[Determination of organophosphorus flame retardants in textile wastewater by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic drop followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry].

A rapid method for the determination of five organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) in textile wastewater was established by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) based on solidification of floating organic drop (SFO) coupled with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The analytes were extracted from the water samples by SFO-DLLME, which was performed using a mixture of an extraction solvent that was less dense than water, 1-undecanol, and a dispersive solvent, methanol. The influences of the SFO-DLLME parameters on the extraction efficiencies were studied. 1-Undecanol (extraction solvent, 400 µL) and methanol (dispersive solvent, 300 µL) were added to textile wastewater (containing 2 g NaCl) with pH between 6 and 9, and the solution was shaken for 2 min. Under optimum conditions, the linear ranges of the proposed method were from 2 µg/L to 100 µg/L with correlation coefficients (R2) above 0.99 for all the analytes. The limits of detection (S/N=3) ranged from 2 µg/L to 5 µg/L. The precision of the method was evaluated in terms of repeatability; the relative standard deviations varied from 2.7% to 11.2% (n=6). The relative recoveries ranged from 71.6% to 117.6% for all analytes. Only 3 of the 11 selected samples were tested positive for OPFRs, and the total concentrations of OPFRs in them were in the range of 2.6-3.4 µg/L. Hence, this method is accurate, environmentally friendly, fast, and convenient for the routine analysis of OPFRs in textile wastewater.

Liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole-Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry based method for target analysis and suspect screening of non-ionic surfactants in textiles.

In this study, we describe a high-throughput and sensitive method for textiles analysis, using liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole-Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS), for the simultaneously quantitative analysis of 40 target alkylphenol polyethoxylates (APEO) oligomers with reference standards and screening of 160 alcohol polyethoxylates (AEO) oligomers without standards in textiles. The APEOs contain nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEOs) and octylphenol ethoxylates (OPEOs) with an EO number of ethylene oxide of 1-20, while AEOs focus on C11EOs-C18EOs with an EO number of 1-20. After ultrasonic extraction in methanol, the extract was directly separated using a core-shell CORTECS C18+ column and analyzed by Full MS/dd-MS2 (data dependent acquisition) scan in ESI positive mode. Two best sensitivity experimental conditions for APEOs with short EO chains (AP(EO)1-2) and long EO chains (AP(EO)3-20) were investigated, respectively. Most APEO oligomers had wide concentration ranges and the correlation coefficients (R2) were higher than 0.999. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) values for NP(EO)3-20 oligomers ranges from 16.00 to 52.80µg/kg and for OP(EO)3-20 oligomers is from 2.40 to 8.00µg/kg. LOQ for NP(EO)1 and NP(EO)2, OP(EO)1 and OP(EO)2 was 2.40mg/kg and 0.24mg/kg, 1.20mg/kg and 0.16mg/kg, respectively. The average recovery for each APEO oligomer in cotton and polyester matrix was between 78% and 110% at three spiked levels and the relative standard deviation (RSD%) was below 10%. As to AEOs suspects, a HRMS compound database containing 160 AEO oligomers was built and several parameters such as exact m/z, isotopic patterns, predicted product ions and predicted retention time were used for screening and confirmation. The established method was successfully applied for analysis of 40 commercial textile samples. Compared with OPEOs, NPEOs, especially NP(EO)3-15 oligomers, were widely detected in samples and the total concentration ranged from 1.56 to 1376.31mg/kg. AEOs were also found in most samples, among which C12-14, C16 and C18 compounds appeared more frequently and the EO chains mainly ranged from 3 to 15.

Development of a simple multi-residue determination method of 80 veterinary drugs in Oplegnathus punctatus by liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometry.

A simple, rapid and sensitive multi-residue analytical method was developed and validated for 80 veterinary drugs in Oplegnathus punctatus using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). The analytes belong to 12 different families include benzimidazoles, ß-lactams, lincosamides, macrolides, nitromidazoles, quinolones, sulfonamides and trimethoprim, tetracyclines, triphenylmethane dyes, amphenicols, nonsteroidal estrogens and steroid hormones. The sample preparation was optimized base on QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe) procedure. A very simple and sufficient preparation procedure without salting-out and complex clean-up process was studied. It had been proved that water in the extract was helpful for extracting hydrophilic compounds and precipitating the lipids during the subsequent cleaning process. In addition, an appropriate percent of methanol was necessary to some analytes. Finally, a mixture of acetonitrile, methanol and water (3:1:1, v/v/v) which include 1% acetic acid and 10mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt 2-hydrate was selected as the extraction solvent, and the clean-up step consisted of a low temperature procedure and two times of high-speed centrifugation to deproteinize and remove lipids. The detection and quantification of all compounds were performed by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry in positive and negative ion mode. This methodology was validated according to the Commission Decision 2002/657/EC and SANTE/11945/2015. The recoveries ranged from 60.74%-109.85% with relative standard deviations (RSDs)<20%. The limits of quantification (LOQs) were 0.25-25ug/kg, for the analytes which the MRL or MRPL had been established in fish tissue, the LOQs were all lower than their own legal tolerances. The values of decision limit (CCα) and detection capability (CCß) were in the range of 1.91-1001.13ug/kg and 3.52-1002.26ug/kg, respectively. This validated method has been successfully applied on the determination of veterinary drugs in real commercial oplegnathus punctatus samples.

Rapid screening and identification of multi-class substances of very high concern in textiles using liquid chromatography-hybrid linear ion trap orbitrap mass spectrometry.

A new analytical method was established and validated for the analysis of 19 substances of very high concern (SVHCs) in textiles, including phthalic acid esters (PAEs), organotins (OTs), perfluorochemicals (PFCs) and flame retardants (FRs). After ultrasonic extraction in methanol, the textile samples were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography-hybrid linear ion trap Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-LTQ/Orbitrap). The values of LOQ were in the range of 2-200mg/kg. Recoveries at two levels (at the LOQ and at half the limit of regulation) ranged from 68% to 120%, and the repeatability was lower than 13%. This method was successfully applied to the screening of SVHCs in commercial textile samples and is useful for the fast screening of various SVHCs.

Determination of phthalates released from paper packaging materials by solid-phase extraction-high-performance liquid chromatography.

A solid phase extraction (SPE) high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of 10 phthalic acid esters (dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, dipropyl phthalate, benzylbutyl phthalate, diisobutyl phthalate, dicyclohexyl phthalate, diamyl phthalate, di-n-hexyl phthalate, di-n-octyl phthalate and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate) released from food paper packaging materials. The use of distilled water, 3% acetic acid (w/v), 10% ethanol (v/v) and 95% ethanol (v/v) instead of the different types of food simulated the migration of 10 phthalic acid esters from food paper packaging materials; the phthalic acid esters in four food simulants were enriched and purified by a C18 SPE column and nitrogen blowing, and quantified by HPLC with a diode array detector. The chromatographic conditions and extraction conditions were optimized and all 10 of the phthalate acid esters had a maximum absorbance at 224 nm. The method showed limitations of detection in the range of 6.0-23.8 ng/mL the correlation coefficients were greater than 0.9999 in all cases, recovery values ranged between 71.27 and 106.97% at spiking levels of 30, 60 and 90 ng/mL and relative standard deviation values ranged from 0.86 to 8.00%. The method was considered to be simple, fast and reliable for a study on the migration of these 10 phthalic acid esters from food paper packaging materials into food.

[Simultaneous identification and detection of 16 anabolic steroid hormones in muscle using liquid chromatography oupled to quadrupole/linear ion trap mass spectrometry].

A comprehensive method for simultaneous identification and detection of 16 anabolic steroid hormones (ASs, including andorgens, gestagens and their esters) in muscle samples was developed with liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole/linear ion trap mass spectrometry (LC-Q/Trap-MS). The ASs in muscle samples were extracted with acetonitrile under ultrasonic assistance. The extract was defatted by n-hexane with liquid-liquid partitioning and followed by clean-up with NH2 solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridge. The separation of analytes was carried out on a CAPCELL PAK C18 MG II column (150 mm x 2.0 mm, 5.0 microm) using mobile phases of 0.1% (v/v) formic acid in acetonitrile and 0.1% (v/v) formic acid-5 mmol/L ammonium formate aqueous solution with gradient elution. A scheduled multiple reaction monitoring (sMRM) in positive mode as survey scan and an enhanced product ion (EPI) scan as dependent scan in an information-dependent acquisition (IDA) experiment was adopted in mass spectrometry acquisition. On-line lab-built MS/MS library and internal standards were employed for the identification and quantification. As a result, the 16 ASs showed good linearity with all correlation coefficients (r) no less than 0. 999 0 within the linear ranges. The limits of quantification (LOQs, S/N > or = 10) for the 16 ASs were in the range of 0.029-0.36 microg/kg. At the three spiked levels (0.5, 2.0 and 20 microg/kg), the overall recoveries ranged from 89.9% to 118% with the relative standard deviations (RSDs) no more than 16.2% under within--laboratory reproducibility conditions. The proposed method can be used to identify and detect the 16 ASs in a single run, which makes it effective in residue surveillance of anabolic hormones in muscle samples.

Multi-residue method for the confirmation of four avermectin residues in food products of animal origin by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A confirmatory method was developed for the rapid determination of abamectin, ivermectin, doramectin and eprinomectin residues in various food products of animal origin, such as pork muscle, pork liver, fish and milk. Samples were homogenized, extracted and de-proteinized by acetonitrile, cleaned via two-step cleaning procedure using Bond Elut C(18) SPE columns and then alumina-N cartridges. All the four avermectin residues in different animal-food products were simultaneously separated and determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) within 3.5 min. Data acquisition under positive ESI-MS/MS was performed by applying multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) for both identification and quantification, and mass spectrometric conditions were optimized to increase selectivity and sensitivity. The matrix-matched calibration curves for different matrices, such as pork muscle, pork liver, fish and milk, were constructed and the interference effect of different sample matrices on the ionization was effectively eliminated. The UPLC-MS/MS method was validated with satisfactory linearity, recovery, precision and stability. Matrix-matched calibration curves of abamectin, ivermectin, doramectin and eprinomectin in four different matrices were linear (r(2)( )≥ 0.990, goodness-of-fit coefficients ≤12.8%) in the range 2.5-200 µg kg(-1). The limits of detection and quantification for the four avermectins were in the range 0.05-0.68 and 0.17-2.27 µg kg(-1), respectively. Recoveries were 62.4-104.5% with good intra- and inter-day precision. The method was rapid, sensitive and reliable, and can be applied to the quantitative analysis of avermectin residues in different animal-food products.