Simultaneous determination of 9-ethylphenanthrene, pyrene and 1-hydroxypyrene in an aqueous solution by synchronous fluorimetry using the double scans method and hydroxyl-propyl beta-cyclodextrin as a sensitizer.

A novel method for the simultaneous determination of 9-ethylphenanthrene (9-EP), pyrene (Pyr) and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OH-Pyr) in an aqueous solution using hydroxyl-propyl ß-cyclodextrin (HPCD) as a sensitizer has been established. The overlap of the conventional fluorescence spectra of these molecules is resolved using synchronous fluorescence spectrometry with the double scans method. The simultaneous quantitative determination of three compounds was carried out with Δλ=36 nm and Δλ=55 nm. The signals detected at these three wavelengths (i.e., 298 nm, 337 nm and 351 nm) vary linearly when the concentrations of 9-EP, Pyr and 1-OH-Pyr were in the range of 5.00×10(-8)-1.60×10(-6) mol L(-1), 2.00×10(-8)-1.80×10(-6) mol L(-1), and 2.00×10(-8)-1.20×10(-5) mol L(-1), respectively. The limits of detection (LOD) for 9-EP, Pyr and 1-OH-Pyr were 3.97×10(-9) mol L(-1), 5.25×10(-)(9) mol L(-1), 4.20×10(-9) mol L(-1), respectively, with relative standard deviations (R.S.D.) of 1.62%, 2.45% and 1.73% (n=9), respectively. The inclusion behaviors between HPCD and the guest molecules were observed by synchronous fluorimetry and the association constants for the 1:1 complexes with HPCD were determined. The binding and complexation energies for different orientations are discussed. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of 9-EP, Pyr and 1-OH-Pyr in tap and lake water with good recoveries in the range of 92.9-110.0%.

Investigation into the causes for the changed biodegradation process of dissolved pyrene after addition of hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HPCD).

Bioremediation of surface waters contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is a serious problem, often limited by the low bioavailability of contaminants as a result of their low aqueous solubility. In this study, we studied the influence of hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HPCD) addition on the biodegradation of dissolved pyrene in aqueous solution. Five types of unidentified bacterial strains were used with a concentration of pyrene under its solubility limit. The reduction of pyrene content was monitored during the biodegradation process using synchronous fluorimetry. The presence of HPCD changed the rate of pyrene biodegradation by microorganisms due to the formation of an inclusion complex between pyrene and HPCD. The hydrophobicity and the emulsifying activity of microorganisms relative to their biodegrading capacity were investigated. The results indicated that hydrophobicity and emulsifying activity of the microorganisms were important factors that can influence the biodegradation process. The hydrophobicity and emulsifying activity were strongly correlated with the biodegrading capacity of the microorganisms toward pyrene in the presence of solubilizing agents or organized media.