Application of post-column reaction gas chromatography with a single reference gas for offshore air and gas seeped from the seafloor samples

Ambient air commonly contains carbon dioxide at concentrations greater than 400 µmol mol^-1 and methane at ~ 2000 nmol mol^-1; non-methane hydrocarbons are also widespread in the atmosphere at much lower concentrations. For quantification of various carbon-containing compounds in typical analytical instrument, corresponding number of reference materials are required. Therefore, the development of a method that uses a single reference material applicable to air monitoring is desired. Here, we examined a post-column reaction system combined with a gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector (FID), which involves oxidation and reduction processes after separation. To determine various carbon-containing gases by post-column reaction gas chromatography with FID (GC-r-FID) using a single reference, it is necessary to confirm a good linearity of the response with carbon concentrations originating from various carbon-containing gases. When mixtures of carbon-containing gases at three different concentrations and the calibration curve of the FID response with the concentration converted into methane were used, a single linear calibration curve (correlation coefficient > 0.9999, 18 points) was obtained over four orders of magnitudes (to ~ 5000 µmol mol^-1 as methane). The applicability of GC-r-FID was confirmed by determining carbon-containing gases in air and gas seeped from the seafloor samples. Because the results were comparable to those obtained by conventional GC-FID and GC-thermal conductivity detector, typically GC-r-FID with a single reference gas should be suitable for air monitoring.

Quantification of 23 Volatile Organic Compounds with a Single Reference Material Using Post-column Reaction Gas Chromatography Combined with a Stainless-steel Heating Furnace

We built a heating furnace using stainless-steel instead of aluminum in gas chromatography combined with an oxidation/reduction system; it increased the oxidation temperature to 650°C. At 600°C, it completely oxidized five organochlorine compounds. This system was applied to a standard solution of 23 volatile organic compounds. The analytical results of 20 hydrocarbon and organochlorine compounds showed good agreement with the expanded uncertainty (k = 2) of the reference values. Three organobromine compounds obtained values higher than the reference; this was investigated further.

Determination of PAHs in Solution with a Single Reference Standard by a Combination of 1H Quantitative NMR Spectroscopy and Chromatography

We have applied a combination of ¹H quantitative NMR spectroscopy (¹H-qNMR) and chromatography (GC or LC) to establish reliable analytical methods (qNMR/GC and qNMR/LC) for organic compounds. In this method, a reference standard is used as an internal standard for both ¹H-qNMR and chromatography to estimate relative molar sensitivity (RMS) for analytes. The RMS values are calculated from the molar ratios between analytes and the reference standard obtained by ¹H-qNMR; and the response ratio between them obtained by chromatography. Concentrations of analytes in the organic solution can be simultaneously determined from the RMS and amount of the reference standard added in the sample solution. This analytical method is an innovative one because only one reference standard with International System of Units (SI)-traceable property value, purity, or concentration, is necessary to determine accurate concentrations of multiple organic components in organic solutions, without the respective certified reference standards for various analytes. To verify this method, a certified reference material, NIST SRM 1647f, was used. Among the 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) included in NIST SRM 1647f, naphthalene and benzo[a]pyrene were selected as analytes for this method, using 1,4-bis(trimethylsilyl)benzene-d₄ as the reference standard. Each quantitative value obtained by qNMR/GC and qNMR/LC agreed with each certified value within its expanded uncertainty.

Simultaneous Direct Determinations of Na, Mg, K, Ca, P, and S in Biodiesel Fuel by ICP-QMS/QMS after Xylene Dilution: Development and Application of a High-throughput Method for a Homogeneity Assessment of a Candidate Reference Material

Inductively coupled plasma tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (ICP-QMS/QMS) measurements after xylene dilution were investigated as a method for determining the elements (Na, Mg, K, Ca, P, and S) in a biodiesel fuel (BDF) candidate reference material (RM). Optimizations were respectively carried out for the following parameters to obtain the best performance for measurements: O₂ flow rate (additional gas to the carrier gas) to ensure complete combustion of the xylene solvent in the plasma, plasma power to obtain lower background signal intensities for Na and K, O₂ flow rate (reaction cell gas) to remove any spectral interference with the S, H₂ flow rate so as to remove spectral interference with Ca. After optimization, the lower detection limits of Na, Mg, K, Ca, P, and S were 0.0004, 0.00004, 0.0003, 0.00012, 0.00005, and 0.002 mg kg^-1, respectively. Typical relative standard deviations were 2.1, 2.0, 1.7, 1.1, 2.5, and 2.5% for Na, Mg, K, Ca, P, and S, respectively, where the elemental concentrations in the BDF sample were, respectively, ca. 1 mg kg^-1 each for Na, Mg, K and Ca, ca. 2 mg kg^-1 for P, and ca. 6 mg kg^-1 for S. The established method was applied to the homogeneity assessment of a candidate RM of BDF made from palm oil. The relative uncertainties of the homogeneity were 0.3, 0.4, 0.6, 0.3, 1.6, and 0.6% for Na, Mg, K, Ca, P, and S, respectively.

Cyclodextrin-Aided Determination of Iodate and Bromate in Drinking Water by Microcolumn Ion Chromatography with Precolumn Enrichment

A selective and simple method for the determination of iodate (IO3-) and bromate (BrO3-) by microcolumn ion chromatography (IC) is presented. In this study, IO3- and BrO3- were determined as IBr2- and tribromide (Br3-), respectively, via a postcolumn reaction with bromide (Br) under acidic conditions with the aid of alpha-cyclodextrin (alpha-CD) in microcolumn IC. IO3- and BrO3- were selectively detected by the present method at a wavelength of 253 or 265 nm. The present system achieved good selectivity for IO3- and BrO3- as well as good repeatability under suitable conditions. Precolumn enrichment improved the detection limit, and allowed the determination of BrO3- in bottled water as low as sub microg L(-1) level in microcolumn IC.

Simultaneous determination of inorganic nitrogen species by microcolumn ion chromatography

Inorganic nitrogen species (nitrate, nitrite and ammonium ions) were simultaneously determined by microcolumn ion chromatography. Nitrate and nitrite were determined by UV detection at 206 nm, whereas ammonium ion was determined by fluorescence detection at excitation 410 nm and emission 470 nm. The latter fluorescence detection is based on the postcolumn reaction of ammonium ion with o-phthalaldehyde in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol. Effects of the reagent concentration, pH, and other reaction conditions on the signal intensity were examined, and the optimum condition was explored. The present method allowed simultaneous determination of nitrate, nitrite and ammonium ions in river water.

Determination of inorganic anions via postcolumn reaction with iodide in ion chromatography

Inorganic anions were determined as triiodide by postcolumn reaction with iodide under an acidic condition with help of alpha-cyclodextrin in ion chromatography. Analytes reacting with iodide to produce iodine could be determined by the present method. The analytes were indirectly detected at 287 or 355 nm. The presence of alpha-cyclodextrin caused an increase in the concentration of triiodide, leading to improvement of the sensitivity. The present system achieved good selectivity to iodate, bromate and nitrite as well as good repeatability under the optimum conditions. The determination of nitrite in river water was possible.