Solid-phase extraction aqueous samples

Two examples from the analysis of water samples illustrate how a separation and preconcentration can be accomplished simultaneously. In the gas chromatographic analysis for organophosphorous pesticides in environmental waters, the analytes in a 1000-mL sample may be separated from their aqueous matrix by a solid-phase extraction using 15 mb of ethyl acetate. After the extraction, the analytes are present in the ethyl acetate at a concentration that is 67 times greater than that in... 

Figure 2.12 Schematic representation of an on-line SPE-GC system consisting of three switching valves (VI-V3), two pumps (a solvent-delivery unit (SDU) pump and a syringe pump) and a GC system equipped with a solvent-vapour exit (SVE), an MS instrument detector, a retention gap, a retaining precolumn and an analytical column. Reprinted from Journal of Chromatography, AIIS, A. J. H. Eouter et al, Analysis of microcontaminants in aqueous samples hy fully automated on-line solid-phase extraction-gas chromatography-mass selective detection , pp. 67-83, copyright 1996, with permission from Elsevier Science.

J. J. Vreuls, G. J. de Jong, U. A. Th Brinkman, K. Grob and A. Artho, On-line solid phase extraction-thermal desorption for- introduction of large volumes of aqueous samples into a gas cliromatograph , 7. High Resolut. Chromatogr. 14 455-459 (1991). 

Kennedy et al. developed a lasalocid immunoassay for application to residues in chicken meat and liver samples. The antibody was specific and did not cross-react with salinomycin, maduramicin, or monensin. Sample preparation consisted of homogenization in aqueous acetonitrile, removal of fat from an aliquot of the aqueous acetonitrile by hexane extraction, and evaporation of acetonitrile. The sample was then reconstituted with assay buffer. Liver required an additional solid phase extraction step. The LOQ was 0.02 xgkg for muscle and 0.15 agkg for liver. These workers were able to use the system to determine the half-life of lasalocid in the tissues. 

Milbemectin consists of two active ingredients, M.A3 and M.A4. Milbemectin is extracted from plant materials and soils with methanol-water (7 3, v/v). After centrifugation, the extracts obtained are diluted to volume with the extraction solvent in a volumetric flask. Aliquots of the extracts are transferred on to a previously conditioned Cl8 solid-phase extraction (SPE) column. Milbemectin is eluted with methanol after washing the column with aqueous methanol. The eluate is evaporated to dryness and the residual milbemectin is converted to fluorescent anhydride derivatives after treatment with trifluoroacetic anhydride in 0.5 M triethylamine in benzene solution. The anhydride derivatives of M.A3 and M.A4 possess fluorescent sensitivity. The derivatized samples are dissolved in methanol and injected into a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system equipped with a fluorescence detector for quantitative determination. 

For the analysis of organic additives in polymeric materials, in most cases, prior extraction will be necessary. Depending on the nature of the additive, many different approaches are employed. These include soxhlet extraction with organic solvent or aqueous media, total sample dissolution followed by selective precipitation of the polymer leaving the additive in solution, assisted extraction using pressurised systems, ultrasonic agitation and the use of supercritical fluids. In trace analysis, solid phase extraction (SPME) from solution or solvent partition may be required to increase the analyte concentration. 

Solid phase extraction (SPE) involves the separation of components of samples in solution through their selective interaction with and retention by a solid, particulate sorbent. SPE depends on differences in the affinities of the various components of the sample for the sorbent. The mechanisms of the interactions are virtually identical to the sorption processes that form the basis of liquid chromatographic separations (p. 80). The choice of solvent, the pH and ionic strength of aqueous solutions, and the chemical nature of the sorbent surface, especially its polarity, are all of importance in controlling the selectivity and efficiency of an extraction. 

Application of SPE to sample clean-up started in 1977 with the introduction of disposable cartridges packed with silica-based bonded phase sorbents. The solid phase extraction term was devised in 1982. The most commonly cited advantages of SPE over liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) as practiced on a macroscale include the reduced time and labor requirements, use of much lower volumes of solvents, minimal risk of emulsion formation, selectivity achievable when desired, wide choices of sorbents, and amenability to automation. The principle of operation consists of four steps (1) conditioning of the sorbent with a solvent and water or buffer, (2) loading of the sample in an aqueous or aqueous low organic medium, (3) washing away unwanted components with a suitable combination of solvents, and (4) elution of the desired compound with an appropriate organic solvent. 

In our laboratories, a cycle time of 90 sec can be achieved with a dilution factor of 1 25 for a given sample concentration, allowing the purity and identity control of two and a half 384-well microtiter plates per day. The online dilution eliminated an external step in the workflow and reduced the risks of decomposition of samples in the solvent mixture (weakly acidic aqueous solvent) required for analysis. Mao et al.23 described an example in which parallel sample preparation reduced steps in the workflow. They described a 2-min cycle time for the analysis of nefazodone and its metabolites for pharmacokinetic studies. The cycle time included complete solid phase extraction of neat samples, chromatographic separation, and LC/MS/MS analysis. The method was fully validated and proved rugged for high-throughput analysis of more than 5000 human plasma samples. Many papers published about this topic describe different methods of sample preparation. Hyotylainen24 has written a recent review. 

Although some researchers have chosen to extract aqueous wastewater matrices with traditional methods, such as liquid-liquid extraction [5,22], other researchers have used solid-phase extraction (SPE) to exhaustively extract FMs from these matrices [2,8,11,14,19,20]. Simonich et al. [2,11] used C18 Baker-bond Speedisks to extract 16 FMs, with a wide range of polarities, from 0.5-L influent and primary effluent and 1.0-L final effluent samples. Verbruggen et al. 

In the past two decades quite a few new techniques have emerged for the treatment of aqueous samples prior to organic analysis. Perhaps the most important development is that of solid-phase extraction (SPE), which has successfully replaced many off-line steps. This technique can be considered to have introduced a genuine new era in sample handling [1]. The many varieties in which the technique is available and can be applied have made it the key step in handling of aqueous samples. Among the successful varieties are solid-phase microextraction (SPME), matrix solid-phase dispersion, disk extraction and immunosorbent extraction. Several reviews covering these topics have appeared in the literature in the past decade (see e.g. Refs. [2,3] for nonylphenol... 

The biological applications of NMR include the study of the structure of macromolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids and the study of membranes, and enzymic reactions. Newer methods and instruments have overcome, to a large extent, the technical difficulties encountered with aqueous samples and the analysis of body fluids is possible, permitting the determination of both the content and concentration of many metabolites in urine and plasma. NMR is not a very sensitive technique and it is often necessary to concentrate the sample either by freeze drying and dissolving in a smaller volume cm- by solid phase extraction methods. 

T.L. Buxton and P. de B. Harrington, Trace explosive detection in aqueous samples by solid-phase extraction ion mobility spectrometry (SPE-IMS), Applied Spectroscopy 57(2) (2003) 223—232. 

Oostdyk TS, Grob RL, Snyder JL, et al. 1994. Solid phase extraction of primary aromatic amines from aqueous samples comparison with liquid-liquid extraction techniques. J Environ Sci Health... 

As well as typical sample preparation methods such as filtration and liquid-liquid extraction, newer developments are now extensively used. The first of these is solid-phase extraction (SPE). This is a rapid, economical, and sensitive technique that uses several different types of cartridges and disks, with a variety of sorbents. Sample preparation and concentration can be achieved in a single step. Interfering sugars can be eluted with aqueous methanol on reversed-phase columns prior to elution of flavonoids with methanol. 

Stepnowski, R, Solid-phase extraction of room temperature imidazolium ionic liquids from aqueous environmental samples. Anal. Bioanal. Chem., 381, 189, 2005. 

Hankemeier TH, Louter AJH, Rinkema FD, et al. 1995. On-line coupling of solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography with atomic emission detection for analysis of trace pollutants in aqueous samples. Chromatographia 40(3-4) 119-124. 

Using mentioned extraction/deproteinization procedures, the obtained aqueous or organic extracts often represent very dilute solutions of the analyte(s). These extracts may also contain coextractives that, if not efficiently separated prior to analysis of the final extract, will increase the background noise of the detector making it impossible to determine the analyte(s) at the trace residue levels likely to occur in the analyzed samples. Hence, to reduce potential interferences and concentrate the analyte(s), the primary sample extracts are often subjected to some kind of additional sample cleanup such as liquid-liquid partitioning, solid-phase extraction, or online trace enrichment and liquid chromatography. In many instances, more than one of these cleanup procedures may be applied in combination to allow higher purification of the analyte(s). 

Tire aqueous or organic extract obtained at this point may be a very dilute solution containing interfering compounds and making it difficult to determine trace level concentrations of the analyte(s) of interest. To reduce interferences and concentrate the analyte(s), the primary sample extract is furiher subjected to various types of sample cleanup procedures such as conventional liquid-liquid partitioning, solid-phase extraction, matrix solid-phase dispersion, online trace enrichment, liquid chromatography, online dialysis and subsequent trace enrichment, and supercritical fluid extraction. In most cases some of Urese procedures are used in combination to obtain highly purified extracts. 

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