Simultaneous measurements of Cr, Cd, Hg and Pb species in ng L−1 levels by interfacing high performance liquid chromatography and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Occurrence, bioaccumulation, and ecological and health risks of Cd, Sn, Hg, and Pb compounds in shrimp and fish from aquaculture ponds

Aquaculture organisms may accumulate metals to induce health risks. Compared with the focus on total contents, chemical-specific risk assessment makes reasonable but is rare. Herein, we elucidated occurrence of twelve metal compounds in shrimp and fish (edible muscle, one of major metal-containing and generally targeted organs), water, sediment, and feedstuff from two aquaculture ponds in Zhejiang Province (one of the major aquatic production and consumption areas). We detected Cd(II) (0.6 -71.4 μg kg-1 in 100 % prawn but 63 % fish), methylmercury (MeHg, 0.5 -7.1 μg kg-1 in 100 % fish but 61 % shrimp), Pb(II) (0.4 -1.0 μg kg-1 in 57 % fish and 39 % prawn), and trimethyltin and triethyltin (0.4 -0.7 μg kg-1), which were much lower than the maximum limits in China. Pb(II), Cd(II), and Hg(II) up to 0.38 mg kg-1 were main contaminants in sediment while Cd(II) and Pb(II) up to 0.44 mg kg-1 were major contaminants in feedstuff compared with Cd(II), Sn(II), Hg(II), and Pb(II) majored in water at ng L-1 levels. Ecological risks were low in water but high for tributyltin in sediment. Additionally, light bioaccumulation of Cd(II) from sediment for prawn and methylmercury from feedstuff/sediment for crucian and bighead carp was induced. We also found light health risk of triethyl- and trimethyl lead, and Cd(II) (to children) associated with fish/shrimp consumption (edible muscle). This study proved high necessity of chemical-specific assessment, and shall trigger increasing interest to more metallic compounds in a wide range of uncultured and cultured plants and animals.

Rhodamine 6G-PAH probes for heavy metal: Fluorescence detection, bioimaging, and solid-phase sensing application

Four rhodamine 6G-PAH probes with pyrene (R6G-Pyr), anthracene (R6G-Ant), acenaphthene (R6G-Acp) or phenanthrene (R6G-PA) as fluorophore were designed and synthesized for Hg(II) detection. Probe R6G-PA, which had the lowest detection limit of 0.84 nmol/L, displayed the best fluorescence performance as compared to the other three probes. This type of probe had good anti-interference properties against most common metal ions except Cu(II). Metal Cu(II) had a certain quenching effect on the fluorescence generated by Hg(II), with a minimum detection limit of 0.31 nmol/L (for R6G-Acp), indicating its potential practicability for Cu(II) detection. The structure-fluorescence relationship was discussed based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and R6G-PA + Hg(II), which had the minimum dihedral angle between polycyclic aromatic rings and rhodamine spiro ring, produced the strongest π-π accumulation and provided the brightest fluorescence. Probe R6G-PA was successfully employed for fluorescence detection of Hg(II) in biological samples. Its solid-phase sensor PS@R6G-PA was developed by immobilizing R6G-PA on PS microspheres for the determination of Hg(II) in water and food samples, with excellent reproducibility and fluorescence "on/off" response. The relative error of the spiked recovery rate was less than 10 %.

A convenient colorimetric assay for Cr(VI) detection based on homogeneous Cu(II)-GMP system with oxidoreductase-like activity

Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is an environmental pollutant and recognized as a human carcinogen. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a simple and sensitive detection technique for Cr(VI). Herein, it is found that Cu2+ interacts with guanosine 5'-monophosphate (GMP) to form a homogeneous Cu(II)-GMP complex (Cu2+·GMP) that efficiently displays the oxidoreductase-like catalytic activity. Cu2+·GMP can catalyze the oxidation between Cr(VI) and substrate 3,3',5,5'- tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), resulting in color change recognized by the naked eyes. Base on this, a convenient colorimetric assay for Cr(VI) detection was developed. The detection limit (3σ/s) of this sensor for Cr(VI) was 23 nM with a linear range of 0.1-25 μM. Moreover, the proposed assay was successfully applied to detect Cr(VI) in different environmental water samples with satisfactory recoveries. Our method is simple, efficient, rapid and cost-effective for Cr(VI) detection without the need for complicated material preparation or special separation, which shows great potential in environmental monitoring.

Ultrasensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensing of Cr(VI) with a Au@Ag nano-sea urchin paper-tip substrate

Bimetallic Au@Ag nano-sea urchins (Au@Ag NSUs) functionalized with methimazole were synthesized and combined with paper tips as efficient surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates for ultrasensitive Cr(VI) detection. The redox reaction between methimazole and Cr(VI) ensured the reliability of quantitative Cr(VI) analysis. When droplets were continuously dropped on the tip of the paper, based on the gravity effect, the nanoparticles achieved enrichment at the front end of the tip, which further improved the sensitivity of detection. The detection limit is as low as 0.956 ng L-1, demonstrating its excellent performance in ultrarace Cr(VI) detection. Additionally, the SERS sensor was successfully applied to the detection of Cr(VI) in real water samples, such as lake water and tap water, indicating its wide application potential in environmental monitoring. This study not only provides an efficient and reliable new method for detecting Cr(VI) but also shows the great prospect of paper-based SERS sensors in practical applications.

Transforming crystal structures of cobalt molybdate to generate electron-rich sites for electrochemical detection of Pb(II)

BACKGROUND

Most of the investigations on distinct crystal structures of catalysts are individually focused on the difference of surface functional groups or adsorption properties, but rarely explore the changes of active sites to affect the electrocatalytic performance. Catalysts with diverse crystal structures had been applied to modified electrodes in different electrocatalytic reactions. However, there is currently a lack of an essential understanding for the role of real active sites in catalysts with crystalline structures in electroanalysis, which is crucial for designing highly sensitive sensing interfaces.

RESULTS

Herein, cobalt molybdate with divergent crystal structures (α-CoMoO4 and β-CoMoO4) were synthesized by adjusting the calcination temperature, indicating that α-CoMoO4 (800 °C) (60.00 μA μM-1) had the highest catalytic ability than β-CoMoO4 (700 °C) (38.68 μA μM-1) and α-CoMoO4 (900 °C) (29.55 μA μM-1) for the catalysis of Pb(II). It was proved that the proportion of Co(II) and Mo(IV) as electron-rich sites in α-CoMoO4 (800 °C) were higher than β-CoMoO4 (700 °C) and α-CoMoO4 (900 °C), possessing more electrons to participate in the valence cycles of Co(II)/Co(III) and Mo(IV)/Mo(VI) to boost the catalytic reduction of Pb(II). Specifically, Co(II) transferred a part of electrons to Mo(VI), promoting the formation of Mo(IV). Co(II) and Mo(IV), as the electron-rich sites, providing electrons to Pb(II), further accelerating the conversion of Pb(II) into Pb(0).

SIGNIFICANCE

In the process of detecting Pb(II), the CoMoO4 structures under different temperatures have distinct content of electron-rich sites Co(II) and Mo(IV). α-CoMoO4 (800 °C), with the highest content are benefited to detect Pb(II). This work is conducive to understanding the effect of the changes of active sites resulting from crystal transformation on the electrocatalytic performance, and provides a way to construct sensitive electrochemical interfaces of distinct active sites.

Simultaneous quantification of tin and lead species in Antarctic krill and fish by interfacing high-performance liquid chromatography with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry based on strong cation-exchange and Amphion columns

Tin and lead are a global concern considering their species-dependent toxicity, bioavailability and transformation. Simultaneous speciation analysis of tin and lead is challenging for a large food capacity containing unstable species. Herein, we developed two sensitive methods for rapid quantification of tin and lead species in Antarctic seafood by high-performance liquid chromatography and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry based on strong cation-exchange and Amphion columns. Inorganic tin and lead, four organotin and two organolead compounds can be analysed in 16 min on a 10-cm Amphion II column (mobile phase: 4 mM sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate at pH 2.0) with 0.02-0.24 μg L-1 detection limits. The method was applied to Antarctic krill and fish, demonstrating the presence of any tin and lead species down to μg kg-1 level. Overall, the proposed methods are sensitive, efficient and environment-friendly for routine speciation analysis of tin and lead in food samples.

Simultaneous preconcentration and quantification of ultra-trace tin and lead species in seawater by online SPE coupled with HPLC-ICP-MS

BACKGROUND

Tin and lead contamination is a global threat to marine ecosystems considering their species-specific toxicity, bioavailability and mobility. Hence simultaneous measurement of multiple tin and lead compounds at μg L-1 to pg L-1 levels in environmental water is always an indispensable but challengeable task. High performance liquid chromatography coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS) is one of the most widely used choices for this purpose because of good sensitivity, strong separation power and good compatibility. Previous HPLC-ICP-MS methods based on a single elemental speciation strategy are low-efficiency and sensitivity-insufficient for a large set of unstable samples and interaction of multiple metal(loid)s down to ng L-1 levels.

RESULTS

In this study, we developed a sensitive, efficient and environment-friendly analytical method for accurate quantification of inorganic and organic species of tin and lead simultaneously based on HPLC-ICP-MS with online integration of solid phase extraction (SPE). By using graphene oxide modified silica conditioned with 1 mM benzoic acid to enrich tin and lead species from 10 mL sample, detection limits were improved to 2-8 pg per liter due to satisfactory enrichment factors (522-2848 folds). The SPE-HPLC-ICP-MS method was applicable to quantification of ultra-trace tin and lead species at pg L-1 levels in uncontaminated seawater. Tributyltin was the only tin species detected at subnanograms per liter levels while Pb(II) was the only lead species detected at several nanograms per liter in thirteen coastal seawater samples collected in Hangzhou Bay, indicating light contamination of tin and lead.

SIGNIFICANCE

Overall, the proposed SPE-HPLC-ICP-MS method is highly sensitive, efficient and environment-friendly that are fairly suitable to routine speciation analysis of tin and lead in environmental, food, and biological samples.

Nanohybrid of antimonene@Ti3C2Tx-based electrochemical aptasensor for lead detection

Lead ions (Pb2+), as one of many common heavy metallic environmental pollutants, can cause serious side-effects and result in chronic poisoning to people's health, so it is highly significant to monitor Pb2+ efficiently and sensitively. Here, we proposed an antimonene@Ti3C2Tx nanohybrid-based electrochemical aptamer sensor (aptasensor) for high sensitive Pb2+ determination. The sensing platform of nanohybrid was synthesized by ultrasonication, possessing the advantages of both antimonene and Ti3C2Tx, which not only can vastly enlarge the sensing signal of the proposed aptasensor, but also greatly simplified its manufacturing flow, because antimonene can strongly interact with aptamer through noncovalently bound. The surface morphology and microarchitecture of the nanohybrid were perused by several methods such as scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray mapping spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and atomic force microscope (AFM). Under optimal empirical conditions, the proposed aptasensor exhibited a wide linear correlation of the current signals with the logarithm of CPb2+ (Log CPb2+) over the span from 1 × 10-12 to 1 × 10-7 M and provided a trace discernment limit of 3.3 × 10-13 M. Moreover, the constructed aptasensor displayed superior repeatability, great consistency, eminent selectivity, and beneficial reproducibility, implying its extreme potential application for water quality control and the environmental monitoring of Pb2+.

Heavy Metals in Foods and Beverages: Global Situation, Health Risks and Reduction Methods

Heavy metals are chemical elements with a toxic effect on the human body. The expansion of industries has led to significant increasing levels of these constituents in the environment. Intensive agriculture can also lead to an increased concentration of heavy metals as a result of using different fertilizers and pesticides. Heavy metal accumulation in soil and plants represents a serious issue because of the potential risks to consumers. There are several methods available for the removal of these toxic components from different substrates (chemical precipitation, electrodialysis, coagulation and flocculation, photocatalytic removal, and adsorption-based processes), but most procedures are expensive and difficult to perform. Thus, more research is needed on the development of low-cost methods in foods. This work represents a review on the heavy metal presence in different food substrates (such as fruits and vegetables, milk and dairy products, meat and meat derivatives, oils, and alcoholic beverages) and provides an overview of the current situation worldwide, taking into account the fact that risks for human health are induced by the intensification of industry and the high degree of pollution. Considering that the toxicological quality of food affects its acceptability, this work provides valuable data regarding the actual situation on the proposed topic.

Dual-ligand lanthanide metal-organic framework probe for ratiometric fluorescence detection of mercury ions in wastewater

By serving dipyridylic acid (DPA) and 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid (DHTA) as the biligands, a novel lanthanide (Eu3+) metal-organic framework (MOF) namely Eu-DHTA/DPA was prepared for specific Hg2+ fluorescence determination. The dual-ligand approach can endows the resulting luminescent MOF with dual emission of ratiometric fluorescence and uniform size. Eu3+ produces intense red fluorescence when activated by the ligand DPA, while the other ligand DHTA produces yellow fluorescence. Under 273 nm excitation, the presence of Hg2+ in the monitoring environment causes an increase in the intensity of the DHTA fluorescence peak at 559 nm and a decrease in the intensity of the Eu3+ fluorescence peak at 616 nm. Hg2+ effectively quenches the fluorescence emission of the central metal Eu3+ in Eu-DHTA/DPA at 616 nm through a dynamic quenching effect. This recognition process occurs due to the coordination of Hg2+ with ligands such as benzene rings, carboxyl groups, and pyridine N in three-dimensional space. Hg2+ was detected by measuring the ratio between two fluorescence peaks (I559 nm/I616 nm) within the range 2-20 μM, achieving a remarkably low detection limit of 40 nM. The established ratiometric fluorescence method has been successfully applied to the determination of Hg2+ in industrial wastewater of complex composition. The method plays a crucial role in the rapid and sensitive monitoring of Hg2+ in real environmental samples. The recoveries ranged from 92.82% to 112.67% (n = 3) with relative standard deviations (RSD) below 4.8%. This study offers a convenient and effective method for constructing probes for Hg2+ monitoring, with practical applications in environmental monitoring.

A fluorescent sensor to detect lead leakage from perovskite solar cells

Hybrid perovskites have been considered a hot material in the semiconductor industry; included as an active layer in advanced devices, from light emitting applications to solar cells, where they lead as a new strategic solution, they promise to be the next generation high impact class of materials. However, the presence - in most cases - of lead in their matrix, or lead byproducts as a consequence of material degradation, such as PbI₂, is currently hindering their massive deployment. Here, we develop a fluorescent organic sensor (FS) based on the Pb-selective BODIPY fluorophore that emits when the analyte - lead in this case - is detected. We carried out a fluorimetric analysis to quantify the trace concentration of Pb²⁺ released from lead-based perovskite solar cells, exploring different material compositions. In particular, we immersed the devices in rainwater, to simulate the behavior of the devices under atmospheric conditions when the sealing is damaged. The sensor is studied in a phosphate buffer solution (PBS) at pH 4.5 to simulate the pH of acidic rain, and the results obtained are compared with ICP-OES measurements. We found that with fluorometric analysis, lead concentration could be calculated with a detection limit as low as 5 μg l^-1, in agreement with ICP-OES analysis. In addition, we investigated the possibility of using the sensor on a solid substrate for direct visualization to determine the presence of Pb. This can constitute the base for the development of a Pb-based label that can switch on if lead is detected, alerting any possible leakage.

Sulfur-Bridged Co(II)-Thiacalix[4]arene Metal-Organic Framework as an Electrochemical Sensor for the Determination of Toxic Heavy Metals

A novel sulfur-bridged metal-organic framework (MOF) [Co(TIC4R-I)_0.25Cl₂]·3CH₃OH (Co-TIC4R-I) based on thiacalix[4]arene derivatives was successfully obtained using a solvothermal method. Remarkably, adjacent TIC4R-I ligands were linked via Co(II) cations to form a three-dimensional (3D) microporous architecture. Subsequently, Co-TIC4R-I was modified on a glassy carbon electrode (Co-TIC4R-I/GCE) to produce an electrochemical sensor for the detection of heavy-metal ions (HMIs), namely, Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Hg²⁺, in aqueous solutions. It was found that Co-TIC4R-I/GCE exhibited wide linear detection ranges of 0.10-17.00, 0.05-16.00, 0.05-10.00, and 0.80-15.00 μM for Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Hg²⁺, respectively, in addition to low limit of detection (LOD) values of 0.017, 0.008, 0.016, and 0.007 μM. Moreover, the fabricated sensor employed for the simultaneous detection of these metals has achieved LOD values of 0.0067, 0.0027, 0.0064, and 0.0037 μM for Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Hg²⁺, respectively. The sensor also exhibited satisfactory selectivity, reproducibility, and stability. Furthermore, the relative standard deviation (RSD) values of Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Hg²⁺ were 3.29, 3.73, 3.11, and 1.97%, respectively. Moreover, the fabricated sensor could sensitively detect HMIs in various environmental samples. The high performance of the sensor was attributed to its sulfur adsorption sites and abundant phenyl rings. Overall, the sensor described herein provides an efficient method for the determination of extremely low concentrations of HMIs in aqueous samples.

Single drop analysis of mercury ions by rational design of peptide coated gold nanoparticles integrated with MALDI-MS measurement

In this study, a novel and rapid method for specific identification and accurate quantification of Hg²⁺ in environmental water was developed by using laser cleavable cysteine containing peptides modified gold nanoparticles coupled with high resolution matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MALDI-TOF MS) measurement. First, gold nanoparticles were prepared by the reduction of tetrachloroauric (III) acid (HAuCl₄) solution. Various cysteine containing peptides, photolabile linkers, including mercury ion binding motif with a proper molecular mass and amino acids were synthesized by solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). Subsequently, thiol-containing peptides were coated onto the surface of gold nanoparticles via the formation of gold-thiol (Au-S) bond. The resulting cysteine containing peptides modified gold nanoparticles were designed to specifically capture Hg²⁺ in water samples. After conjugated complex formation, ions of Hg²⁺-peptide complex were directly liberated by ultraviolet laser radiation by way of MALDI-MS using α-Cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHCA) as matrix. The linear dynamic range of Hg²⁺ concentration in this study was 1-100 pmol/μL with coefficient of determination 0.9987. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.19 and 0.63 pmol/μL, respectively. Notably, the developed method allows rapid quantification of Hg²⁺ in 5 min and the desired sample volume was down to few μL.

Strategies for mercury speciation with single and multi-element approaches by HPLC-ICP-MS

Mercury (Hg) and its compounds are highly toxic for humans and ecosystems, and their chemical forms determine both their behavior and transportation as well as their potential toxicity for human beings. Determining the various species of an element is therefore more crucial than understanding its overall concentration in samples. For this reason, several studies focus on the development of new analytical techniques for the identification, characterization, and quantification of Hg compounds. Commercially available, hyphenated technology, such as HPLC-ICP-MS, supports the rapid growth of speciation analysis. This review aims to summarize and critically examine different approaches for the quantification of mercury species in different samples using HPLC-ICP-MS. The steps preceding the quantification of the analyte, namely sampling and pretreatment, will also be addressed. The scenarios evaluated comprehend single and multi-element speciation analysis to create a complete guide about mercury content quantification.