Persistent organic pollutants - sample analysis Jana Klánová klanova@recetox.muni.cz 1. Environmental analytical chemistry Specific features, general scheme 2. Sampling Sampling plan, strategy, sampling protocol, sample size and quality, transport, storage 3. Sample preparation Extraction of solid (Soxhlet, automatic extraction, MAE, ASE, SFE) and liquid (L-L, SPE, SPME, head-space) samples, fractionation and clean-up (column chromatography, gel permeation) 4. Analytical techniques Chromatographic techniques, principals, instrumentation, HPLC, GC, GC-MS 5. Persistent organic pollutants Priority pollutants (PCBs, PCDDs/Fs, PAHs, pesticides), emerging pollutants (SCCPs/MCCPs, antibiotics, degradation products) 6. QA/QC Calibration, limit of detection and quantification, internal and recovery standards, blanks, certified reference materials, interlaboratory calibration tests, method validation and verification, GLP Environmental science brings together scientists from many fields to perform complex studies of various environmental compartments, processes, and interactions. They may include: - water and food quality monitoring - level of contamination of environmental compartments - ozone depletition as a result of the presence of certain chemicals in the atmosphere - regional contamination studies - evaluation of the impact of local sources of pollution - toxicity of chemical compounds as a function of their chemical structure - impact of chemical substances on living organisms - bioavailability - bioaccumulation - biotic and abiotic transformations - transport of pollutants in the environment - global fate of pollutants - international directives and their impact on the global contamination - remediation actions and their quality control - sustainable development Most of them involve the chemical analysis as one of necessary steps. Persistent Organic Pollutants Resistent to chemical, biochemical, photochemical degradation Long life-time in the environment (years) Physical properties supporting a high degree of mobility in the environment Can be bioaccumulated in food chains Toxic properties at low levels (ng-mg.kg-1) or toxic metabolites Main groups: technical chemicals, pesticides and industrial by-products Fate of the pollutants in the environment - Transport Persistent toxic substances (based on their octanol/water Kow and octanol/air Koa partitioning coefficients) are often a subject of the transport in the environment (within or between compartments), including a long-range transport Transformation - - Bioconcentration (bioconcentration factor) - Bioaccumulation (bioaccumulation factor) - Biomagnification (between the trophic levels of the foodchain) Environmental analytical chemistry chalenges: - international conventions focus attention on the new groups of pollutants - old contamination brings the problem of residue analyses - lowering limits as well as environmental levels require low detection limits - large-scale monitoring is crutial for the studies of the long-range transport - development of new sampling techniques is encouraged - increasing number of samples stresses the need for automatization - fate studies require understanding of distribution processes and equilibria - photochemical reaction complicate the sampling and data interpretation - consideration of both, analytical and toxicological data is important for successful risk assessment - methods of biochemistry and molecular-biology are often implemented in toxicological studies - international studies require standardization of all procedures Environmental analytical chemistry chalenges: - international conventions focus attention on the new groups of pollutants - old contamination brings the problem of residue analyses - lowering limits as well as environmental levels require low detection limits - large-scale monitoring is crutial for the studies of the long-range transport - development of new sampling techniques is encouraged - increasing number of samples stresses the need for automatization - fate studies require understanding of distribution processes and equilibria - photochemical reaction complicate the sampling and data interpretation - consideration of both, analytical and toxicological data is important for successful risk assessment - methods of biochemistry and molecular-biology are often implemented in toxicological studies - international studies require standardization of all procedures There are several steps necessary for environmental contamination control: - problem definition - screening of the situation, data interpretation - evaluation of the extent of the problem - selection of the best procedure to monitor the situation - evaluation of the present state and future development - exposure evaluation and risk assessment - suggestion of correcting measures or remediation activities - new directives to control the situation - monitoring designed to evaluate effectiveness of measures - Specific problems of environmental analysis - low homogenity of samples (soil) - low stability of samples (biota) - various matrices (methods for extraction of analytes from matrices) - wide range of analytes (method development) - wide range of concentration (robust methods) - monitoring on the levels close to the detection limits (high deviations) - risk of secondary contamination - price of ultra-trace analysis (instrumentation, chemicals, standards) General scheme of environmental analysis - Sampling - homogenization - conservation - transport - storage - Sample preparation - extraction - clean-up - selective elution - concentration - derivatization - - Sample analysis - Data interpretation Sampling – documentation required - sampling plan (a goal, selection of sampling sites, analytes, sampling method, number of samples, sampling period and frequency, safety procedures), seeks the balance between the value of data and its price - - standard operational procedure for sampling various matrices (sampling devices, steps involved in collecting of representative sample -homogenous, of reasonable size and stability, quality of transport and storage) -sampling protocols (name and number of the sample, sampling site, matrix, date of sampling, local conditions and measurements, methods, sample size, responsible person) GPS: 49°29’48’’ 17°57’14’’ 245 m Local conditions: Sampling site 1. DEZA Polyurethane Foam Filter PUF Air Pump Sampling Techniques High-Volume sampler Particulate Phase Gas Phase Glass Fiber Filter GFF Particles Gas Passive sampling Can environmental concentrations of pollutants be calculated from the analyte levels accumulated in an integrative passive sampler? - Calibration conditions should approximate field conditions - Performance Reference Compounds Calibration of a passive sampler in a flow-through system Peristaltic pump 30 ml/min Peristaltic pump 100 ml/min Exposure tank Water waste water Stirrer Chemicals in MeOH Water reservoir Samplers Analytes In MeOH B. Vrana, R. Greenwood, G. Mills Sampling rates of PAHs B. Vrana, R. Greenwood, G. Mills PRCs are non-interfering compounds added to the sampler prior to exposure. They are used for in situ calibration approach, where the rate of PRC loss during an exposure is related to the target compound uptake. This is accomplished by measuring PRC loss rates during calibration studies and field exposures. Performance reference compounds PRC = D10-Biphenyl Temperature = 11°C Use of performance reference compounds B. Vrana, R. Greenwood, G. Mills Preparation of the sample before extraction Soil samples - lyofilization or air-drying - sieving (< 2mm) and homogenization - appropriate storage (protected from sunlight, heat and humidity) Sediment samples - stone and water removal, lyofilization or air-drying - grating and sieving (<63um), homogenization - powder copper treatment for sulphur removal Plant samples - lyofilization or air-drying - grating, homogenization Animal samples - lyofilization or - homogenization of a wet sample with sodium sulphate Extraction and clean-up The goal: transfer of analytes to the chemical phase suitable for analysis, removal of interferences and pre-concentration of the sample. Extraction techniques: - solvent extraction (Soxhlet, automatic Soxtec, MAE, ASE, SFE) - liquid-liquid extraction - solid phase extraction and microextraction (SPE, SPME) - semipermeable membrane separation - head space analysis - Clean-up techniques - sulphuric acid treatment - column liquid chromatography (silica gel, alumina, florisil) - gel permeation chromatography Solid sample extraction Liquid sample extraction Air samples - filters from high volume samplers or passive samplers are extracted as solid samples (Soxhlet, MAE, ASE, SFE) Water samples - direct analysis of the samples with high concentration of pollutants - head space, SPE, L-L - Soil and sediment samples - Soxhlet, MAE, ASE, SFE - powder copper treatment for the sulphur removal in sediment samples - Biotic samples - high molecular compounds removal by gel permeation chromatography and column chromatography Presence Availability Activity Total mass Fraction of total mass Measure that drives diffusion and partitioning How much is there? How much is available for ... ? How high is the diffusive pressure into other media? Exhaustive Extraction Depletive Extraction/ Sampling Equilibrium Sampling Devices P. Mayer, F. Reichenberg Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE) High pressure CO2 (100 to 400 bar, 40 to 150 oC) is pumped through a sample, and extracted analytes are collected in a suitable solvent for GC analysis. Why to use supercritical carbon dioxide? - CO2 is a lipophilic solvent much like biological lipids in polarity - PAH solubilities in CO2 are proportional to those in water, but ca. 104 higher - pressure and temperature gradients enable the extraction of both, non-polar and polar compounds - mild SFE can be used to predict bioavailability of compounds Earthworm Mortality Depends on Available PAHs (measured by SFE), not on Total PAH Concentrations Soil Total PAH Available Available Total (ug/g soil) Fraction (SFE) PAH (ug/g C) % Mortality CG15 1020 0.25 1040 0 OG14 168 0.46 2720 0 CG11 15600 0.06 3280 0 CG12 3790 0.16 7880 0 OG17 17200 0.27 9720 0 OG5 1870 0.41 11100 0 OG10 42100 0.33 16300 0 CG3 4100 0.83 45700 100 OG18 17300 0.74 50100 100 S. B. Hawthorne, C. B. Grabanski, D. J. Miller SFE rates mimic bioremediation (1 min SFE=10 days bioremediation) Bioremediation (1 year) SFE (40 min) S. B. Hawthorne, C. B. Grabanski, D. J. Miller Priority pollutants - polychlorinated biphenyls - polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans - organochlorinated pesticides and their metabolites - polyaromatic hydrocarbons - aromatics and nitro-aromatics - chlorinated benzenes - fenol and chlorinated fenols - halogenated alkans - Polychlorinated biphenyls - sulphuric acid treatment - silica gel column chromatography - activated carbon for non-ortho PCBs - GC-ECD, GC-MS, GC- HRMS Organochlorinated pesticides HCH p,p’-DDT p,p’-DDD p,p’-DDE (DDT, HCH, hexachlorobenzene, toxaphene, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, endosulfane, chlordane) - analytical procedures similar to PCBs for toxaphene, - sulphuric acid has to be omitted for aldrin or endosulfane - GC-MS, NCI-MS, HRMS - for HCHs and DDTs analytical procedures similar to PCBs - GC-ECD, GC-MS, NCI-MS, HRMS Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans - combined modified silica gel clean-up - fractionation on alumina/florisil column - non-ortho PCBs separation on activated carbon column - HRGC-HRMS - kapilary columns 50-60m (DB-5, DB-17, DB-DIOXIN) - EI, NCI - SIM - MS-MS - Polyaromatic hydrocarbons - silica gel column chromatography - GC-MS, FLD-HPLC Sample analysis Chromatographic separation (GC, HPLC) is the most common technique for the analysis of environmental samples. It is a physical method based on the distribution of compounds between two phases (stationary and mobile). Process of continuous sorption and desorption of compounds in contact with the stationary phase is responsible for different migration times and for separation of analytes. Two dimensional (GC-GC) and two modal (HPLC-GC) chromatography provide even more sofisticated tools for environmental analysis GC-MS, HPLC-MS and HRMS enable the trace and ultra-trace analysis Chromatogram Mass spectra Quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) Quality assurance Preventive measures (quality of facilities, personnel and education, equipment and service, calibration, internal and recovery standards) Quality control Control measures (internal – blank and reference material analyses, external – interlaboratory comparison, audit) Reasons - repeatibility of measurements - comparison of results between laboratories - political and economical importance of results Terminology Calibration Limit of detection and quantification Sensitivity and specificity Accuracy, trueness, precision Method validation and verification Internal standards Recovery and surrogate recovery standards Certified reference materials interlaboratory calibration tests, GLP Standard operational procedure - General information (terminology, principles, range of use, limitations, safety procedures, toxicology, waste treatment) - Directives - Consumables and chemicals (glass, standards, solvents, reference materials) - Equipment (sampling and analytical equipment, service) - Calibration (standards, procedures) - Analytical scheme (method validation and verification) - Quality control (internal - blank, reference material, external – intercalibration) - Data interpretation - Annexes What does it mean “advances“ in analytical chemistry? • • • New types of pollutants (not necessary persistent) • • New types of combined techniques for instrumental analysis • • Analysis of bioavailable ot toxic fractions rather than total analysis (selective sampling or extraction techniques) • Interdisciplinary relations, application of methods from other fields of science (biochemistry, molecular biology, photochemistry, geology, mineralogy, geochemistry) nSummer school 2005 n nEnvironmental analytical chemistry n nDetermination of persistent organic pollutants n n n nGC-MS analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the air samples n n n1. High volume air sampling using quartz and polyurethane foam filter n2. Automatic extraction of the exposed filters on a Soxtec extractor n3. Raw extract clean up and fractionation by a column chromatography n4. GC-MS determination of PAHs n5. Quantification of GC-MS chromatogram and evaluation of results n1. High volume air sampling using quartz and polyurethane foam filter nMaterial and chemicals: n· High volume sampler PS-1 n· Whatman quartz filter (QF) and polyurethane foam filter (PUF), wrapped in two layers of aluminum foil n· Laboratory gloves n· Aluminum foil, zip-lock bag n· Sampling protocol nOperational procedure: n· Transport the sampler to the sampling site and plug in (220v) n· Mark the filter cleaning date, beginning of sampling, and the status of the sampler timer to the sampling protocol n· Insert the filters to the sampler head n· Switch on the sampler and write down to the protocol the value of the sampler inlet suction pressure n· After the sampling period, mark the sampler inlet suction pressure value to the protocol again, and turn off the sampler n· Complete the sampling protocol with the last value of the sampler timer and the time when the sampling was terminated n· Take the exposed filters out from the sampler head and wrap them into two layers of aluminum foil and a zip-lock plastic bag n· Transport the filters to the lab in cooler and store them in a freezer (-18°C) n· Calculate the volume of the air taken by the sampler from a calibration curve, the average inlet pressure value, and the sampling period, mark all the data to the sampling protocol n· Transport the high volume sampler to the storage place n2. Automatic extraction of the exposed filters on a Soxtec extractor n Material and chemicals: n n· Buchi automatic extractor, extraction cartridge n· Vials (22 ml) n· Automatic pipette n· Pasteur pipette n· Dichloromethane n· Surrogate recovery standards (D-PAHs, 4 μg/ml) nOperational procedure: n· Take the quartz filter and polyurethane foam filter out of the foil and spike them with 50 μl of surrogate recovery standard solution n· Insert each filter separately to the extraction cartridge n· Fill the bottom vessel of an extractor with dichloromethane (120 ml), add the boiling stones n· Insert the cartridge with the air sample into the automatic extractor n· Open the cooling water tap, start an extraction with the program no. 1 (hot extraction - 40 minutes, rinsing - 20 minutes) n· Take a cartridge with the filter out of an extractor after the program was completed, and concentrate the extract to the final volume of 5 ml using the program no 2. n· Transfer the extract into the 22 ml-vial using a Pasteur pipette, rinse an extraction vessel twice with a small amount of dichloromethane, and add it to the sample n· Concentrate an extract further under gentle stream of nitrogen to the final volume of 1 ml n· Close the vial and store it at a fridge for the further analysis n3. Raw extract clean-up and fractionation by a column chromatography nMaterial and chemicals: n· Glass column n· Vial (22 ml) n· Mini-vial for GC analysis (2 ml) n· Calibrated cylinder (25 ml) n· Pasteur pipette n· Automatic pipette n· Cotton (pre-cleaned in dichloromethane) n· Activated silica gel (pre-cleaned in dichloromethane, activated for12 hours at 150°C) n· Non-activated silica gel (pre-cleaned in dichloromethane) n· Dichloromethane, hexane n· Internal standard (terphenyl, 4 μg/ml) nOperational procedure: n· Add non-activated silica gel into the extract to get the loose consistency of the sample n· Prepare the glass column: no Put a cotton ball to the bottom of a column no Add 5 g of an activated silica gel, let it settle by tapping a column with a stick no Deposit a sample on the top of silica gel in a column, tap a column again n· Perform a selective elution: hexane (10 ml) for alkane elution, dichloromethane (20 ml) for PAHs n· Concentrate the PAHs containing fraction under the gentle stream of nitrogen to the final volume of 1 ml n· Transfer the sample to the autosampler mini- vial (2 ml) n· Add an internal standard (terphenyl, 50 μl) n· Close the vial and store in a fridge until the final analysis on GC-MS n4. GC-MS determination of PAHs n n nMaterial and chemicals: n nGas chromatograph HP 6890 with the mass selective detector, cyclohexane n n nOperational procedure: n n· Position the vial with the sample to the autosampler of a gas chromatograph n· Fill the vials on the turret with cyclohexane (a solvent for a syringe needle rinsing) n· Check on the status of the machine, column, inlet system n· Open the Chemstation software - Instrument, load DPH-L-AS method n· Get yourself familiar with the method (inlet, oven, column, modes, SIM) n· Fill the sequence information n· Run the analysis n5. Quantification of GC-MS chromatogram and evaluation of results n nMaterial and chemicals: n nPC with HP Chemstation software n nOperational procedure: n n· Open the Chemstation software – Data analysis n· Learn about the software, evaluation of chromatogram, mass spectra, spectral library n· Load the file with proper data, load DPH 53 method n· Get yourself familiar with the method: calibration table, curves, internal and recovery standards, retention times, target ions and qualifiers, quantification n· Quantify the results of the air samples n· Print the chromatogram and a custom report for your record n