Optimized gel permeation chromatographic cleanup for soil, sediment, wastes, and oily waste extracts for determination of semivolatile organic pollutants and PCBs

A gel permeation chromatographic (GPC) method, used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), was modified for cleanup of soil, sediments, wastes, and oily wastes before determination of semivolatile organic pollutants. The modifications included new calibration procedures and control of the amount of material processed. The modifications were evaluated for soil and sediment matrixes in a 5-laboratory study where each laboratory processed a solution containing a phthalate, substituted phenols and benzenes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), nitroaniline, and pesticides. With the exception of nitroaniline, analyte recoveries were 87-112%, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 6.7-26%. Soil samples containing PCBs and fortified with 6 pesticides at 0.7-4 micrograms/g were also analyzed by the 5 laboratories. The mean recovery of the 6 pesticides was 100% with a mean RSD of 16%. Mean RSD for the determination of total PCBs was 8.9%. An additional modification for the processing of wastes and high concentration waste samples was attempted; this involved GPC processing of sample extracts dissolved in 1 + 1 butyl chloride-methylene chloride. This modification did not improve recoveries of the semivolatile analytes. Finally, the modified GPC protocol was applied to PCB-contaminated reclaimed waste oils samples. Two GPC cleanup steps were used to separate PCBs from the waste oil samples before PCBs were determined by gas chromatography combined with electron-capture detection (GC/ECD).     

Rapid procedure for determination of nicarbazin residues in chicken tissues

A procedure is described for the quantitation of nicarbazin residues in chicken tissues. The method includes extraction of tissue with chloroform-ethyl acetate-dimethyl sulfoxide (50 + 50 + 0.8), adsorption on neutral alumina, and subsequent elution of the residues with methanol-pH 6.0 phosphate buffer (1 + 1). Extracts are separated on a 15 cm, 5 micron C18 column with methanol-pH 6.0 phosphate buffer (6.5 + 3.5) as the mobile phase. The dinitrocarbanilide portion of the complex is detected and quantitated with an electrochemical detector in the reductive mode. Recoveries, based on dinitrocarbanilide, were greater than 95% in liver, breast, and thigh muscle tissues fortified with 0.25-8.0 ppm nicarbazin.     

Use of solid phase Florisil cartridges to separate fat from semivolatile organic compounds in adipose tissue

A quick method for separation of semivolatile organic compounds from fat in adipose tissue has been developed. This method uses commercially available solid phase cartridges for sample cleanup. The results indicate that the recoveries, from hexane-extracted fat, of 4 representative classes of organic compounds range from 86.2 to 116%. The solid phase cartridges provide excellent separations of the fat from the analytes; no extraneous interference peaks were detected in the gas chromatograms. The method requires only 0.1 g sample and is quick and simple to use. Although results are reported for samples containing 1-14 ppm, the final extract can be concentrated to a volume allowing detection between 10 and 100 ppb.     

Neutral cleanup procedure for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin residues in bovine fat and milk.

A neutral cleanup method for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in milk and animal tissue was developed involving solvent extraction and liquid adsorption chromatography on magnesia-Celite 545, alumina, and Florisil. Cleaned up extracts were subjected to dual-ion analysis in a direct probe high resolution mass spectrometer, interfaced to a multi-channel analyzer for signal averaging. Calibration experiments were carried out with bovine milk and beef fat samples containing added TCDD. The 37CI isotopic isomer of TCDD was added as an internal standard. The response was linear for concentrations in the ppt range, with recoveries about 80%. Milk from a cow fed TCDD was cleaned up by the neutral procedure or, alternatively, a base-acid extraction procedure. The TCDD recoveries for both procedures were essentially the same. Recoveries of TCDD from liver samples of a rat given 14C-TCDD intraperitoneally, subjected to neutral cleanup and radioactive counting, were about 70%.     

One-step extraction and cleanup procedure for determination of p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDD, and p,p'-DDE in fish

A simplified method that combines extraction, partitioning, and cleanup in a single step for measuring p,p'-DDT and its metabolites in fish is described. Minced fish samples are emulsified with disodium hydrogen orthophosphate and trisodium citrate, ground with sodium sulfate, and eluted from a chromatographic column prepacked with alumina and silicic acid. The fats and fatty acids are solubilized and easily extracted from the tissues and retained by the column, while p,p'-DDT and its metabolites are quantitatively eluted with 40 mL n-hexane. The eluate is directly applied to a gas chromatographic column. Average recoveries of p,p'-DDT and its metabolites added to fish in vitro are 81%. The average coefficient of variation for recoveries of p,p'-DDT and its metabolites is less than 6.5% and the detection limit is 0.001 micrograms/g for p,p'-DDE, thus making this method very suitable for residue analysis.     

Gas-liquid chromatographic determination of permethrin in bovine tissues

A method is presented for the determination of permethrin (m-phenoxybenzyl cis,trans-(+/-)-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate) in bovine tissues. Fat and muscle samples were cleaned up first by liquid-liquid partition on a bonded phase chromatographic column. Final cleanup of fat and muscle was performed on a short Florisil column. Liver, kidney, spleen, and heart tissues only required cleanup on a Florisil column before quantitation of permethrin by electron capture gas-liquid chromatography.     

A simple procedure for colorimetric determination of organic carbon in soil

Abstract

A simple procedure is described for the rapid determination of organic carbon content in a large number of soil samples using an automated segmented flow analyser. The method is a modification of the wet oxidation/ digestion methods based on potassium dichromate combined with a colorimetric method for determination of chromic oxide (Stevenson and Clare, 1962). Using a segmented flow analyser for the colorimetry, the procedure is capable of automated routine analyses of large numbers of samples and was shown to give high and repeatable recoveries of organic carbon from a range of compounds. Organic carbon values for a range of soils analysed by the reported method and by the dry combustion technique showed a high correlation.     

Simplified fat extraction with sulfuric acid as cleanup procedure for residue determination of chlorinated hydrocarbons in butter

A new cleanup procedure is described for chlorinated hydrocarbon residues in butterfat. The method is based on the dropwise addition of H2SO4 to a fat solution column and continuous removal of the lipids and the acid. The cleanup of 0.25-2.0 g fat requires only 10-40 ml sulfuric acid and 12-17 ml petroleum ether. There is no need for any further cleanup step, solvent evaporation, or centrifugation. The method is easy to standardize and is suitable for automation. At least 30 fat samples can be cleaned up manually by one analyst in one day. Recoveries were complete (greater than 90%) for polychlorinated biphenyl compounds and for 13 chlorinated pesticides of 16 examined. The method was tested on chlorinated hydrocarbon residues in commercial butter and the results were compared with those obtained with the acetonitrile method. The versatility and limitations of the method were investigated by varying the sulfuric acid strength, initial fat solution concentration, and column dimensions.     

Rapid NMR method for the quantification of organic compounds in thin stillage

Thin stillage contains organic and inorganic compounds, some of which may be valuable fermentation coproducts. This study describes a thorough analysis of the major solutes present in thin stillage as revealed by NMR and HPLC. The concentration of charged and neutral organic compounds in thin stillage was determined by excitation sculpting NMR methods (double pulse field gradient spin echo). Compounds identified by NMR included isopropanol, ethanol, lactic acid, 1,3-propanediol, acetic acid, succinic acid, glycerophosphorylcholine, betaine, glycerol, and 2-phenylethanol. The concentrations of lactic and acetic acid determined with NMR were comparable to those determined using HPLC. HPLC and NMR were complementary, as more compounds were identified using both methods. NMR analysis revealed that stillage contained the nitrogenous organic compounds betaine and glycerophosphorylcholine, which contributed as much as 24% of the nitrogen present in the stillage. These compounds were not observed by HPLC analysis.     

Extraction and cleanup procedures for determination of diarylphosphates in fish, sediment, and water samples

Methods for determination of triaryl/alkylphosphates (TAPs) in water, fish, and sediment have been extended to determination of the diarylphosphate (DAP) degradation products. DAPs were extracted from water (adjusted to pH 0.5) by use of XAD-2 resin and determined by gas-liquid chromatography as butyl esters. Recovery of diphenylphosphate (DPP) and o-, m-, p-dicresylphosphates (DoCP, DmCP, DpCP) were greater than 95% in water samples fortified at 1, 10, and 50 micrograms/L. DAPs were extracted from fish with methanol and the extracts were cleaned up on reverse phase (C18) silica cartridges. Recoveries were greater than 87% for DPP, DoCP, DmCP, and DpCP in fish muscle fortified at 50, 100, and 500 ng/g. Sediments were refluxed with aqueous methanol and DAPs were recovered by use of XAD-2 resin. Recoveries of DAPs from sediments fortified at 50 and 100 ng/g were greater than 76%. Interferences (1-10 ng/g) from phosphorus or nitrogen-containing GLC peaks prevented sub- ng/g level analysis for DAPs in sediment and fish extracts.     

Rapid determination of aflatoxins in raw peanuts by liquid chromatography with postcolumn iodination and modified minicolumn cleanup

A method is described for rapid cleanup followed by reverse-phase liquid chromatographic (LC) quantitation of aflatoxins in raw peanuts. A modified minicolumn cleanup is used for sample preparation, and a preliminary estimation of aflatoxin content by minicolumn can be made so that highly contaminated samples can be diluted before LC analysis. The use of the simple, quick minicolumn cleanup eliminates the need for further column or cartridge cleanup, thus greatly reducing sample preparation time. Sensitive quantitation is achieved using a phenyl column, a mobile phase of water-tetrahydrofuran (80 + 20, v/v), and postcolumn derivatization with water-saturated iodine followed by fluorescence detection. The recoveries of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 from peanut meal spiked at 3 levels ranged from 71.7 to 88.3% (average 80%) with coefficients of variation from 2.7 to 10.4%.     

Simplified extraction and cleanup for multiresidue determination of pesticides in lanolin

In the proposed method, a light petroleum solution of lanolin (wool fat) is adsorbed on diatomaceous earth in an Extrelut column, and the pesticides are eluted with acetonitrile saturated with light petroleum. After evaporation to a small volume, the extract is subjected to solid-phase extraction (SPE) on a C-18 column. The acetonitrile eluate is evaporated to dryness and the residue is taken up in light petroleum. Organophosphorus pesticides are determined by temperature-programmed gas chromatography (GC) on a wide-bore column using a flame photometric detector in the phosphorus mode. Organochlorine pesticides are determined after miniaturized Florisil cleanup by classic GC on an OV-17/QF-1 packed column, using an electron capture detector. This procedure is more rapid and straightforward than the time-consuming AOAC extraction method, 29.014. Cleanup was better and the results obtained were comparable. Recoveries for 13 organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides, frequently found in lanolin, ranged from 80 to 90%.     

A high sample volume procedure for the colorimetric determination of soil organic matter

Abstract

A modified procedure for routine determination of soil organic matter is described. The procedure employs a wet combustion method of reducing the carbon in soil organic matter with dichromate in an acid media. The modification will permit 700–800 organic matter determinations per day with samples containing less than 8% 0M without undue difficulty.     

Determination of trace volatile organic compounds in fish tissues by gas chromatography

Several volatile organic compounds associated with petroleum fuels (mainly alkylated benzenes) were extracted from spiked fish tissue samples with a stream of air, trapped on charcoal, eluted with a solvent, and analyzed by gas chromatography. These volatile compounds are among the most water-soluble components of crude oils and petroleum products, and they have been associated with tainting in fish tissues. Recoveries for these compounds were about 90% when spiked directly either onto traps or into fish tissues although naphthalene desorbed poorly from the charcoal; recoveries of this compound were about 50%. Relative standard deviations (RSD) for most recoveries of spiked samples were in the 2-10% range based on 6 samples analyzed in duplicate. However, when live fish were contaminated experimentally by adding the aromatic compounds to the aquarium water, the RSDs were higher (10-30%).     

Improved cleanup for gas chromatographic determination of propiconazole residues in soil, wheat grain, straw, and leaves

A simple and sensitive method is described for determination of propiconazole, a new type of broad-spectrum systemic fungicide, in soil, wheat grain, straw, and leaves. Pesticide residues in or on grain and green plant materials are extracted with methanol (or a mixture of methanol and water (4 + 1), for soil), partitioned into methylene chloride, and cleaned up on an alumina column for grain and soil or an activated charcoal column for green plant materials. The amount of residue is quantitatively measured by gas chromatography using an alkali flame ionization detector in the nitrogen-sensitive mode. Recoveries from soil, grain, and green plant materials fortified at 0.1-5 mg/kg are better than 80%. The practical detection limits of this method are 0.01 mg/kg in grain and soil and 0.02 mg/kg in green plant materials.     

Ion-pair extraction cleanup for liquid chromatographic determination of bentazon in crops and soil

Bentazon was selectively extracted as an ion pair with tetrabutylammonium ion into dichloromethane. This technique was used to clean up crop and soil samples before determination of bentazon by reverse phase liquid chromatography and UV detection. Recoveries from potatoes, cucumbers, wheat grain, and clay soil were 77-103%, with a detection limit of 0.02 mg/kg.