Modeling the effect of temperature on solid-phase microextraction of volatile organic compounds from air by polydimethylsiloxane coating using finite element analysis.

A development of analytical methods based on solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is a very time- and labor-consuming task. The finite element methods have found a wide application in SPME modeling for faster and more accurate optimization of analytical methods. In this work, a computational model for predicting the effect of temperature on extraction of VOCs from air onto SPME coating based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) has been developed using COMSOL Multiphysics® (CMP) software. Most suitable methods and models for estimating the diffusion coefficients of analytes in air and coating, and coating-air distribution constants of the analytes at different extraction temperatures were chosen. The Fuller method was chosen for calculating diffusion coefficients of analytes in air due to its simplicity and reliability. Coating-air distribution constants at different temperatures were estimated using van't Hoff equation. A combination of inverse gas chromatography on a capillary column with a similar stationary phase for estimating diffusion coefficients and linear temperature programmed retention indices (LTPRI) for estimating coating-air distribution constants at initial temperature were chosen for modeling purposes because in most cases it provided lowest values of root-mean-square difference from experimental extraction profiles from 125 mL bulb at 25 and 40 °C. The developed model can be recommended for faster and simpler optimization of the methods of air sampling using PDMS SPME fiber. It can also be used for obtaining extraction profiles at fluctuating temperatures.

Effects of oxidant and catalyst on the transformation products of rocket fuel 1,1-dimethylhydrazine in water and soil.

Existing methods for cleanup of wastewaters and soils polluted with the extremely toxic rocket fuel unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) are mainly based on the treatment with various oxidative reagents. Until now, the assessment of their effectiveness was based on the residual content of UDMH and did not take into account the possibility of the formation of a large number of potentially dangerous nitrogen-containing transformation products (TPs). In this study, using the recently developed approach based on high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry, the comprehensive characterization of UDMH TPs formed by the action of air oxygen and different oxidants (Fenton's reagent, KMnO4, HOCl, H2O2 in the presence of Cu2+ and [Fe (EDTA)]- catalysts) typically used to detoxify spill sites was performed. The range of the identified molecular formulas of TPs comprised 303 compounds of various classes. Among them, there is a number of major products not previously described in the literature. It was established that none of the investigated oxidative reagents ensures complete conversion of rocket fuel to safe compounds. The hydrogen peroxide based reagents, particularly H2O2 + Na [Fe (EDTA)] system currently used in Kazakhstan, give the greatest number of TPs, for many of which a toxicity was not characterized so far. The majority of the compounds found in model solutions was detected in extracts of soil from the crash site of the Proton carrier rocket, which was subjected to the on-site reagent treatment. During successive treatments, along with the decrease in the number of detectable UDMH TPs, their ratios change in favor of amines.

Quantification of transformation products of rocket fuel unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine in soils using SPME and GC-MS.

Determination of transformation products (TPs) of rocket fuel unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) in soil is highly important for environmental impact assessment of the launches of heavy space rockets from Kazakhstan, Russia, China and India. The method based on headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry is advantageous over other known methods due to greater simplicity and cost efficiency. However, accurate quantification of these analytes using HS SPME is limited by the matrix effect. In this research, we proposed using internal standard and standard addition calibrations to achieve proper combination of accuracies of the quantification of key TPs of UDMH and cost efficiency. 1-Trideuteromethyl-1H-1,2,4-triazole (MTA-d3) was used as the internal standard. Internal standard calibration allowed controlling matrix effects during quantification of 1-methyl-1H-1,2,4-triazole (MTA), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in soils with humus content < 1%. Using SPME at 60 °C for 15 min by 65 µm Carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane fiber, recoveries of MTA, DMF and NDMA for sandy and loamy soil samples were 91-117, 85-123 and 64-132%, respectively. For improving the method accuracy and widening the range of analytes, standard addition and its combination with internal standard calibration were tested and compared on real soil samples. The combined calibration approach provided greatest accuracies for NDMA, DMF, N-methylformamide, formamide, 1H-pyrazole, 3-methyl-1H-pyrazole and 1H-pyrazole. For determination of 1-formyl-2,2-dimethylhydrazine, 3,5-dimethylpyrazole, 2-ethyl-1H-imidazole, 1H-imidazole, 1H-1,2,4-triazole, pyrazines and pyridines, standard addition calibration is more suitable. However, the proposed approach and collected data allow using both approaches simultaneously.

Determination of 1-methyl-1H-1,2,4-triazole in soils contaminated by rocket fuel using solid-phase microextraction, isotope dilution and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Environmental monitoring of Central Kazakhstan territories where heavy space booster rockets land requires fast, efficient, and inexpensive analytical methods. The goal of this study was to develop a method for quantitation of the most stable transformation product of rocket fuel, i.e., highly toxic unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine - 1-methyl-1H-1,2,4-triazole (MTA) in soils using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) in combination with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Quantitation of organic compounds in soil samples by SPME is complicated by a matrix effect. Thus, an isotope dilution method was chosen using deuterated analyte (1-(trideuteromethyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole; MTA-d3) for matrix effect control. The work included study of the matrix effect, optimization of a sample equilibration stage (time and temperature) after spiking MTA-d3 and validation of the developed method. Soils of different type and water content showed an order of magnitude difference in SPME effectiveness of the analyte. Isotope dilution minimized matrix effects. However, proper equilibration of MTA-d3 in soil was required. Complete MTA-d3 equilibration at temperatures below 40°C was not observed. Increase of temperature to 60°C and 80°C enhanced equilibration reaching theoretical MTA/MTA-d3 response ratios after 13 and 3h, respectively. Recoveries of MTA depended on concentrations of spiked MTA-d3 during method validation. Lowest spiked MTA-d3 concentration (0.24 mg kg(-1)) provided best MTA recoveries (91-121%). Addition of excess water to soil sample prior to SPME increased equilibration rate, but it also decreased method sensitivity. Method detection limit depended on soil type, water content, and was always below 1 mg kg(-1). The newly developed method is fully automated, and requires much lower time, labor and financial resources compared to known methods.