Simultaneous profiling analysis of alkylphenols and amines by gas chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

Development of a fabric phase sorptive extraction with high-performance liquid chromatography and ultraviolet detection method for the analysis of alkyl phenols in environmental samples

A novel analytical method has been developed and validated for the quantification of alkyl phenols in aqueous and soil samples. Fabric phase sorptive extraction, a new sorptive microextraction technique, has been employed for the preconcentration of some endocrine-disruptor alkylphenol molecules, namely, 4-tert-butylphenol, 4-sec-butylphenol, 4-tert-amylphenol, and 4-cumylphenol, followed by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. Various parameters influencing the fabric phase sorptive extraction performance, namely, extraction time, eluting solvent, elution time and pH of the sample matrix, were optimized. The chromatographic separation was carried out with a mobile phase of acetonitrile/water (60:40 v/v) at an isocratic flow rate of 1.0 mL/min using a reversed-phase C₁₈ column at λ_max 225 nm. The calibration curves of target analytes were prepared in the concentration range 5-500 ng/mL with good coefficient of determination values (R² > 0.992). Extraction efficiency values were 74.0, 75.6, 78.0, and 78.3 for 4-tert-butylphenol, 4-sec-butylphenol, 4-tert-amylphenol, and 4-cumylphenol, respectively. The limits of detection range from 0.161 to 0.192 ng/mL. Subsequently, the new fabric phase sorptive extraction with high-performance liquid chromatography and ultraviolet detection was successfully applied for the recovery of alkyl phenols from spiked ground water, river water, and treated water from a sewage treatment plant, and soil and sludge samples.

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry assessment of amines in Port wine and grape juice after fast chloroformate extraction/derivatization

A simple, reliable, and sensitive gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method for the quantification of volatile and nonvolatile biogenic amines in Port wines and grape juices was developed and evaluated. The method was based on a previously reported two-phase derivatization procedure with isobutyl chloroformate in a toluene medium, which provides a quantitative reaction in 10 min. Following the derivatization step, the excess of reagent was eliminated by treatment with alkaline methanol. The derivatization procedure was performed directly on 1 mL of sample, avoiding any fastidious and time-consuming cleanup extraction steps. The method allows the simultaneous quantification of 22 amines, which can be found in wines: methylamine, dimethylamine, ethylamine, diethylamine, propylamine, isopropylamine, butylamine, isobutylamine, amylamine, isoamylamine, 2-methylbutylamine, hexylamine, pyrrolidine, piperidine, morpholine, 1,3-diaminopropane, putrescine, cadaverine, 1,6-diaminohexane, 2-phenylethylamine, histamine, and tyramine. Because of the fact that histamine and tyramine derivatives are degraded during the isobutyl chloroformate elimination step, the corresponding determination was made after removal of the excess of derivatizing reagent by evaporating an aliquot of the toluene layer obtained after the reaction. The presented method showed excellent analytical characteristics in what linearity, recovery, repeatability, and limit of detections were respected. It was used to assess the concentration of biogenic amines in juice grapes and Tawny and Vintage Port wines with different aging times. On the whole, the total content of amines in Port wines was low. Most of the amines found in wines have their origin in the raw material used for their elaboration, so the Port winemaking process is not prone to the production of this kind of compounds. Total biogenic amine contents have shown a decrease with the aging of both types of Port wines.

Current literature in mass spectrometry

In order to keep subscribers up‐to‐date with the latest developments in their field, John Wiley & Sons are providing a current awareness service in each issue of the journal. The bibliography contains newly published material in the field of mass spectrometry. Each bibliography is divided into 11 sections: 1 Books, Reviews & Symposia; 2 Instrumental Techniques & Methods; 3 Gas Phase Ion Chemistry; 4 Biology/Biochemistry: Amino Acids, Peptides & Proteins; Carbohydrates; Lipids; Nucleic Acids; 5 Pharmacology/Toxicology; 6 Natural Products; 7 Analysis of Organic Compounds; 8 Analysis of Inorganics/Organometallics; 9 Surface Analysis; 10 Environmental Analysis; 11 Elemental Analysis. Within each section, articles are listed in alphabetical order with respect to author (6 Weeks journals ‐ Search completed at 4th. Oct. 2006)