sample preparation. Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) coupled to negative mass spectroscopy was utilized for separation and detection. Eight possible small organic acids; l-lactic acid (LA), α-hydroxybutyric acid (aHBA), ß-hydroxybutyric acid (bHBA), p-hydroxyphenyllactic acid (pHPLA), malonic acid (MA), methylmalonic acid (MMA), ethylmalonic acid (EMA) and α-ketoglutaric acid (aKGA) were analyzed simultaneously using a ZIC-HILIC column with an isocratic elution containing acetonitrile and ammonium acetate buffer. This method was validated according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines with additional validation procedures for endogenous substances. Accuracy for all eight acids ranged from 93.1% to 104.0%, and the within-day and between-day precisions (i.e. relative standard deviations) were lower than 5.5% at all tested concentrations. The calibration ranges were: 2.5-2500µg/mL for LA, 0.125-125µg/mL for aHBA, 7.5-375µg/mL for bHBA, 0.1-100µg/mL for pHPLA, 1-1000µg/mL for MA, 0.25-250µg/mL for MMA, 0.25-100µg/mL for EMA, and 30-1500µg/mL for aKGA. Clinical applicability was demonstrated by analyzing plasma and urine samples from five patients with severe falciparum malaria; five acids had increased concentrations in plasma (range LA=177-1169µg/mL, aHBA=4.70-38.4µg/mL, bHBA=7.70-38.0µg/mL, pHPLA=0.900-4.30µg/mL and aKGA=30.2-32.0) and seven in urine samples (range LA=11.2-513µg/mL, aHBA=1.50-69.5µg/mL, bHBA=8.10-111µg/mL, pHPLA=4.30-27.7µg/mL, MMA=0.300-13.3µg/mL, EMA=0.300-48.1µg/mL and aKGA=30.4-107µg/mL). In conclusion, a novel bioanalytical method was developed and validated which allows for simultaneous quantification of eight small organic acids in plasma and urine. This new method may be a useful tool for the assessment of acidosis in patients with severe malaria, and other conditions complicated by acidosis.

Fast, low-pressure gas chromatography triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry for analysis of 150 pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables.

We developed and evaluated a new method of low-pressure gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LP-GC/MS-MS) using a triple quadrupole instrument for fast analysis of 150 relevant pesticides in four representative fruits and vegetables. This LP-GC (vacuum outlet) approach entails coupling a 10 m, 0.53 mm i.d., 1 µm film analytical column between the MS transfer line and a 3 m, 0.15 mm i.d. capillary at the inlet. The MS creates a vacuum in the 10 m analytical column, which reduces the viscosity of the He carrier gas and thereby shifts the optimal flow rate to greater velocity. By taking advantage of the H(2)-like properties of He under vacuum, the short analytical column, a rapid oven temperature ramp rate, and the high selectivity and sensitivity of MS/MS, 150 pesticides were separated in <6.5 min. The 2.5 ms dwell time and 1 ms interscan delay of the MS/MS instrument were critical for achieving >8 data points across the 2-3 s wide peaks. To keep dwell and cycle times constant across all peaks, each segment consisted of 30 analytes (60 transitions). For assessment, we injected extracts of spiked broccoli, cantaloupe, lemon, and sweet potato from the updated QuEChERS sample preparation method. Average recoveries (n=72) were 70-120% for 144 of the pesticides, and reproducibilities were <20% RSD for all but 4 analytes. Also, detection limits were <5 ng/g for all but a few pesticides, depending on the matrix. In addition to high quality performance, the method gave excellent reliability and high sample throughput, including easy peak integration to obtain rapid results.

Qualitative aspects in the analysis of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables using fast, low-pressure gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Quantitative method validation is a well-established process to demonstrate trueness and precision of the results with a given method. However, an assessment of qualitative results is also an important need to estimate selectivity and devise criteria for chemical identification when using the method, particularly for mass spectrometric analysis. For multianalyte analysis, automatic instrument software is commonly used to make initial qualitative identifications of the target analytes by comparison of their mass spectra against a database library. Especially at low residue levels in complex matrices, manual checking of results is typically needed to correct the peak assignments and integration errors, which is very time-consuming. Low-pressure gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (LP-GC-MS) has been demonstrated to increase the speed of analysis for GC-amenable residues in various foods and provide more advantages over the traditional GC-MS approach. LP-GC-MS on a time-of-flight (ToF) instrument was used, which provided high sample throughput with <10 min analysis time. The method had already been validated to be acceptable quantitatively for nearly 150 pesticides, and in this study of qualitative performance, 90 samples in total of strawberry, tomato, potato, orange, and lettuce extracts from the QuEChERS sample preparation approach were analyzed. The extracts were randomly spiked with different pesticides at different levels, both unknown to the analyst, in the different matrices. Automated software evaluation was compared with human assessments in terms of false-positive and -negative results. Among the 13590 possible permutations with 696 blind additions made, the automated software approach yielded 1.2% false presumptive positives with 23% false negatives, whereas the analyst achieved 0.8% false presumptive positives and 17% false negatives for the same analytical data files. False negatives frequently occurred due to challenges at the lowest concentrations, but 70% of them involved certain pesticides that degraded (e.g., captafol, folpet) or otherwise could not be detected. The false-negative rate was reduced to 5-10% if the problematic analytes were excluded. Despite its somewhat better performance in this study, the analyst approach was extremely time-consuming and would not be practical in high sample throughput applications for so many analytes in complicated matrices.

Efficient hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the multiclass analysis of veterinary drugs in chicken muscle.

A simple and sensitive method has been developed for multiresidue analysis of 24 important veterinary drugs (including 3 aminoglycosides, 3 ß-lactams, 2 lincosamides, 4 macrolides, 4 quinolones, 4 sulfonamides, 3 tetracyclines, and amprolium) in chicken muscle. The method involved a simple extraction using (1:1, v/v) of 2% trichloroacetic acid in water-acetonitrile, followed by removing fat with hexane, dilution of sample extract, and filtration prior to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) analysis. Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) proved to be very effective for separation of a wide range of polar and hydrophilic compounds (providing high sensitivity and good peak shape) compared to reversed phase and ion-pair separation. The method was successfully validated according to the European Decision 2002/657/EC. Average recoveries were 53-99% at 0.5-MRL, MRL, and 1.5-MRL spiking levels, with satisfactory precision ≤15% RSD. The limit of detection of the method was 0.1-10 µgkg(-1) for 22 analytes and 20 µgkg(-1) for aminoglycosides. These values were lower than the maximum residue limits (MRLs) established by the European Union. The evaluated method provides reliable screening, quantification, and identification of 24 veterinary drug residues in foods of animal origin. It has been successfully tested in real samples (such as chicken muscle, shrimp, and egg).

High throughput analysis of 150 pesticides in fruits and vegetables using QuEChERS and low-pressure gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

A higher monitoring rate is highly desirable in the labs, but this goal is typically limited by sample throughput. In this study, we sought to assess the real-world applicability of fast, low-pressure GC-time-of-flight MS (LP-GC/TOFMS) for the identification and quantification of 150 pesticides in tomato, strawberry, potato, orange, and lettuce samples. Buffered and unbuffered versions of QuEChERS (which stands for "quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe") using dispersive solid-phase extraction (d-SPE) and disposable pipette extraction (DPX) for clean-up were compared for sample preparation. For clean-up of all sample types, a combination of 150 mg MgSO4, 50mg primary secondary amine (PSA), 50 mg C18, and 7.5 mg graphitized carbon black (GCB) per mL extract was used. No significant differences were observed in the results between the different sample preparation versions. QuEChERS took < 10 min per individual sample, or < 1 h for two chemists to prepare 32 pre-homogenized samples, and using LP-GC/TOFMS, < 10 min run time and < 15 min cycle time allowed > 32 injections in 8 h. Overall, > 126 analytes gave recoveries (3 spiking levels) in the range of 70-120% with < 20% RSD. The results indicate that LP-GC/TOFMS for GC-amenable analytes matches UHPLC-MS/MS in terms of sample throughput and turnaround time for their routine, concurrent use in the analysis of a wide range of analytes in QuEChERS extracts to achieve reliable quantification and identification of pesticide residues in foods.

Extension of the QuEChERS method for pesticide residues in cereals to flaxseeds, peanuts, and doughs.

A simple method was evaluated for the determination of pesticide residues in flaxseeds, doughs, and peanuts using gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF) for analysis. A modified QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) method, which was previously optimized for cereal grain samples, was evaluated in these fatty matrices. This extraction method involves first mixing the sample with 1:1 water/acetonitrile for an hour to swell the matrix and permit the salt-out liquid-liquid partitioning step using anhydrous MgSO(4) and NaCl. After shaking and centrifugation, cleanup is done by dispersive solid-phase extraction (d-SPE) using 150 mg of anhydrous MgSO(4), 150 mg of PSA, and 50 mg of C-18 per milliliter of extract. This method gave efficient separation of pesticides from fat and removal of coextracted substances better than gel permeation chromatography or use of a freeze-out step, which involved excessive use of solvent and/or time. The optimized analytical conditions were evaluated in terms of recoveries, reproducibilities, limits of detection, and matrix effects for 34 representative pesticides using different types of flaxseeds, peanuts, and doughs. Use of matrix-matched standards provided acceptable results for most pesticides with overall average recoveries between 70 and 120% and consistent RSDs <20% for semipolar pesticides and <26% for lipophilic pesticides. The recoveries of these latter types of pesticides depended on the fat content in the matrices and partitioning factor between the lipids and acetonitrile. We believe that the consistency of the pesticide recoveries for different samples in multiple experiments and the physicochemical partitioning explanation for <70% recoveries of lipophilic pesticides justify compensation of results for the empirically determined recovery values. In any case, this method still meets 10 ng/g detection limit needs for lipophilic pesticides and may be used for qualitative screening applications, in which any identified pesticides can be quantified and confirmed by a more intensive method that achieves >70% recoveries for lipophilic pesticides.

Comparison of QuEChERS sample preparation methods for the analysis of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables.

This article describes the comparison of different versions of an easy, rapid and low-cost sample preparation approach for the determination of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables by concurrent use of gas and liquid chromatography (GC and LC) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) for detection. The sample preparation approach is known as QuEChERS, which stands for "quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe". The three compared versions were based on the original unbuffered method, which was first published in 2003, and two interlaboratory validated versions: AOAC Official Method 2007.01, which uses acetate buffering, and European Committee for Standardization (CEN) Standard Method EN 15662, which calls for citrate buffering. LC-MS/MS and GC-MS analyses using each method were tested from 50 to 1000ng/g in apple-blueberry sauce, peas and limes spiked with 32 representative pesticides. As expected, the results were excellent (overall average of 98% recoveries with 10% RSD) using all 3 versions, except the unbuffered method gave somewhat lower recoveries for the few pH-dependent pesticides. The different methods worked equally well for all matrices tested with equivalent amounts of matrix co-extractives measured, matrix effects on quantification and chemical noise from matrix in the chromatographic backgrounds. The acetate-buffered version gave higher and more consistent recoveries for pymetrozine than the other versions in all 3 matrices and for thiabendazole in limes. None of the versions consistently worked well for chlorothalonil, folpet or tolylfluanid in peas, but the acetate-buffered method gave better results for screening of those pesticides. Also, due to the recent shortage in acetonitrile (MeCN), ethyl acetate (EtOAc) was evaluated as a substitute solvent in the acetate-buffered QuEChERS version, but it generally led to less clean extracts and lower recoveries of pymetrozine, thiabendazole, acephate, methamidophos, omethoate and dimethoate. In summary, the acetate-buffered version of QuEChERS using MeCN exhibited advantages compared to the other tested methods in the study.

Selectivity comparisons of monolithic silica capillary columns modified with poly(octadecyl methacrylate) and octadecyl moieties for halogenated compounds in reversed-phase liquid chromatography.

Stationary phase selectivities for halogenated compounds in reversed-phase HPLC were compared using C18 monolithic silica capillary columns modified with poly(octadecyl methacrylate) (ODM) and octadecyl moieties (ODS). The preferential retention of halogenated benzenes on ODM was observed in methanol/water and acetonitrile/water mobile phases. In selectivity comparison of selected analytes on ODM and ODS, greater selectivities for halogenated compounds were obtained with respect to alkylbenzenes on an ODM column, while similar selectivities were observed with a homologous series of alkylbenzenes on ODM and ODS columns. These data can be explained by greater dispersive interactions by more densely packed octadecyl groups on the ODM polymer coated column together with the contribution of carbonyl groups in ODM side chains. For the positional isomeric separation of dihalogenated benzenes (ortho-, meta-, para-), the ODM column also provided better separation of these isomers for the adjacently eluted isomers that cannot be completely separated on an ODS column in the same mobile phase. These results imply that the ODM column can be used as a better alternative to the ODS column for the separation of other halogenated compounds.

Rapid determination of phenoxy acid residues in rice by modified QuEChERS extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A new method for the analysis of phenoxy acid herbicide residues in rice, based on the use of liquid extraction/partition and dispersive solid phase extraction (dispersive-SPE) followed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS), is reported. 5% (v/v) formic acid in acetonitrile as the extraction solvent and inclusion of citrate buffer helped partitioning of all the analytes into the acetonitrile phase. The extract was then cleaned up by dispersive-SPE using C18 and alumina neutral as selective sorbents. Further optimization of sample preparation and determination allowed recoveries of between 45 and 104% for all 13 phenoxy acid herbicides with RSD values lower than 13.3% at 5.0microgkg(-1) concentration level. Limit of detections (LODs) of 0.5microgkg(-1) or below were attained for all 13 phenoxy acids. Quantitative analysis was done in the multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode using two combinations of selected precursor ion and product ion transition for each compound. This developed method produced relatively higher recoveries of the acid herbicides with a smaller range of variation and less susceptibility to matrix effects, than the original QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) method.