Static SPME

Applications The potential of a variety of direct solid sampling methods for in-polymer additive analysis by GC has been reviewed and critically evaluated, in particular, static and dynamic headspace, solid-phase microextraction and thermal desorption [33]. It has been reported that many more products were identified after SPME-GC-MS than after DHS-GC-MS [35], Off-line use of an amino SPE cartridge for sample cleanup and enrichment, followed by TLC, has allowed detection of 11 synthetic colours in beverage products at sub-ppm level [36], SFE-TLC was also used for the analysis of a vitamin oil mixture [16]. 

Miniaturisation of scientific instruments, following on from size reduction of electronic devices, has recently been hyped up in analytical chemistry (Tables 10.19 and 10.20). Typical examples of miniaturisation in sample preparation techniques are micro liquid-liquid extraction (in-vial extraction), ambient static headspace and disc cartridge SPE, solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE). A main driving force for miniaturisation is the possibility to use MS detection. Also, standard laboratory instrumentation such as GC, HPLC [88] and MS is being miniaturised. Miniaturisation of the LC system is compulsory, because the pressure to decrease solvent usage continues. Quite obviously, compact detectors, such as ECD, LIF, UV (and preferably also MS), are welcome. 

M. E. Miller, J. D. Stuart, Comparison of gas sampled and SPME sampled static headspace for the determination of volatile flavor components, Anal. Chem., 71, 23 27 (1999). 

Ceglarek et al. [89] used the CW-TR fibre to analyse LAS in influent and effluent wastewater samples of a WWTP applying SPME. The optimised conditions included the addition of 0.5 g mL 1 of ammonium acetate to 3 mL of sample, extraction by immersion of the fibre (2 h) and static desorption (15 min) in isopropanol/methanol (1 1). The extracted LAS were analysed by SPME-HPLC-FD and LC-ESI-MS. The former was not suitable for quantifying LAS because of its limited extraction efficiency, whereas LC-ESI-MS showed a linear range from 0.5 to 100 xgL 1, with detection limits of 0.5 p.g L 1 for each individual homologue of LAS. The CW-TPR fibre also extracted alkylether sulfates (AESs) but not under optimised conditions. 

The extent of oxidative deterioration will determine the acceptability of a food product. Because of this, methods for determining the degree of oxidation are very useful to the food industry. There are many possible methods that can be utilized (see Commentary) however, due to the stability of some of the end products, and their direct relationship with rancidity, headspace GC provides a fast and reliable method for oxidation measurement. Headspace techniques include static, dynamic, and solid-phase microextraction (SPME) methods. 

Rancidity measurements are taken by determining the concentration of either the intermediate compounds, or the more stable end products. Peroxide values (PV), thiobarbituric acid (TBA) test, fatty acid analysis, GC volatile analysis, active oxygen method (AOM), and sensory analysis are just some of the methods currently used for this purpose. Peroxide values and TBA tests are two very common rancidity tests however, the actual point of rancidity is discretionary. Determinations based on intermediate compounds (PV) are limited because the same value can represent two different points on the rancidity curve, thus making interpretations difficult. For example, a low PV can represent a sample just starting to become rancid, as well as a sample that has developed an extreme rancid characteristic. The TBA test has similar limitations, in that TBA values are typically quadratic with increasing oxidation. Due to the stability of some of the end-products, headspace GC is a fast and reliable method for oxidation measurement. Headspace techniques include static, dynamic and solid-phase microextraction (SPME) methods. Hexanal, which is the end-product formed from the oxidation of Q-6 unsaturated fatty acids (linoleate), is often found to be a major compound in the volatile profile of food products, and is often chosen as an indicator of oxidation in meals, especially during the early oxidative changes (Shahidi, 1994). 

Due to the volatility of some of the compounds present in food, it is very important to utilize cryogenic cooling when the sample is introduced onto the GC column. This helps to prevent the loss of low-molecular weight volatiles and also tends to focus volatiles on the initial portion of the column, thus allowing for improved separation and quantification. The use of a film thickness of 1.0 mm will also aid in the retention of the aforementioned compounds. In the static headspace procedure, the 4-min pressurization step is also crucial, in that equal pressures between the sample vials and the GC must be attained to ensure reproducible sample injections. Forboth the static and SPME procedures, heating the samples for 30 min prior to injection is important to ensure proper equilibration between the sample and the head-space. 

Because SPME extracts compounds selectively, the response to each compound must be calibrated for quantification. A specific compound can be quantified by using three GC peak area values from solvent injection, static headspace (gas-tight syringe), and SPME. The solvent injection is used to quantify the GC peak area response of a compound. This is used to quantify the amount of the compound in the headspace. The SPME response is then compared to the quantified static headspace extraction. These three stages are necessary because a known gas-phase concentration of most aroma compounds at low levels is not readily produced. A headspace of unknown concentration is thus produced and quantified with the solvent injection. Calibration must be conducted independently for each fiber and must include each compound to be quantified. 

If another GC peak resulting from SPME of the sample or other extractions is larger than the peak observed, the fiber is not saturated. Saturation can be tested (see Critical Parameters). If the fiber is saturated, or if the GC peak is flat at the top or exceeds the detector limits, the static extraction and SPME analysis should be repeated with a less concentrated solution. 

For a compound to contribute to the aroma of a food, the compound must have odor activity and volatilize from the food into the head-space at a concentration above its detection threshold. Since aroma compounds are usually present in a headspace at levels too low to be detected by GC, headspace extraction also requires concentration. SPME headspace extraction lends itself to aroma analysis, since it selectively extracts and concentrates compounds in the headspace. Some other methods used for sample preparation for aroma analysis include purge-and-trap or porous polymer extraction, static headspace extraction, and solvent extraction. A comparison of these methods is summarized in Table Gl.6.2. 

Analytical methods for the analysis of volatile compounds in the environment have been extensively reviewed.85 87 159 160 The volatility of this class of compounds—industrial solvents, emissions from the petrochemical industry and from combustion engines—suggests that GC should be used for their determination. Solvent-free sample preparation techniques, such as P T (dynamic HS), static HS, and SPME or SBSE, in which the analytes are isolated from the aqueous matrix and simultaneously preconcentrated, are preferred. They also have the advantage that extraction solvents that could interfere with early-eluting, volatile analytes are avoided. If solvent extraction of volatile compounds... 

There are many techniques available for the preparation of volatile analytes prior to instrumental analysis. In this chapter the major techniques, leading primarily to gas chromatographic analysis, have been explored. It is seen that the classical techniques purge and trap, static headspace extraction, and liquid-liquid extraction still have important roles in chemical analysis of all sample types. New techniques, such as SPME and membrane extraction, offer promise as the needs for automation, field sampling, and solvent reduction increase. For whatever problems may confront the analyst, there is an appropriate technique available the main analytical difficulty may lie in choosing the most appropriate one. 

Most of the static headspace methods determine the partition coefficient by quantifying volatile concentration above a sample by gas-chromatography. The vapour phase calibration method (VPC) uses an external vapour standard for calibration. One must assure that the pure component is completely vaporized before injection. A widely employed alternative is the Liquid calibration static headspace (LC-SH) method (YoiWey et al. 1991 Nedjma 1997). A third approach uses HS-SPME. SPME may be used to determine partition coefficients if short sampling times are applied the process must only sample the headspace and not disrupt the equilibrium (Jung and Ebeler 2003). This method has become very popular to study the effect of wine macromolecules on the liquid-vapor equilibrium, (Whiton and Zoecklein 2000 Escalona et al. 2002 Hartmann et al. 2002 Aronson and Ebeler 2004). 

Because SPME is a static extraction technique, the need for a large surface area is no longer as critical as in SPE. Smooth liquid coatings can be used that avoid plugging. Also, by sampling from headspace, SPME can extract analytes from highly complex matrices such as sludge. 

SPME can also be used to extract target analytes from food and drug samples. Thus, it has been employed for the extraction of caffeine from coffee and tea [225], and for that of volatile impurities in drugs. Headspace SPME has also been tested for flavour analysis in foods. Thus, the SPME/GC/TOF-MS tandem was successfully used for the rapid analysis of volatile flavour compounds in apple fruit. The sample (300-450 g of apple) was subjected to static headspace sampling for 4 6 h in order to allow the volatiles... 

Insertion/introduction of the needle into the GC port, depression of the plunger, and thermal desorption of the analytes. Alternatively, the analytes are washed out of the fiber by the HPLC mobile phase via a modified HPLC six-port injection valve and a desorption chamber that replaces the injection loop in the HPLC system. The SPME fiber is introduced into the desorption chamber, under ambient pressure, when the injection valve is in the load position. The SPME-HPLC interface enables mobile phase to contact the SPME fiber, remove the adsorbed analytes, and deliver them to the separation column. Analytes can be removed via a stream of mobile phase (dynamic desorption) or, when the analytes are more strongly adsorbed to the fiber, the fiber can be soaked in mobile phase or another stronger solvent for a specific period of time (e.g., 1 min) before the material is injected onto the column (static desorption) (Fig. 6). 

Some carbamates (carbosulfan, benfuracarb, carbofuran, pirimicarb, diethofencarb, and diuron) and phenylurea pesticides (monuron and monolinuron) were sampled from different fruit juices by using 50-pm carbowax-templated resin (CW-TPR) and a 60-pm PDMS/DVB SPME fiber (Sagratini et al., 2007). The fiber desorption into the SPME-LC/MS interface chamber previously filled with 70% methanol and 30% water, was performed in static mode. 

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