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Role of plant activity and contaminant speciation in aquatic plant assimilation of 2,4,5-trichlorophenol.

Aquatic plants uptake, transform and sequester organic contaminants and are used as a bioremediation strategy for the removal of pollutants from wastewaters. A better understanding of factors affecting rate of uptake of contaminants by aquatic plants is needed to improve engineered systems for removal of pollutants from wastewaters. This work focused on delineating sorption to plant surfaces and understanding effects of plant metabolic activity, inhibition, and media pH on the uptake of the ionizable contaminant 2,4,5-trichlorophenol (TCP) by aquatic plant Lemna minor. During L. minor exposure to TCP (0.5-13.9 mg l(-1)), a range of plant metabolic activities was measured using oxygen production rate (0-18.4 micromol h(-1)). A positive correlation was shown between contaminant uptake rate and plant activity. Contaminant uptake was examined at a range of media pH values (6-9) and uptake rates were linearly correlated to fraction of contaminant in protonated form. These results demonstrated a link between plant activity and uptake of contaminant by plants and stress the importance of incorporating plant metabolic activity and contaminant speciation in development of natural and engineered phytoremediation systems. This research also indicates that aquatic plants can actively accumulate trace-organic contaminants and may ultimately serve as a sink for these materials in the natural environment.

Araceae↗

Speciation and quantification of vapor phases in soy biodiesel and waste cooking oil biodiesel.

This study characterizes the compositions of two biodiesel vapors, soy biodiesel and waste cooking oil biodiesel, to provide a comprehensive understanding of biodiesels. Vapor phases were sampled by purging oil vapors through thermal desorption tubes which were then analyzed by the thermal desorption/GC/MS system. The results show that the compounds of biodiesel vapors can be divided into four groups. They include methyl esters (the main biodiesel components), oxygenated chemicals, alkanes and alkenes, and aromatics. The first two chemical groups are only found in biodiesel vapors, not in the diesel vapor emissions. The percentages of mean concentrations for methyl esters, oxygenated chemicals, alkanes and alkenes, and aromatics are 66.1%, 22.8%, 4.8% and 6.4%, respectively for soy biodiesel, and 35.8%, 35.9%, 27.9% and 0.3%, respectively for waste cooking oil biodiesel at a temperature of 25+/-2 degrees C. These results show that biodiesels have fewer chemicals and lower concentrations in vapor phase than petroleum diesel, and the total emission rates are between one-sixteenth and one-sixth of that of diesel emission, corresponding to fuel evaporative emissions of loading losses of between 106 microg l(-1) and 283 microg l(-1). Although diesels generate more vapor phase emissions, biodiesels still generate considerable amount of vapor emissions, particularly the emissions from methyl esters and oxygenated chemicals. These two chemical groups are more reactive than alkanes and aromatics. Therefore, speciation and quantification of biodiesel vapor phases are important.

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry↗

Arsenic speciation and accumulation in evapoconcentrating waters of agricultural evaporation basins.

To sustain agricultural productivity, evaporation basins (or ponds) have been widely used for the disposal of agricultural drainage in areas requiring subsurface drainage in the San Joaquin Valley of California, USA. The drainage water contains elevated concentration of trace elements including selenium (Se) and arsenic (As). Unlike Se, little information is available about As, a potentially high risk element. The objective of this study was to characterize the chemical behavior of As and acquire data for better understanding of biogeochemical processes and conditions affecting As fate in evaporation ponds. The study site was a 726 ha evaporation basin facility (containing 10 cells with water flowing in series) in the hydrologically closed Tulare Basin of California. We examined water chemistry, As concentration and speciation along the water flow path between cells as well as within the cells. Arsenic concentrations in the water increased linearly with Cl(-), a conservative ion from evapoconcentration. Reduced As species as arsenite [As(III)] and organic arsenic (org-As) also increased with increases in Cl(-) and salinity. Water samples with elevated EC (i.e., towards the end of flow path) had high dissolved organic matter, low dissolved oxygen, and elevated sulfide concentrations, indicating the development of reducing conditions. We hypothesize that such changes could facilitate the reduction of arsenate [As(V)] to As(III) and org-As. Elevated As in sediment profiles indicate a solid phase sink mechanism, but not significant enough to remove and reduce As concentrations in the water columns. These findings help us better define the processes that affect As in drainage facilities and contribute to our understanding of how As behaves in other regions of the world that have similar climatic and hydrogeochemical conditions.

Agriculture↗

Speciation of butyltin compounds in marine sediments by preconcentration on C60 and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A new method for the speciation of butyltin compounds by solid phase extraction and direct injection using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is described. The compounds were complexed with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate and retained on a C60 sorbent column. The neutral chelates of butyltin compounds were eluted with ethyl acetate containing NaBPr4 as derivatising reagent. The main analytical figures of merit of the proposed method for 10 ml of sample are: linear range 0.2-35 ng/g expressed as Sn; limits of detection, 0.07, 0.09 and 0.10 ng/g as Sn for monobutyltin, dibutyltin and tributyltin, respectively. No interferences from metal ions such as Zn2+, Fe3+, Sb3t, Pb2+, Ni2+ and Mn2+ were observed in the determination of organotin compounds. The validation of method was performed out by the analysis of a standard reference sediment (CRM 462). The method was also applied to the determination of butyltin compounds in marine sediment samples.

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry↗

Multielemental speciation analysis of organometallic compounds of mercury, lead and tin in natural water samples by headspace-solid phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

The development of a simple and rapid multielemental speciation method is described with the ultimate goal to simultaneously determine various organometallic compounds of mercury, lead and tin (inorganic mercury, methylmercury, trimethyllead, triethyllead, monobutyl-, dibutyl- and tributyltin) in natural water samples. The analytical method consists on the ethylation with NaBEt4, simultaneous headspace-solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) of the derivatives and final gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) analysis. After optimization of important process parameters, like SPME fiber coating, extraction time and extraction temperature, the analytical characteristics were evaluated. Detection limits in the low ng l(-1) level, linearity over three orders of magnitude and repeatability in the range of 3-20% were achieved for all compounds under study. The accuracy of the method in terms of average percentage recovery of the compounds in spiked river water and seawater samples was better than 90%. Finally, application of the proposed method to real natural aqueous samples enabled the simultaneous determination of all the compounds under study in seawater samples obtained from the marina area of Gijón (Asturias, Spain).

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry↗

Speciation analysis of mercury by solid-phase microextraction and multicapillary gas chromatography hyphenated to inductively coupled plasma-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry.

This paper reports the development of an analytical approach for speciation analysis of mercury at ultra-trace levels on the basis of solid-phase microextraction and multicapillary gas chromatography hyphenated to inductively coupled plasma-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Headspace solid-phase microextraction with a carboxen/polydimethylsyloxane fiber is used for extraction/preconcentration of mercury species after derivatization with sodium tetraethylborate and subsequent volatilization. Isothermal separation of methylmercury (MeHg), inorganic mercury (Hg2+) and propylmercury (PrHg) used as internal standard is achieved within a chromatographic run below 45 s without the introduction of spectral skew. Method detection limits (3 x standard deviation criteria) calculated for 10 successive injections of the analytical reagent blank are 0.027 pg g(-1) (as metal) for MeHg and 0.27 pg g(-1) for Hg2+. The repeatability (R.S.D., %) is 3.3% for MeHg and 3.8% for Hg2+ for 10 successive injections of a standard mixture of 10pg. The method accuracy for MeHg and total mercury is validated through the analysis of marine and estuarine sediment reference materials. A comparison of the sediment data with those obtained by a purge-and-trap injection (PTI) method is also addressed. The analytical procedure is illustrated with some results for the ultra-trace level analysis of ice from Antarctica for which the accuracy is assessed by spike recovery experiments.

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry↗

Speciation analysis of inorganic arsenic by microchip capillary electrophoresis coupled with hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry.

A novel method for speciation analysis of inorganic arsenic was developed by on-line hyphenating microchip capillary electrophoresis (chip-CE) with hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HG-AFS). Baseline separation of As(III) and As(V) was achieved within 54 s by the chip-CE in a 90 mm long channel at 2500 V using a mixture of 25 mmol l(-1) H3BO3 and 0.4 mmol l(-1) CTAB (pH 8.9) as electrolyte buffer. The precisions (RSD, n=5) ranged from 1.9 to 1.4% for migration time, 2.1 to 2.7% for peak area, and 1.8 to 2.3% for peak height for the two arsenic species at 3.0 mg l(-1) (as As) level. The detection limits (3sigma) for As(III) and As(V) based on peak height measurement were 76 and 112 microg l(-1) (as As), respectively. The recoveries of the spikes (1 mg l(-1) (as As) of As(III) and As(V)) in four locally collected water samples ranged from 93.7 to 106%.

Argon↗

Simultaneous speciation of selenium and sulfur species in selenized odorless garlic (Allium sativum L. Shiro) and shallot (Allium ascalonicum) by HPLC-inductively coupled plasma-(octopole reaction system)-mass spectrometry and electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry.

The simultaneous speciation of selenium and sulfur in selenized odorless garlic (Allium sativum L. Shiro) and a weakly odorous Allium plant, shallot (Allium ascalonicum), was performed by means of a hyphenated technique, a HPLC coupled with an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS) equipped with an octopole reaction system (ORS). The aqueous extracts of them contained the common seleno compound that was identified as gamma-glutamylmethylselenocysteine by an electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). Normal garlic contains alliin as the major sulfur-containing compound, which is the biological precursor of the garlic odorant, allicin. Alliin, however, was not detected in the extracts of the selenized odorless garlic. At least, four unidentified sulfur-containing compounds were detected in odorless garlic and shallot. Moreover, these Allium plants showed chemopreventive effects against human leukemia cells.

Allium↗

Evaluation of a focused sonication probe for arsenic speciation in environmental and biological samples.

Arsenic speciation analysis suffers in general from high sample handling time required by sample preparation. In a previous work, ultrasonic probe has been proved to reduce sample treatment time for arsenic extraction in rice to only a few minutes. Base upon the obtained results, here several extraction media for chicken, fish and soil samples (SEAS G6RD-CT2001-00473) have been studied and evaluated employing the same technique. Chicken sample needed an enzymatic treatment in order to liberate the species linked to the protein matrix. Extraction of the major species in fish, AsB, was quantitatively achieved in water in 1 min. Also 1 min was enough to leach about 85% of species present in soils and sediments, mainly the inorganic ones, using H(3)PO(4). In all cases, no inter-conversion among As species was observed. The five species found in those samples were separated using an improved HPLC-ICP-MS method in only 11 min, with detection limits at the ng l(-1) level. The proposed methods were validated by analysing several Certified Reference Materials: SRM 1,568 a rice flour, CRM-627 tuna fish tissue, SOIL-7 soil and MURST-ISS-A1 Antarctic sediment.

Animals↗

Selenium speciation in Agaricus bisporus and Lentinula edodes mushroom proteins using multi-dimensional chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

In this study, selenium species from Se containing proteins in mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus and Lentinula edodes) were investigated with size-exclusion liquid chromatography coupled to UV and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Different protein extraction protocols were investigated. Variability of the fractionation patterns with three extraction media (0.1M NaOH, 30 mM Tris-HCl, and enzymatic digestions) was evaluated for both mushroom types. A 24 h Tris-HCl extraction followed by acetone addition was found to be optimal for protein precipitation. Presumably protein bound selenoamino acids were released using enzymes (proteinase K, protease XIV and trypsin). The selenium speciation of the proteolytic extract of the water soluble proteins fraction was carried out by using reversed-phase ion-pairing high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPIPC) coupled on-line to ICP-MS for selenium specific detection. Selenocystine, selenomethionine, methylselenocysteine and inorganic selenium were established in both samples utilizing retention time standards and standard additions to the sample.

Agaricus↗

Characterization of stable aluminium-citrate species as reference substances for aluminium speciation by ion chromatography.

Well-defined anionic aluminium-citrate species are accessible from crystalline aluminium complexes. The solution chemistry of those species can be investigated using ion chromatography as a powerful tool for aluminium speciation in aqueous samples. The separation of three anionic aluminium-citrate complexes by anion exchange chromatography is possible within 5 min using isocratic conditions. The element specific detection was done by online coupled ICP-AES. The remaining charge of the complexes after dissolution can be determined by ion chromatography using a retention model. Time-dependent monitoring of the species distribution gave information about the species stabilities and the decomposition pathways. With citric acid as an aluminium chelator partially very stable anionic species are observed. These complexes are important components in biological systems. An example for the practical use of the separation method and the well-defined standards is given for plant sap, which showed two species with similar behavior compared to the investigated stable aluminium-citrate complexes.

Aluminum↗

Speciation of chromium by in-capillary derivatization and electrophoretically mediated microanalysis.

An electrophoretic method for chromium speciation analysis--as Cr(III) and Cr(VI)--based on in-capillary derivatization with 1,5-diphenylcarbazide (DPC) is here proposed. As Cr(III) does not react with DPC, it was oxidized also in-capillary to Cr(VI) by Ce(IV). For this purpose, a capillary electrophoresis (CE) mode called electrophoretically mediated microanalysis (EMMA) based on sequential injection of sample and reagents--namely, DPC, sample and Ce(IV)--was employed. The conditions of both reactions--Cr(III) oxidation and Cr(VI)-DPC derivatization--were optimized in order to quantify separately the Cr(VI)-DPC complex from the original Cr(VI) in the sample and that from oxidation of Cr(III) to Cr(VI). The electrophoretic conditions were independently optimized for variables influencing the resolution and those affecting sensitivity. The method thus developed was applied to the determination of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) in glass material, for which different sample preparation methods--namely, EPA method 3060A, ultrasound-assisted leaching and microwave-assisted digestion--were tested. Microwave-assisted digestion was found to be the best sample preparation alternative in terms of efficiency of the step--99.6 and 98.3% for Cr(VI) and Cr(III), respectively--and procedure time--20 min. The complete method was validated with the certified reference material BAM-S004.

Chromium↗

Direct amino acid analysis method for speciation of selenoamino acids using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography coupled with integrated pulsed amperometric detection.

Speciation analysis of selenomethylcysteine (SeMeCys), selenomethionine (SeMet) and selenocystine (SeCys) has been performed using a direct amino acid analysis method with high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC) coupled with integrated pulsed amperometric detection (IPAD). Three selenoamino acids could be baseline-separated from 19 amino acids using gradient elution conditions for amino acids and determined under new six-potential waveform. Detection limits for SeMeCys, SeMet and SeCys were 0.25, 1 and 20 microg/L (25 microL injection, 10 times of the baseline noise), respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 200 microg/L SeMeCys, SeMet and SeCys were 3.1, 4.1 and 2.8%, respectively (n=9, 25 microL injection). The proposed method has been applied for determination of selenoamino acids in extracts of garlic and selenious yeast granule samples. No selenoamino acids were found in garlic. Both SeMet and SeCys were detected in selenious yeast tablet with the content of 45 and 129 microg Se/g, respectively. Selenoamino acids standards were spiked in garlic and yeast granule samples and the recovery ranged from 90 to 106%.

Amino Acids↗

Speciation of alkylated dibenzothiophenes through correlation of structure and gas chromatographic retention indexes.

The gas chromatographic (GC) speciation of polycyclic aromatic sulfur heterocycles (PASH) in deeply desulfurized fuels is difficult without recourse to authentic standard compounds. Here we investigate the GC retention indexes for 30 alkylated dibenzothiophenes on two methylphenylsiloxane stationary phases of different selectivity (5% and 50% phenyl groups) with a view to avoid the synthesis of all congeners. The influence of the substitution pattern on the retention indexes is discussed. With the measured data it is possible to carry out a multiple linear regression (MLR) to calculate parameters for predicting the retention indexes of unknown polymethylated isomers based only on their structural features. Nine trimethyldibenzothiophene in a synthesis product are identified through their retention indexes. The retention indexes for a total of 43 alkyldibenzothiophenes are listed.

Alkylation↗

Selenium speciation by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography-post-column UV irradiation coupled with atomic fluorescence spectrometry.

A technique for the speciation of selenomethylcysteine (SeMeCys), selenocystine (SeCys), selenite [Se(IV)] and selenomethionine (SeMet) was established in this paper using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography coupled with atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HPAEC-AFS). Analytes were separated on an AminoPac PA10 column and then digested by on-line ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, which destroyed organic compound structure. Hydride generation was used as an available sample introduction technique for atomic fluorescence detection. The detection limits of four compounds were 1-5 microg/L (250 microL injection, 10 times of the baseline noise). The relative standard deviations (RSDs), calculated from seven consecutive injections of 100 microg/L standard mixtures, were from 2 to 4%. Selenious yeast tablet, which had been proposed as selenium supplement, and human urine collected from a volunteer were analyzed. Good spiked recoveries from 86 to 103% were obtained.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

On-line hyphenation of flow injection, miniaturized capillary electrophoresis and atomic fluorescence spectrometry for high-throughput speciation analysis.

A hyphenated technique was developed for high-throughput speciation analysis by on-line coupling of flow injection (FI), miniaturized capillary electrophoresis (CE) and atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS). Two interfaces were used to couple all three systems: the first to couple FI and CE and the second to couple miniaturized CE and AFS. The first interface was a modified flow through chamber, connected to the FI valve with a piece of PTFE tube (0.1mm i.d.x 20 cm long). The capillary outlet was coupled to the AFS by using the second concentric "tube-in-tube" interface. Split sampling was achieved in the electrokinetic mode. Inorganic mercury (Hg(II)) and methylmercury (MeHg(I)) were taken as model analytes to demonstrate the performance of the developed hyphenated technique. A volatile species generation (VSG) technique was employed to convert the analytes from the CE effluent into their respective volatile species. Baseline separation of Hg(II) and MeHg(I) was achieved by CE in a 50 microm i.d.x 8 cm long capillary at 3.0 kV within 60s. The precisions (RSD, n=12) were in the range of 0.7-0.9% for migration time, 3.8-4.2% for peak area, and 2.1-3.5% for peak height. The detection limits were 0.1 and 0.2 microgmL(-1) (as Hg) for Hg(II) and MeHg(I) with a sample throughput of 60 samples h(-1). The recoveries of both mercury species in the water samples studied were in the range of 93-106%.

Electrophoresis, Capillary↗

Factor analysis of water quality characteristics including trace metal speciation in the coastal environmental system of Chennai Ennore.

Statistical analysis of water quality parameters including trace metal speciation was undertaken with a view to seeing the interrelationship between different variables and also to identify probable source components in order to explain the pollution status of Chennai Ennore coastal environmental system. Factor analysis has been used in the present work. This is essentially a data reduction technique and will suggest how many variates are important to explain the observed variances in the data. The possible variances in the water quality parameters may be due to either sources of anthropogenic origin or natural variances due to the season or due to different biogeochemical processes that are taking place in the system. When this analysis was carried out with our data on water quality parameters in the above coastal environmental system, we found that the prominent factor or the first factor called the eutrophication factor explained 24.51% of the total variance (comprised of variables like DO, pH, SS, ammonia-N, phosphate and silicate). The second factor called the copper contamination factor explained 10.61% (comprised of variables like labile Cu, total Cu and particulate Cu) and the third factor called metal removal factor explained 10.11% (comprised of variables like particulate Zn, particulate Pb and water temperature) of the variances, respectively. Although there are four more factors, they are all having variances less than 10%. From this study, it is seen that eutrophication is the main source component of pollution to the surface waters of this estuary and its adjacent coastal waters compared to dissolved trace metals.

Copper↗

The use of ultra filtration in trace metal speciation studies in sea water.

During this work, size fractionation technique "ultra filtration" is used in speciation studies of trace elements in the coastal sea water. Filtration is the most commonly used method to fractionate trace metal species, but often only "dissolved" and "particulate" fraction. The purpose of the present study is to determine colloidal and suspended particulate concentrations of Fe, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Mn in sea water. Suspended particulate matter were separated in three different size groups namely (>2.7 microm, <2.7->0.45 microm and <0.45->0.22 microm) by suction filtration using cellulose acetate and nitrate filter membranes. Thereafter to concentrate the solution with colloidal particle <0.22 microm-1.1 nm (0.5 k Nominal Molecular Weight cut-off Limit {NMWL}), the solution obtained from filtration through <0.22 microm, is sequentially passed through the ultra-filtration membranes having pore diameters of 14 nm (300 k NMWL), 3.1 nm (50 k NMWL), 2.2 nm (30 k NMWL), 1.6 nm (10 k NMWL) and 1.1 nm (0.5 k NMWL) by using Stirred Ultra-filtration Cells, operating in concentration mode. The concentration of Fe, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Mn were measured in suspended and dissolved fraction by ion chromatography, ICP-AES and Atomic Absorption Spectrometer. The salinity of the solution in various dissolved fractions of sequential filtration varies between 30.89-34.22 parts per thousand. The maximum concentrations of colloidal Zn, Cu, Ni and Mn in dissolved fraction were in <2.2->1.6 nm fraction. In case of Fe, colloidal fractions <2.2->1.6 nm and <1.6-<1.1 nm shows higher concentration. The concentration of Zn, Cu, Ni and Mn increase with decrease in size in suspended particulate matter, while the reverse is observed in case of Fe. This size separation data that specifies the partitioning of metals between dissolved and suspended solid phases is necessary for developing physically based models of metal transport in aquatic system.

Benzopyrans↗