1
|
Hoffman DW, Rasmussen C. Position-specific carbon stable isotope analysis of glyphosate: isotope fingerprinting of molecules within a mixture. Anal Bioanal Chem 2024:10.1007/s00216-024-05326-5. [PMID: 38740591 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-024-05326-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine] is a widely used herbicide and a molecule of interest in the environmental sciences, due to its global use in agriculture and its potential impact on ecosystems. This study presents the first position-specific carbon isotope (13C/12C) analyses of glyphosates from multiple sources. In contrast to traditional isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), position-specific analysis provides 13C/12C ratios at individual carbon atom positions within a molecule, rather than an average carbon isotope ratio across a mixture or a specific compound. In this work, glyphosate in commercial herbicides was analyzed with only minimal purification, using a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy method that detects 1H nuclei with bonds to either 13C or 12C, and isolates the signals of interest from other signals in the mixture. Results demonstrate that glyphosate from different sources can have significantly different intramolecular 13C/12C distributions, which were found to be spread over a wide range, with δ13C Vienna Peedee Belemnite (VPDB) values of -28.7 to -57.9‰. In each glyphosate, the carbon with a bond to the phosphorus atom was found to be depleted in 13C compared to the carbon at the C2 position, by 4 to 10‰. Aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) was analyzed for method validation; AMPA contains only a single carbon position, so the 13C/12C results provided by the NMR method could be directly compared with traditional isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The glyphosate mixtures were also analyzed by IRMS to obtain their average 13C/12C ratios, for comparison with our position-specific results. This comparison revealed that the IRMS results significantly disguise the intramolecular isotope distribution. Finally, we introduce a 31P NMR method that can provide a position-specific 13C/12C ratio for carbon positions with a C-P chemical bond, and the results obtained by 1H and 31P for C3 carbon agree with one another within their analytical uncertainty. These analytical tools for position-specific carbon isotope analysis permit the isotopic fingerprinting of target molecules within a mixture, with potential applications in a range of fields, including the environmental sciences and chemical forensics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David W Hoffman
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 100 East 24th St., Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
| | - Cornelia Rasmussen
- Institute for Geophysics, The University of Texas at Austin, J. J. Pickle Research Campus, 10601 Exploration Way, Austin, TX, 78758, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Wang Y, Zhu Z, Xia Y, Zhong M, Ma R, Zhao Y, Yan Q, Miao Q, Wang B, Ma Y, Yin X, Zhou Y. Accessing the position-specific 18O/ 16O ratios of lignin monomeric units from higher plants with highly selective hydrogenolysis followed by GC/Py/IRMS analysis. Anal Chim Acta 2021; 1171:338667. [PMID: 34112441 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2021.338667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The 18O/16O of lignin at bulk, molecular and positional levels can be used to extract valuable information about climate, plant growth environment, plant physiology, and plant metabolism. Access to the individual oxygen isotope compositions (δ18O) in the lignin monomeric units is, however, challenging as depolymerization of lignin to release the monomeric units may cause isotope fractionation. We have developed a novel method to measure the δ18O of the three oxygens (O-3, O-4 and O-5) attached to the aromatic ring of the monomeric units (bearing no oxygen in their side chains) releasable by highly selective W2C/AC (tungsten carbide supported by activated carbon)-catalyzed hydrogenolysis of lignin. O-4 is obtained by measuring the δ18O of H-type monomeric unit, while O-3 and O-5 can be calculated following isotope mass balance between H, G and S-type monomeric units measurable simultaneously with GC/Py/IRMS (gas chromatography-pyrolysis-isotope ratio mass spectrometry). The measurement precisions are better than 1.15 mUr and 4.15 mUr at molecular and positional levels, respectively. It was shown that there were a δ18OH > δ18OG > δ18OS isotopic order in the herbaceous plant lignin and an (inclusive) opposite order in woody plant lignin. Such differences in isotopic order is likely to be caused by the fact that both L-tyrosine, which carries an 18O-enriched leaf water signal, and L-phenylalanine, which carries mainly a molecular O2 isotopic signal, serve as the precursors for lignin biosynthesis in herbaceous plants while only the latter serves as precursor for lignin biosynthesis in woody plants. We have highlighted the potential application of such molecular and positional levels isotopic signals in plant physiological, metabolic, lignin biosynthetic and climate studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- Isotopomics in Chemical Biology (ICB) & Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for China National Light Industry, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Weiyang, University Park, Xi'an, 710021, China
| | - Zhenyu Zhu
- Isotopomics in Chemical Biology (ICB) & Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for China National Light Industry, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Weiyang, University Park, Xi'an, 710021, China
| | - Yu Xia
- Isotopomics in Chemical Biology (ICB) & Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for China National Light Industry, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Weiyang, University Park, Xi'an, 710021, China
| | - Muyang Zhong
- Isotopomics in Chemical Biology (ICB) & Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for China National Light Industry, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Weiyang, University Park, Xi'an, 710021, China
| | - Ran Ma
- Isotopomics in Chemical Biology (ICB) & Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for China National Light Industry, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Weiyang, University Park, Xi'an, 710021, China
| | - Yu Zhao
- Isotopomics in Chemical Biology (ICB) & Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for China National Light Industry, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Weiyang, University Park, Xi'an, 710021, China
| | - Qiulin Yan
- Isotopomics in Chemical Biology (ICB) & Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for China National Light Industry, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Weiyang, University Park, Xi'an, 710021, China
| | - Qing Miao
- Isotopomics in Chemical Biology (ICB) & Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for China National Light Industry, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Weiyang, University Park, Xi'an, 710021, China
| | - Bo Wang
- Isotopomics in Chemical Biology (ICB) & Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for China National Light Industry, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Weiyang, University Park, Xi'an, 710021, China
| | - Yi Ma
- Isotopomics in Chemical Biology (ICB) & Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for China National Light Industry, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Weiyang, University Park, Xi'an, 710021, China
| | - Xijie Yin
- MNR Third Institute of Oceanology, Daxue Rd, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Youping Zhou
- Isotopomics in Chemical Biology (ICB) & Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for China National Light Industry, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Weiyang, University Park, Xi'an, 710021, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhuhai, 51900, China; International Center for Isotope Effects Research (ICIER), Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Julien M, Nun P, Höhener P, Parinet J, Robins RJ, Remaud GS. Enhanced forensic discrimination of pollutants by position-specific isotope analysis using isotope ratio monitoring by (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. Talanta 2015; 147:383-9. [PMID: 26592622 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2015.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2015] [Revised: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 10/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
In forensic environmental investigations the main issue concerns the inference of the original source of the pollutant for determining the liable party. Isotope measurements in geochemistry, combined with complimentary techniques for contaminant identification, have contributed significantly to source determination at polluted sites. In this work we have determined the intramolecular (13)C profiles of several molecules well-known as pollutants. By giving additional analytical parameters, position-specific isotope analysis performed by isotope ratio monitoring by (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance (irm-(13)C NMR) spectrometry gives new information to help in answering the major question: what is the origin of the detected contaminant? We have shown that isotope profiling of the core of a molecule reveals both the raw materials and the process used in its manufacture. It also can reveal processes occurring between the contamination site 'source' and the sampling site. Thus, irm-(13)C NMR is shown to be a very good complement to compound-specific isotope analysis currently performed by mass spectrometry for assessing polluted sites involving substantial spills of pollutant.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Julien
- EBSI Team, CEISAM, University of Nantes-CNRS UMR 6230, 2 rue de la Houssinière BP 92208, F-44322 Nantes, France
| | - Pierrick Nun
- EBSI Team, CEISAM, University of Nantes-CNRS UMR 6230, 2 rue de la Houssinière BP 92208, F-44322 Nantes, France
| | - Patrick Höhener
- University of Aix-Marseille-CNRS, Laboratoire Chimie Environnement FRE 3416, Place Victor Hugo 3, 13331 Marseille, France
| | - Julien Parinet
- University of Aix-Marseille-CNRS, Laboratoire Chimie Environnement FRE 3416, Place Victor Hugo 3, 13331 Marseille, France
| | - Richard J Robins
- EBSI Team, CEISAM, University of Nantes-CNRS UMR 6230, 2 rue de la Houssinière BP 92208, F-44322 Nantes, France
| | - Gérald S Remaud
- EBSI Team, CEISAM, University of Nantes-CNRS UMR 6230, 2 rue de la Houssinière BP 92208, F-44322 Nantes, France.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Julien M, Parinet J, Nun P, Bayle K, Höhener P, Robins RJ, Remaud GS. Fractionation in position-specific isotope composition during vaporization of environmental pollutants measured with isotope ratio monitoring by ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. Environ Pollut 2015; 205:299-306. [PMID: 26123718 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2015.05.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Revised: 05/19/2015] [Accepted: 05/22/2015] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Isotopic fractionation of pollutants in terrestrial or aqueous environments is a well-recognized means by which to track different processes during remediation. As a complement to the common practice of measuring the change in isotope ratio for the whole molecule using isotope ratio monitoring by mass spectrometry (irm-MS), position-specific isotope analysis (PSIA) can provide further information that can be exploited to investigate source and remediation of soil and water pollutants. Position-specific fractionation originates from either degradative or partitioning processes. We show that isotope ratio monitoring by (13)C NMR (irm-(13)C NMR) spectrometry can be effectively applied to methyl tert-butylether, toluene, ethanol and trichloroethene to obtain this position-specific data for partitioning. It is found that each compound exhibits characteristic position-specific isotope fractionation patterns, and that these are modulated by the type of evaporative process occurring. Such data should help refine models of how remediation is taking place, hence back-tracking to identify pollutant sources.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Julien
- EBSI Team, CEISAM, University of Nantes-CNRS UMR 6230, 2 rue de la Houssinière BP 92208, F-44322 Nantes, France
| | - Julien Parinet
- University of Aix-Marseille-CNRS, Laboratoire Chimie Environnement FRE 3416, Place Victor Hugo 3, 13331 Marseille, France
| | - Pierrick Nun
- EBSI Team, CEISAM, University of Nantes-CNRS UMR 6230, 2 rue de la Houssinière BP 92208, F-44322 Nantes, France
| | - Kevin Bayle
- EBSI Team, CEISAM, University of Nantes-CNRS UMR 6230, 2 rue de la Houssinière BP 92208, F-44322 Nantes, France
| | - Patrick Höhener
- University of Aix-Marseille-CNRS, Laboratoire Chimie Environnement FRE 3416, Place Victor Hugo 3, 13331 Marseille, France
| | - Richard J Robins
- EBSI Team, CEISAM, University of Nantes-CNRS UMR 6230, 2 rue de la Houssinière BP 92208, F-44322 Nantes, France
| | - Gérald S Remaud
- EBSI Team, CEISAM, University of Nantes-CNRS UMR 6230, 2 rue de la Houssinière BP 92208, F-44322 Nantes, France.
| |
Collapse
|