Magic extraction: solid-phase extraction and analytical pyrolysis to study polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and polychlorinated biphenyls in freshwater

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls are commonly categorized as persistent organic pollutants. In order to analyze these pollutants, customized stationary phases are increasingly being developed and synthesized for solid-phase extraction. In this work, we tested a new solventless solid-phase extraction approach based on the use of a Magic Chemisorber® (Frontier Lab) which consists of a bead-covered polydimethylsiloxane stationary phase with a thickness of 500 µm. These devices are directly immersed into aqueous samples and then introduced into a pyrolysis–gas chromatography-mass spectrometry system equipped with a cryofocusing system for the thermal desorption and analysis of the adsorbed species. Our new method performs better than the most recent solid-phase extraction devices, with limits of detection lower than 2.7 ng/L and limits of quantification lower than 9.0 ng/L. The method was tested on standard compounds and on an environmental sample, showing the potential to characterize other chemical species besides the persistent organic pollutants, such as phthalate plasticizers and antioxidants.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in Heritage Environments and Their Analysis: A Review

“…Similarly to SPME fibre, the Magic Chemisorber ® (Frontier Lab, Fukushima, Japan) PDMS is made by a thin film of 500 µm of PDMS on a titanium tube used mainly for the trace analysis of volatile compounds in air or solutions. The sampling device is then introduced into a pyrolyzer to thermally desorb the extract components followed by GC-MS analysis [96].…”

Characterization and quantification of microplastics and organic pollutants in mussels by microwave-assisted sample preparation and analytical pyrolysis

“…19 Pyrolysis-based techniques, and in particular pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS), proved to be very powerful tools for the detection and quantication of MPs in different kind of matrices, 20 from marine biota, to sediments and even spider webs. 14,21 In this study we propose an innovative approach based on microwave-assisted pretreatments and Py-GC-MS, to quantify in mussels not only MPs, but also different kind of organic contaminants frequently found in the marine environment like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), [22][23][24] polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), [24][25][26] phthalates (phthalic acid esters, PAEs), [27][28][29] and a series of compounds commonly dened as contaminants of emerging concerns (CECs). CECs are compounds, such as some pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and UV lters, found in waterbodies that may have a negative impact on the marine ecosystem and on the biota, and are currently under no regulations.…”