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Zinc dialkyl dithiocarbamoylsulfinates have been proposed as intermediates in the antioxidant action of the respective zinc dialkyl dithiocarbamate additives in hydrocarbon-based plastics and lubricants. As a model compound, zinc diisobutyl dithiocarbamoylsulfinate, [Zn(C9H18NO2S2)2], has been prepared and its crystal structure determined.
A Proof of Concept: Are Detection Dogs a Useful Tool to Verify Potential Biomarkers for Lung Cancer?
(2018)
Early and reliable diagnostic test is essential for effective therapy of lung cancer. Volatile organic compounds that are characteristic for cancer could serve as valuable biomarkers in cancer diagnosis. Both trace analytical and detection dog approaches give some evidence for the existence of such biomarkers. In this proof of concept, study dogs and trace analysis were implemented in combination to gain more information concerning cancer biomarkers. Two dogs were trained to distinguish between absorbed breath samples of lung cancer patients and healthy persons and succeeded with correct identification of patients with 9/9 and 8/9 and correct negative indications from of 8/10 and 4/10 samples from healthy individuals. A recent observational study found that breath samples from lung cancer patients showed an increase in 1-butanol, 2-butanone, 2-pentanone, and hexanal. Synthetic air samples were therefore fortified with these compounds and adsorbed to a fleece. Tested against breath samples from healthy probands, on presentation to the dogs these synthetic samples provoked an indication in three out of four samples. We were able to demonstrate that a combination of the natural nose of a dog and a trace analytic technique can be a valuable concept in the search for cancer biomarkers.
Due to the increasing presence of microplastic particles (MP) in the Environment and the unknown risks arising from them, there is an urgent need for analytical methods that allow for an efficient identification and quantification of microplastics (MP), i.e. particles < 5 mm, in environmental samples. So far, mostly timeconsuming (micro) infrared or micro-Raman spectroscopic methods are applied. Here an faster alternative Approach is presented based on a Raman processspectrometer with fiber-optical probes in combination with multivariate data analysis.
Im vorliegenden Forschungsbericht werden die Ergebnisse zum LFP Projekt „Ableitung validierter Probenahme- und Analysenmethoden für Zwischen- und Endprodukte der anaeroben Stoffverwertungsprozesse von LCKW im Grundwasser im Rahmen von Altlastenuntersuchungen“ (Länderfinanzierungsprogramm, Projekt B2/08, Laufzeit vom 01.09.2008 – 31.08.2009) zusammengefasst. Es werden verschiedene Verfahren der Probenahme und Analytik zur Bestimmung von Wasserstoff, Methan, Ethen und Vinylchlorid (VC) im Grundwasser untersucht und validiert. Für die Probenahme werden folgende Ansätze beschrieben und diskutiert: i. aktive Probenahme: Pumpprobe und Probenahme von in Grundwasser gelösten Gasen in Gasbeprobungsrohren (Gasmaus) ii. passive Probenahme: Diffusionsprobenahme in Polyethylenbeuteln (PDB) und Kunststoffspritzen als Diffusionssammler für gelöste Gase Der Einsatz aktiver (Pumpprobenahme, Schöpfprobenahme) und passiver (Diffusionsprobenahme) Probenahmetechniken zur Gehaltsbestimmung von LHKW sowie Ethen und Methan in Grundwasser wird aus ordnungsbehördlicher Sicht hinsichtlich der Vergleichbarkeit von Analysendaten untersucht. Am Beispiel einer Kontamination mit Trichlorethen sowie 1,2-Dichlorethen und Vinylchlorid kann deutlich gemacht werden, dass die Einsatzmöglichkeit der passiven Probenahme durch unzureichende Strömungsverhältnisse im Aquifer sowie biologische Aktivität im Pegelrohr begrenzt ist. Der aktiven Probenahme ist bei ungeklärten oder unzureichenden Strömungsverhältnissen im Grundwasserleiter daher der Vorzug zu geben. Die chromatographischen Verfahren zur Bestimmung der Analyte werden umfänglich validiert und mit anderen geeigneten Analysenverfahren verglichen: I. Headspace-GC-FID zur Bestimmung von Methan, Ethen und VC aus der wässrigen Probenmatrix der Pumpprobe (i.) und des PDB (ii.) II. Direktinjektion-GC-PDD zur Bestimmung von Wasserstoff aus den gesammelten Gasproben der Gasmaus (i.) und der Kunststoffspritzen (ii.) Für die Bestimmung von Ethen und VC in Grundwasserproben (I.) werden Bestimmungsgrenzen von 0,1 μg/L erreicht. Methan kann aus wässrigen Proben nur ab 5 μg/L quantifiziert werden. Mit den Verfahren zur Bestimmung von Methan aus der Gasmaus (i.-II.) werden 0,1 μg/L im Grundwasser erreicht. Die Bestimmung von im Grundwasser gelösten Wasserstoff (II.) ist bis zu einer Konzentration von 1 nM möglich. Die Reproduzierbarkeit für die Bestimmung von Wasserstoff in Grundwasser liegt konzentrationsabhängig zwischen 10 bis 20% bei der aktiven Probenahme (i.-II.) und 10 bis 70% bei der passiven Probenahme (ii.-II.). Aus der Validierung der Analysenmethode und den Ergebnissen verschiedener Probenahmen werden Toleranzbereiche für die Ergebnisse eines Grundwassermonitorings abgeschätzt. Diese Streubreiten von Monitoring-Ergebnissen sollten von Ingenieurbüros und zuständige Ordnungsbehörden bei der Bewertung der komplexen Abbauprozesse eines LHKW-Grundwasserschadens beachtet werden.
The development of a test to evaluate the degradation of semi-volatile fuels as diesel by microorganisms is presented. This method is based on the principles described in the CEC-L-103 Standard procedure that is exclusively meant for testing the biodegradability of non-volatile lubricants. Therefore, significant modifications involve aseptic conditions for testing specific microorganisms and conducting the test in closed vessels avoiding evaporation losses, while fuel quantification using gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) is retained. It is suggested that the modified procedure should enable routine application for semi-volatile hydrocarbon-based fuels. GC-FID provides additionally valuable information on the alteration of fuel component patterns during biodegradation. The procedure was successfully tested using two bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Sphingomonas sp.) and two yeasts (Moesziomyces sp. and Candida sp.) isolated from real diesel contamination cases. All tested microorganisms caused a significant degradation of diesel fuel achieving hydrocarbon degradation percentages ranging from 23% to 35%. Specific aspects on the test modification and prospects for further modification regarding targeted investigations in the field of fuel contamination by microorganisms are briefly discussed.
Polyether and -ester urethanes (PU) were exposed to artificial weathering at 40 °C and artificial UV radiation in a weathering chamber. In 3 parallel exposures, humidity was varied between dry, humid, and wet conditions. Material alteration was investigated by various analytical techniques like size exclusion chromatography
(SEC), liquid chromatography-infrared spectroscopy (LC-FTIR), thermal-desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS), fluorescence mapping and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Our results show that depending on the weathering conditions, different degradation effects can be observed. By means of SEC an initial strong decrease of the molar masses and a broadening of the mass distributions was found. After a material dependent time span this was followed by a plateau where molar mass changes were less significant. A minor moisture-dependent degradation effect was only found for polyester PU. Fluorescence measurements on two materials revealed an increase in the luminescence intensity upon weathering process reaching a saturation level after about 500 h. The changes in the optical properties observed after different exposure conditions and times were very similar. The TD-GC-MS data showed the fate of the stabilizers and antioxidant in the course of weathering. LC-FTIR measurements revealed a change in peak intensities and the ratio of urethane and carbonyl bands.
Präsentation der Ergebnisse eines Ringversuchs zur Kompetenzbewertung von Prüflaboratorien auf dem Gebiet der anorganischen und organischen Bodenanalytik: Polyzyklische aromatische Kohlenwasserstoffe (PAK) in Boden, Mineralölkohlenwasserstoffe (MKW) in Boden, Elemente in Sediment und Gesamtcyanid in Boden.
Präsentation der Ergebnisse eines Ringversuchs zur Kompetenzbewertung von Prüflaboratorien auf dem Gebiet der anorganischen und organischen Bodenanalytik: Polyzyklische aromatische Kohlenwasserstoffe (PAK) in Boden, Mineralölkohlenwasserstoffe (MKW) in Boden, Elemente in Sediment und Gesamtcyanid in Boden.
Gegenstand der vorzustellenden Arbeiten ist die Prüfung der Umwelt-beständigkeit und -verträglichkeit von Materialien und Produkten hinsichtlich der Emission von potenziellen Schadstoffen in die Umwelt. Hierzu werden chemisch-physikalische Einflüsse (Bewitterung) und mikrobielle Beanspruchungen an Modellmaterialien evaluiert. So werden die Freisetzungsraten von Schadstoffen in Abhängigkeit der Beanspruchung beschrieben. Als Modellmaterialien kommen die Polymere Polystyrol (PS) und Polypropylen (PP) zum Einsatz. Synergistische Effekte der Bewitterungsparameter und der mikrobiologischen Beanspruchung sollen dabei ebenso betrachtet werden, wie die gezielte Alterung. Auch findet eine Beschreibung des Verhaltens der ausgetragenen Schadstoffe in den Umweltkompartimenten Boden oder Wasser statt. Hier sind mit Hilfe der zu entwickelnden Screening- und non-Target-Analyseverfahren die Transformation und der Metabolismus durch Mikroorganismen zu beschreiben. Aus den Ergebnissen sollen Korrelationen zwischen den künstlichen Alterungsverfahren und realen Szenarien abgeleitet werden.
Wie viele Forschergruppen, haben auch wir uns das langfristige Ziel gesetzt, einen Beitrag bei der Beantwortung der Frage zu leisten, was Hunde riechen, wenn sie Krebs erschnüffeln.
Dabei sollen die Hunde nicht nur anzeigen, ob eine Atemluftprobe positiv oder negativ ist, sondern sie sollen auch aktiv eingebunden werden in den systematischen Suchprozess nach detektierbaren Biomarkern. So ist geplant, dass mittels eines präparativen Fraktionssammlers definierte Schnitte des Gaschromatogramms einzeln oder in möglichen Kombinationen auf das Adsorbervlies gebracht werden, um im Hundetraining eingesetzt zu werden. In analoger Weise könnte auch mit spezifischen Kandidatensubstanzen verfahren werden.
1,2,5,6,9,10-hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), a widely used flame retardant, is an ubiquitous contaminant in
the environment. Still, only little is known about the distribution and behavior in the environment such as
bioaccumulation or biotransformation of HBCD stereoisomers. In order to investigate enrichment and possible
bioisomerization of HBCD stereoisomers, Mirror Carps were exposed to pure (+)- and (-)-γ-HBCD, randomly
sampled after a predefined specific period and subjected to enantiomer-specific determination of α-, β-, and γ-
HBCD. No evidence for the isomerization of HBCD stereoisomers was observed in Mirror Carp fillets.
The key comparison CCQM-K102: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in sediment was coordinated by the JRC, Directorate F - Health, Consumers & Reference Materials, Geel (Belgium) under the auspices of the Organic Analysis Working Group (OAWG) of the Comité Consultatif pour la Quantité de Matière (CCQM). Thirteen National Metrology institutes or Designated Institutes and the JRC participated. Participants were requested to report the mass fraction (on a dry mass basis) of BDE 47, 99 and 153 in the freshwater sediment study material. The sediment originated from a river in Belgium and contained PBDEs (and other pollutants) at levels commonly found in environmental samples. The comparison was designed to demonstrate participants' capability of analysing non-polar organic molecules in abiotic dried matrices (approximate range of molecular weights: 100 to 800 g/mol, polarity corresponding to pKow < −2, range of mass fraction: 1–1000 μg/kg). All participants (except one using ultrasonic extraction) applied Pressurised Liquid Extraction or Soxhlet, while the instrumental analysis was performed with GC-MS/MS, GC-MS or GC-HRMS. Isotope Dilution Mass Spectrometry approach was used for quantification (except in one case). The assigned Key Comparison Reference Values (KCRVs) were the medians of thirteen results for BDE 47 and eleven results for BDE 99 and 153, respectively. BDE 47 was assigned a KCRV of 15.60 μg/kg with a combined standard uncertainty of 0.41 μg/kg, BDE 99 was assigned a KCRV of 33.69 μg/kg with a combined standard uncertainty of 0.81 μg/kg and BDE 153 was assigned a KCRV of 6.28 μg/kg with a combined standard uncertainty of 0.28 μg/kg. The k-factor for the estimation of the expanded uncertainty of the KCRVs was chosen as k = 2.
The resource-saving utilisation of recovered
waste wood is a matter of growing concern. In several
European countries, this utilisation is governed by regulations
and is dependent on the contents of certain trace
elements and organic compounds. Thus, for decisionmaking
with respect to waste wood management (recycling
or combustion), reliable analytical data are needed and, due
to their great economic and environmental impact, must be
assured by appropriate quality control. To support the
improvement in quality assurance in waste wood analysis,
for the first time, a wood reference material was certified
for its mass fractions of arsenic, cadmium, chromium,
copper, lead, mercury, and pentachlorophenol (PCP).
These analytes were selected because they represent typical
constituents of wood preservatives most widely used in the
past. Material preparation and testing of homogeneity and
stability were carried out by BAM Federal Institute for
Materials Research and Testing. The certification measurements
were performed involving selected laboratories
with documented expertise in the field of waste wood
analysis. The certified values and their corresponding
uncertainties were assigned in full compliance with the
requirements of ISO Guide 35. The certified mass fractions
and their expanded uncertainties (k/i> = 2) are as follows:
(3.1 ± 0.5) mg/kg for As, (3.02 ± 0.24) mg/kg for Cd,
(36.4 ± 2.6) mg/kg for Cr, (22.9 ± 1.7) mg/kg for Cu,
(0.60 ± 0.14) mg/kg for Hg, (39 ± 4) mg/kg for Pb, and
(7.9 ± 0.6) mg/kg for PCP. The certified material is
available as European Reference Material ERM®-CD100.
Certified reference materials for organic contaminants in sewage sludge - a feasibility study
(2008)
As an answer to the re-evaluation of the European sludge directive, two novel reference materials for organic components in municipal sludge have been produced and test certified for AOX (absorbable organic halogens), PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), NPE (nonylphenol and nonylphenolethoxylates), DEHP (di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate), bisphenol A, and BFR (brominated flame retardants). The materials were prepared from raw sludge without spiking or mixing of different sludges. The study demonstrated that the technique for the preparation of a suitable reference material, sufficiently homogenous and stable, and with concentration levels that answer the needs of the laboratories and the relevant authorities, can now be presented in detail. The results, furthermore, show there is a need for method validation and standardisation of the measurements of NPEs and certain BFR congeners, and that the development of the laboratory structure in Europe, with fewer and more specialised laboratories, might become a major obstacle when trying to find a sufficient number of laboratories being appropriately proficient for this kind of study in the future.
In this paper, we investigate the interconversion processes of the major flame retardant - 1,2,5,6,9,10-hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) - by the means of statistical thermodynamics based on classical force-fields. Three ideas will be presented. First, the application of classical hybrid Monte-Carlo simulations for quantum mechanical processes will be justified. Second, the problem of insufficient convergence properties of hybrid Monte-Carlo methods for the generation of low temperature canonical ensembles will be solved by an interpolation approach. Furthermore, it will be shown how free energy differences can be used for a rate matrix computation. The results of our numerical simulations will be compared to experimental results.
On-line coupled high performance liquid chromatography-gas chromatography-flame ionisation detection (HPLC-GC-FID) was used to compare the effect of hydrogen, helium and nitrogen as carrier gases on the chromatographic characteristics for the quantification of mineral oil hydrocarbon (MOH) traces in food related matrices. After optimisation of chromatographic parameters nitrogen carrier gas exhibited characteristics equivalent to hydrogen and helium regarding requirements set by current guidelines and standardisation such as linear range, quantification limit and carry over. Though nitrogen expectedly led to greater peak widths, all required separations of standard compounds were sufficient and humps of saturated mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOSH) and aromatic mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOAH) were appropriate to enable quantitation similar to situations where hydrogen or helium had been used. Slightly increased peak widths of individual hump components did not affect shapes and widths of the MOSH and MOAH humps were not significantly affected by the use of nitrogen as carrier gas. Notably, nitrogen carrier gas led to less solvent peak tailing and smaller baseline offset. Overall, nitrogen may be regarded as viable alternative to hydrogen or helium and may even extend the range of quantifiable compounds to highly volatile hydrocarbon eluting directly after the solvent peak.
In recent years, an increasing trend towards investigating and monitoring the contamination of the environment by microplastics (MP) (plastic pieces < 5 mm) has been observed worldwide. Nonetheless, a reliable methodology that would facilitate and automate the monitoring of MP is still lacking. With the goal of selecting practical and standardized methods, and considering the challenges in microplastics detection, we present here a critical evaluation of two vibrational spectroscopies, Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and two extraction methods: thermal extraction desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry (TED-GC-MS) and liquid extraction with subsequent size exclusion chromatography (SEC) using a soil with known contents of PE, PP, PS and PET as reference material. The obtained results were compared in terms of measurement time, technique handling, detection limits and requirements for sample preparation. The results showed that in designing and selecting the right methodology, the scientific question that determines what needs to be understood is significant, and should be considered carefully prior to analysis. Depending on whether the object of interest is quantification of the MP particles in the sample, or merely a quick estimate of sample contamination with plastics, the appropriate method must be selected. To obtain overall information about MP in environmental samples, the combination of several parallel approaches should be considered.
Three chromatographic procedures were investigated regarding their potential for the quantification of aniline and 19 of its methylated and chlorinated derivatives in groundwater. These methods were based on liquid-liquid-extraction in combination with gas chromatography and single quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC/MS) according to German standard DIN 38407-16:1999 and its extension using tandem mass spectrometry (GC/MS-MS), both following liquid-liquid extraction, and as third alternative the direct injection of the water sample into a liquid chromatograph coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS). Results were compared using fortified water and real-world contaminated groundwater used in an interlaboratory comparison. It could be shown that GC/MS and GC/MS-MS yielded results deviating less than 10% from each other while all three procedure displayed quantification results deviating less than 15% from the intercomparison reference values in case of each analyte in the concentration range between 1 and 45 µg L-1. Though GC/MS-MS displays a ten-fold higher sensitivity than single quadrupole GC/MS, the precision of both methods in the concentration range was similar. LC/MS-MS has the advantage of no further sample preparation due to the direct injection and leads for methylanilines and meta-, para- substituted chloroanilines to results sufficiently equivalent to the standardised GC/MS method. However, LC/MS-MS is not suitable for ortho-chloroaniline derivates due to significantly lower ion yields than meta- and para-substituted chloroanilines.
The design and operation of an observational study on the profiles of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the breath of 37 lung cancer patients and 23 healthy controls of similar age is outlined. The necessity to quantify each VOC considered as potential disease marker on basis of individual calibration is elaborated and the quality control measures required to maintain reproducibility in breath sampling and subsequent instrumental trace VOC analysis using SPME-GC-MS over a study period of 14 months are described. 24 VOC were quantified on basis of their previously suggested potential as cancer markers. The breath concentration levels of aromatic compounds was expectedly increased in smokers while lung cancer patients displayed significantly increased levels of oxygenated VOC such as aldehydes, 2-butanone and 1-butanol. Though sets of selected oxygenated VOC displayed sensitivities and specificities between 80 and 90% using linear discriminant analysis with leave-one-out cross validation the effective selectivity of the breath VOC approach with regard to cancer detection is clearly limited. Results were discussed against the background of the literature on volatile cancer marker investigations and the prospects to link increased VOC levels in patients’ breath with approaches to employ sniffer dogs. Experiences from this study and the literature suggest that the current state of breath VOC based discrimination between cancer patients and healthy controls is hardly improvable. Observational studies tend to observe significant differences mostly in levels of certain oxygenated VOC but without resolution required for practical application. Any step towards practicable exploitation of VOC profile differences for illness detection would have to solve current restrictions set by the low and variable VOC concentrations. Further challenges are the technical complexity of studies involving breath sampling and possibly the limited capability of current analytical procedures to detect instable marker candidates.
Als Folge der industriellen Produktion und der vielfältigen industriellen Nutzung von organischen Lösungsmitteln sind eine Vielzahl von Edukten, Zwischen- und Endprodukten in die Umwelt eingetragen worden und führen zu massiven Verunreinigungen des Bodens und des Grundwassers. Die Untersuchung und Sanierung des Grundwassers stellt einen aktuellen Schwerpunkt in der Altlastenbearbeitung dar. Vielfach werden klassische pump & treat-Verfahren zur Grundwassersanierung verwendet. Diese aktiven Sicherungs- und Sanierungsmaßnahmen werden jedoch unter dem Gesichtspunkt der Verhältnismäßigkeit häufig als ineffizient eingeschätzt. Als Alternative sollen die natürlichen Abbauprozesse im Grundwasserleiter genutzt oder gezielt verstärkt werden, um auf diesem Weg eine in-situ-Sanierung des Grundwasserleiters zu erreichen. In den letzten Jahren haben sich verschiedene Sanierungsverfahren etabliert, bei denen durch die Zugabe von Hilfsstoffen die mikrobiologische Aktivität des Aquifers erhöht wird bzw. Stoffe zugeführt werden, die mit den Schadstoffen reagieren (in-situ chemische Oxidation bzw. Reduktion, ISCO). An ausgewählten Standorten ist auch die aktive Sanierung (pump & treat, on-site- Sanierung) mit biologischem Schadstoffabbau (Bio-Filter) kombiniert worden. Um den Sanierungsverlauf zu verfolgen und zu optimieren, ist die Beprobung von Grundwasser aus dem Grundwasserleiter oder aus laufenden Anlagen erforderlich. In Fällen der gesteigerten mikrobiologischen Aktivität des Grundwassers treten gehäuft Probleme bei der Stabilisierung der Wasserproben auf. Die forcierten Abbauprozesse der Schadstoffe gehen nach der Probenahme in der Probenflasche weiter, bis die Energiebasis der Mikrobiologie aufgebraucht ist. Durch eine geringe Temperaturerhöhung beschleunigen sich diese Prozesse zusätzlich. In der Folge können die Schadstoffgehalte teilweise innerhalb weniger Stunden stark reduziert werden. Im Analysenlabor wird dann ein Schadstoffgehalt nachgewiesen, der nicht mehr die Verhältnisse im Aquifer bzw. im Ablauf der Reinigungsstufen widerspiegelt. Eine Einschätzung des Sanierungsfortschritts oder der Reinigungsleistung ist unter diesen Bedingungen stark fehlerbehaftet und kann zu groben Fehlinterpretationen führen. Grundwasserproben, die einem Aquifer mit hoher natürlicher oder initiierter mikrobiologischer Abbauaktivität entstammen, müssen daher zusätzlich stabilisiert werden, um den Ist-Zustand zum Zeitpunkt der Probenahme zu erfassen. Die Konservierung von Wasserproben bei der Probenahme von Grundwasser ist in der Normung umfangreich beschrieben: Die EN ISO 5667-3 von 2004 ist im Normausschuss (NA 119-01-03-01-01) überarbeitet und 2012 als Norm verabschiedet worden (EN ISO 5667-3, 03.12, deutsche Fassung DIN EN ISO 5667-3, 03-2013) [1], In Einzelfällen hat sie sich nicht als ausreichend erwiesen, um die Stabilität der organischen Schadstoffe in den oben beschriebenen Wasserproben zu gewährleisten.
Decabromodiphenylethane
(2007)
Decabromodiphenylethane [systematic name: 1,1'-ethane-1,2-diylbis(pentabromobenzene)], C14H4Br10 (DBDPE), was crystallized from toluene. The molecule shows crystallographic inversion symmetry. The CBr distances are in the range 1.873 (7)1.891 (6) Å; intermolecular BrBr contacts contribute to the formation of ribbons.
The assessment of quantification results of the alcohol abuse marker ethyl glucuronide (EtG) in hair in comparison to the cut-off values for the drinking behavior may be complicated by cosmetic hair bleaching. Thus, the impact of increasing exposure to hydrogen peroxide on the EtG content of hair was investigated. Simultaneously, the change of absorbance in the range of 1000–1100 cm-1 indicative for the oxidation of cystine was investigated non-destructively by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) using pulverized portions of the respective hair samples. Hair samples treated with hydrogen peroxide consistently displayed a significantly increased absorbance at 1040 cm-1 associated with the formation of cysteic acid. The EtG content decreased significantly if the hair was treated with alkaline hydrogen peroxide as during cosmetic bleaching. It could be shown that ATR-FTIR is capable of detecting an exposure to hydrogen peroxide when still no brightening was visible and already before the EtG content deteriorated significantly. Thus, hair samples suspected of having been exposed to oxidative treatment may be checked non-destructively by a readily available technique. This assay is also possible retrospectively after EtG extraction and using archived samples.
Delta-Hexabromocyclododecane
(2007)
The X-ray crystallographic study of the macrocyclic tetrakis-N[N-2-hydroxyethyl-piperazino]calix[4]resorcinarene·3CH3CH2OH·H2O (3) reveals a self-assembled dimeric capsule-like complex held together by an array of intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Pairs of concave molecules associate directly in bowl-to-bowl fashion and enclose an accessible supramolecular cavity of Å3 hosting one water and three ethanol molecules. The supramolecular arrangement displays alternating layers of facing bowls and interlocking lower rim aliphatic moieties. The helical conformation of the 2-hydroxyethyl piperazinomethyl moieties displays chirality of a bimolecular capsule frozen in the solid state. 3 crystallises in the triclinic space group P-1 with two symmetry independent molecules in the asymmetric unit. Two enantiomeric capsules form a racemic pair in the unit cell.
A combination of simultaneous milling and extraction known as micropulverized extraction was developed for the quantification of the alcohol marker ethyl glucuronide (EtG) in hair samples using a homogeneous reference material and a mixer mill. Best extraction results from 50 mg of hair were obtained with 2-mL plastic tubes containing two steel balls (Ø = 5 mm), 0.5 mL of water and with an oscillating frequency of 30 s-1 over a period of 30 min. EtG was quantified employing a validated GC-MS procedure involving derivatization with pentafluoropropionic acid anhydride. This micropulverization procedure was compared with dry milling followed by separate aqueous extraction and with aqueous extraction after manual cutting to millimeter-size snippets. Micropulverization yielded 28.0±1.70 pg/mg and was seen to be superior to manually cutting (23.0±0.83 pg/mg) and equivalent to dry grinding (27.7±1.71 pg/mg) with regard to completeness of EtG extraction. The option to process up to 20 samples simultaneously makes micropulverization especially valuable for the high throughput of urgent samples.
Determination of pentachlorphenol (PCP) in waste wood - method comparison by a collaborative trial
(2002)
Two independently developed and validated procedures for the determination of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in waste wood were compared by means of a collaborative trial. Both methods foresee quantification of PCP by gas chromatography (GC-ECD) after acetylation and differ with regard to the use of methanol or toluene/sulphuric acid, respectively, as solvent in the sonication extraction step. Test samples with established analyte homogeneity were prepared from a ground real life starting material. A total of 23 participating laboratories with experience in wood preservative analysis were instructed to apply both methods to three levels of content in the range of 0.520 mg PCP/kg. In case of the toluene/sulphuric acid extraction, lower recoveries and higher interlaboratory dispersion of results at the higher PCP contents were observed. Seen against the background of the Horwitz equation a reproducibility standard deviation of not, vert, similar19% for the methanol extraction at the 4.5 mg/kg level meets the requirement for a sound analytical method. Thus, the sonication extraction procedure with methanol has been annexed as a reference method to the German waste wood regulation.
A practical method for the quantification of
total purgeable organic sulfur (POS) in highly contaminated
groundwater is described. Volatile organic sulfur
compounds (VOSC) are purged from the water samples by
a stream of oxygen and combusted. The emerging sulfur
dioxide is absorbed in H2O2 and converted to sulfate which
is quantified by ion chromatography and reported as mass
sulfur equivalent. The overall limit of quantification is
0.03 mg l1. The content of POS is balanced with the total
VOSC determined by GC-AED after liquidliquid extraction.
Separate determination of the non-volatile organic
sulfur compounds by direct combustion of the water sample
and adsorption to charcoal yielded a mass balance of
the total sulfur content. Semi-quantitative GC-MS after
purge & trap accumulation revealed that the VOSC mixture
is composed of C1C4 alkyl sulfides. The implementation
of the developed methodology for the quantification of
VOSC as potential catalyst poison in a cleaning plant
for groundwater contaminated with volatile haloorganics
(VOX) is presented.
The statistical tool eCerto was developed for the evaluation of measurement data to assign property values and associated uncertainties of reference materials. The analysis is based on collaborative studies of expert laboratories and was implemented using the R software environment. Emphasis was put on comparability of eCerto with SoftCRM, a statistical tool based on the certification strategy of the former Community Bureau of Reference. Additionally, special attention was directed towards easy usability from data collection through processing, archiving, and reporting. While the effects of outlier removal can be flexibly explored, eCerto always retains the original data set and any manipulation such as outlier removal is (graphically and tabularly) documented adequately in the report. As a major reference materials producer, the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) developed and will maintain a tool to meet the needs of modern data processing, documentation requirements, and emerging fields of RM activity. The main features of eCerto are discussed using previously certified reference materials.
Die Präsenz von Mikroplastik in aquatischen Ökosystemen ist ein globales Problem und steht zunehmend im Fokus der Öffentlichkeit. In mehreren Studien konnten Anreicherungen hydrophober, organischer Schadstoffe an MP nachgewiesen werden. Der Einfluss des Alterungszustandes der MP-Partikel auf das Sorptionsverhalten von hydrophoben organischen Substanzen ist nicht hinreichend geklärt.
Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war die Untersuchung des Sorptionsverhaltens von Schadstoffen mit Bedeutung für limnische Gewässer an künstlich gealterten Partikeln relevanter Polymere. Das Modell verwendete die Aromaten Benzol, Toluol, Ethylbenzol und Xylol (BTEX) sowie Etherverbindungen. Diese Substanzen sind oder waren Bestandteile in unterschiedlichen Kraftstoffen und finden sich daher in vielen aquatischen Ökosystemen weltweit. Als Sorbentien kamen teilkristallines Polypropylen (PP) und amorphes Polystyrol (PS) in Form von Industriepellets zum Einsatz. Die Pellets wurden jeweils sowohl unbehandelt als auch mittels UV-Bestrahlung künstlich gealtert verwendet und mikroskopisch sowie mittels XPS, FTIR und DSC charakterisiert. Die Alterung führte bei PS zu einer verringerten Sorptionskapazität, während bei PP keine Veränderung im Sorptionsverhalten beobachtet wurde.
High-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS) was applied to sterospecifically quantify the content of α-, β-, and γ-hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) in six fish species from the Norwegian Etnefjorden. A combination of a β-PM cyclodextrin and an achiral column enabled the paired chromatographic separation of the stereoisomers in the order (-)-α-, (+)-α-, (-)-β-, (+)-β-, (+)-γ- and, (-)-γ-HBCD. The limits of detection were in the range of 6–21 pg g-1 depending on the stereoisomer and the concentrations of α-, β-, and γ-HBCD in fillets ranged from <5.4 ng g-1 to 11.1 µg g-1 lipid weight. α-HBCD enantiomers were throughout dominating, and in most cases the accumulation of the respective first eluted enantiomers ((-)-α-, (-)-β- and (+)-γ-HBCD) was observed. Deviations from the racemic EF-value were considered to be significant if it was outside of the expanded uncertainty range for each of the racemic HBCD-ratios. The composition of HBCD isomers varied between the investigated fish species and the relative high values for the γ-HBCD concentrations for the bottom-dwellers flounder and thorny skate seems to echo the HBCD pattern of ocean sediments.
Enantiomerenspezifischer Vergleich von HBCD-Gehalten maritimer Lebewesen zweier norwegischer Fjorde
(2010)
1,2,5,6,9,10-Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) is a widely used flame retardant, which tends to persist in the environment and accumulates in biota. The six stereoisomers (three racemates named α-, β-, and γ-HBCD) of the technical mixture were isolated with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Direct separations were performed on a chiral stationary phase containing permethylated -cyclodextrin (NUCLEODEX -PM column) and the pure enantiomers of α-, β-, and γ-HBCD were physically characterized for the first time. The absolute configurations of all six isomers were determined by anomalous dispersion using single crystal X-ray crystallography. Optical rotations αD in tetrahydrofuran were +4.2/-4.0 (α-HBCD), +26.1/-27.5 (β-HBCD), and +68.0/-66.3 (γ-HBCD). The sense of rotation could be correlated with the absolute configurations of α-, β-, and γ-HBCD enantiomers and their order of elution on a chiral permethylated β-cyclodextrin-bonded stationary phase. The diastereomers α-, β-, and γ-HBCD displayed distinctly different melting points as well as 1H-, 13C NMR, and IR spectra.
Im Rahmen eines vom Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Arbeit (BMWA) geförderten Projektes wird in Kooperation mit dem Verband deutscher Metallhändler (VDM) ein Verfahren zur Quantifizierung der PCB-Kongenere 28, 52, 101, 138, 153, 180 im Gehaltsbereich von 0,1 bis 20 mg in Kunststoffabfällen aus dem Altkabelrecycling entwickelt und validiert. Dazu werden repräsentative Referenzmaterialien für die Laboranalytik aus Granulaten verschiedener Kabelzerlegeprozesse hergestellt und charakterisiert. Die Methodenentwicklung umfasst mahl-, sieb- und schüttguttechnologische Aspekte sowie den Vergleich unterschiedlicher Extraktionsverfahren und chromatographischer Bedingungen. Das validierte Verfahren sieht die Mahlung der technischen Probe auf eine Kornobergrenze von 0,50 mm gefolgt von Extraktion mit einem unpolaren Lösungsmittel bei einer Einwaage von 4 g und gaschromatographischer Bestimmung vor. Die Bestimmungsgrenzen liegen zwischen 0,01 und 0,08 mg/kg. Bei sorgfältiger Wahl der chromatographischen Bedingungen sind Elektroneneinfang- und massenselektive Detektion (MS) gleichwertig. In Gegenwart größerer Mengen bestimmter Komponenten, die in einigen Kabeln enthalten sind, kann der Einsatz eines MS von Vorteil sein. Drei Referenzmaterialien mit Gehalten der genannten Kongenere zwischen 0,1 bis 5 mg/kg werden in einem abschließenden Ringversuch zur Validierung dieser Methode mit 23 ausgewählten Laboratorien eingesetzt. Dabei ergeben sich für die Quantifizierung dieser Kongenere relative Vergleichsstandardabweichungen zwischen 15 und 33 %. Das Verfahren wird in die europäische Normung (CEN 292 „Characterisation of Waste“) eingebracht.
The ecotoxicological characterization of waste is part of its assessment as hazardous or non-hazardous according to the European Waste List. For this classification 15 hazard criteria are derived from the Council Directive 91/689/EEC on hazardous waste. Some of the hazard criteria are based on the content of dangerous substances. The criterion H14 'ecotoxic' lacks of an assessment and testing strategy and no specific threshold values have been defined so far. Based on the recommendations of CEN guideline 14735 (2005), an international round robin test (ring test) was organized by the German Federal Environment Agency in order to define suitable test methods for the biological assessment of waste and waste eluates. A basic test battery, consisting of three aquatic and three terrestrial tests, was compiled. In addition, data were submitted for ten additional tests (five aquatic (including a genotoxicity test) and five terrestrial ones). The tests were performed with three representative waste types: an ash from an incineration plant, a soil containing high concentrations of organic contaminants (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and a preserved wood waste. The results of this ring test confirm that a combination of a battery of biological tests and chemical residual analysis is needed for an ecotoxicological characterization of wastes. With small modifications the basic test battery is considered to be well suitable for the hazard and risk assessment of wastes and waste eluates. All results and documents are accessible via a web-based data bank application.
An international intercomparison involving eight national metrology institutes (NMIs) was conducted to establish their current measurement capabilities for determining five selected congeners from the brominated flame retardant classes polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polybrominated biphenyls. A candidate reference material consisting of polypropylene fortified with technical mixtures of penta-, octa- and decabromo diphenyl ether and decabromo biphenyl, which was thoroughly assessed for material homogeneity and stability, was used as study material. The analytical procedures applied by the participants differed with regard to sample pre-treatment, extraction, clean-up, employed calibrants and type of calibration procedure as well as regarding analytical methods used for separation, identification and quantification of the flame retardant congeners (gas chromatography coupled to an electron capture detector (GC-ECD), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in the electron ionisation mode (GC-EI-MS), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in the electron capture negative ionisation mode (GC-ECNI-MS), and liquid chromatography-inductive coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LC-ICP-MS)). The laboratory means agreed well with relative standard deviations of the mean of means of 1.9%, 4.8%, 5.5% and 5.4% for brominated diphenyl ether (BDE) 47, 183 and 209 and for the brominated biphenyl (BB) congener 209, respectively. For BDE 206, a relative standard deviation of 28.5% was obtained. For all five congeners, within-laboratory relative standard deviations of six measurements obtained under intermediate precision conditions were between 1% and 10%, and reported expanded measurements uncertainties typically ranged from 4% to 10% (8% to 14% for BDE 206). Furthermore, the results are in good agreement with those obtained in the characterization exercise for determining certified values for the flame retardant congeners in the same material. The results demonstrate the state-of-the-art measurement capabilities of NMIs for quantifying representative BDE congeners and BB 209 in a polymer. The outcome of this intercomparison (pilot study) in conjunction with possible improvements for employing exclusively calibrants with thoroughly assessed purity suggests that a key comparison aiming at underpinning calibration and measurement capability (CMC) claims of NMIs can be conducted.
Evidence for the formation of difluoroacetic acid in chlorofluorocarbon-contaminated ground water
(2019)
The concentrations of difluoroacetic acid (DFA) and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in rainwater and surface water from Berlin, Germany resembled those reported for similar urban areas, and the TFA/DFA ratio in rainwater of 10:1 was in accordance with the literature. In contrast, nearby ground water historically contaminated with 1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane (R113) displayed a TFA/DFA ratio of 1:3. This observation is discussed versus the inventory of microbial Degradation products present in this ground water along with the parent R113 itself. A microbial Transformation of chlorotrifluoroethylene (R1113) to DFA so far has not been reported for environmental media, and is suggested based on well-established mammalian metabolic pathways.
The total petrol hydrocarbon (TPH) content in soil is determined by gas chromatographic separation and flame ionisation detection according to ISO 16703 in routine laboratories for about 20 years. The development of the interlaboratory variability observed with this analytical procedure over 15 years in a proficiency testing scheme conducted annually with more than 170 participants is evaluated in detail. A significant improvement of the reproducibility standard deviation among participants is observed over the years and attributed to an increasing familiarity with the procedure. Nevertheless, the determination of TPH in the environmentally relevant mass fraction range between 500 mg/kg and 10 000 mg/kg in soils or sediments is far from reaching the reproducibility standard deviations predicted by the Horwitz curve. It is seen that laboratories with sporadic participation tend to report higher bias, while a core group of laboratories participating on a regular basis arrived at reproducibility standard deviations below 20 %. Results from a given laboratory obtained on two different samples tend to be highly correlated in the same PT round indicating a sound repeatability. Expectedly, the within-laboratory correlation between results from consecutive rounds was considerably lower. However, results from consecutive rounds with a temporal distance of 1, 2 or 3 years revealed largely similar correlations which suggests that the within-laboratory reproducibility adjusts to a constant level at least after a period of 1 year.
HBCD ISOMERS: Degradation rates and hydroxylated Products from Microsome Incubation Experiments
(2010)
HBCD isomers: degradation rates and hydroxylated products from microsome incubation experiments
(2010)
HBCD stereoisomer pattern in mirror carps following dietary exposure to pure Gamma-HBCD enantiomers
(2010)
Hexabromocyclododecane enantiomers: microsomal degradation and patterns of hydroxylated metabolites
(2011)
The degradation of the enantiomers of α-, β-, and γ-hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) by phase I metabolism was investigated using induced rat liver microsomes. HBCD isomers were quantified using HPLC-MS/MS (ESI-) after separation on a combination of a reversed phase and a chiral analytical column. The degradation of all six isomers followed first-order kinetics and the estimated half-lives ranged from 6.3 min for both β-HBCD enantiomers to 32.3 min in case of (+)-γ-HBCD. (+)-α- and (–)-γ-HBCD displayed significantly shorter half-lives than their corresponding antipodes. It could be shown that this degradation led to a significant enrichment of the first eluting enantiomers (–)-α- and (+)-γ-HBCD. Individual patterns of mono- and dihydroxylated derivatives obtained from each α- and γ-HBCD enantiomer were seen to be distinctly characteristic. The patterns of monohydroxylated HBCD derivatives detected in liver and muscle tissues of pollack, mackerel and in herring gull eggs were largely similar to those observed in the in vitro experiments with rat liver microsomes. This enabled individual hydroxy-HBCDs to be assigned to their respective parent HBCD enantiomers.
The increasing pollution of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems with plastic debris leads to the accumulation of microscopic plastic particles of still unknown amount. To monitor the degree of contamination analytical methods are urgently needed, which help to quantify microplastics (MP). Currently, time-costly purified materials enriched on filters are investigated both by micro-infrared spectroscopy and/or micro-Raman. Although yielding precise results, these techniques are time consuming, and are restricted to the analysis of a small part of the sample in the order of few micrograms. To overcome these problems, here we tested a macroscopic dimensioned NIR process-spectroscopic method in combination with chemometrics. For calibration, artificial MP/soil mixtures containing defined ratios of polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, and polystyrene with diameters < 125 µm were prepared and measured by a process FT-NIR spectrometer equipped with a fiber optic reflection probe. The resulting spectra were processed by chemometric models including support vector machine regression (SVR), and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Validation of models by MP mixtures, MP-free soils and real-world samples, e.g. and fermenter residue, suggest a reliable detection and a possible classification of MP at levels above 0.5 to 1.0 mass% depending on the polymer. The benefit of the combined NIRS chemometric approach lies in the rapid assessment whether soil contains MP, without any chemical pre-treatment. The method can be used with larger sample volumes and even allows for an online prediction and thus meets the demand of a high-throughput method.
Ein Vergleich der Gehalte von Difluoressigsäure (DFA) und Trifluoressigsäure (TFA) in Regen- und Oberflächenwässern im Berliner Raum ergab ein TFA/DFA Verhältnis in Regenwasser von 10:1. Im Gegensatz dazu wies Grundwasser aus dem Einzugsbereich einer historischen Kontamination durch Fluorchlorkohlenwasserstoffe (FCKW) ein TFA/DFA-Verhältnis von 1:3 auf. Dies und die ungewöhnlich hohe DFA-Konzentration an dieser Stelle wird vor dem Hintergrund der beobachteten mikrobiellen Abbauprodukte des ursprünglichen eingetragenen FCKW 1,1,2-Trichlor-1,2,2-trifluorethan (R113) diskutiert. Eine mikrobielle Umwandlung des bekannten Abbauproduktes Chlortrifluorethylen (R1113) zur DFA wurde bislang nicht in Umweltkompartimenten beobachtet und wird hier auf Basis bekannter Stoffwechselwege vorgeschlagen.
TFA wurde in Regenwasser, Oberflächenwasser und Grundwasser in vergleichbaren Größenordnungen von ca. 500 ng/L bestimmt. Im Gegensatz dazu wurde DFA in Grundwasserproben im Bereich der Schadstoffquelle der FCKW-Kontamination mit bis zu 2.000 ng/L nachgewiesen. Die Summe von TFA und DFA im Grundwasser korreliert nicht mit dem Eintrag aus Niederschlag und Oberflächenwasser. Darum liegt die Vermutung nahe, dass es für DFA andere Quellen als den direkten Eintrag oder den möglichen Abbauweg über TFA geben muss. DFA ist vermutlich ein Abbauprodukt von R1113. FCKWs, die im ersten Abbauschritt zu 1,1-Difluorethenen metabolisieren, stehen im Verdacht, in der Folge zu DFA zu hydrolysieren. Entscheidend scheint, dass bereits im Ausgangsprodukt ein CF2-Strukturelement enthalten ist, das dann zur Bildung von DFA führen kann. Somit würde aus dem ursprünglichen Eintrag des Kältemittels R113 über schrittweise Dechlorierung via 1,2-Dichlor-1,2,2-Trifluorethan (R123a) und R1113 die Bildung des beobachteten DFA folgen. Es ist also sinnvoll, DFA in die Diskussion zur Regulierung der Endprodukte des Abbaus fluorhaltiger Kälte- oder Lösungsmittel einzubeziehen. Die Ergebnisse wurden im Normausschuss Wasserwesen (NAW) des DIN vorgestellt und es soll ein Arbeitskreis gegründet werden, der ein Normverfahren zur Quantifizierung von TFA und DFA in Wasser erarbeitet. Interessierte Laboratorien sind herzlich eingeladen, die Normungsarbeit zu unterstützen.
The reliability in measurement results obtained during environmental monitoring is crucial for the assessment and further planning of remediation efforts on the respective contaminated sites by the responsible authorities. A case study concerned with groundwater contaminated with perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and 1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane including their degradation products which involves private contract laboratories and an independent provider of quality assurance (QA) is presented. The experience gained with biannual monitoring campaigns over 14 years indicates that the selection of contractors on basis of accreditation status and successful performance in interlaboratory comparisons are not sufficient. Rather the auditing of the contractors by the QA provider prior to each campaign and the crosschecking of selected monitoring samples by the QA provider led to a lasting improvement of reliability in the contractors' measurement results. A mean deviation of 20% from the reference value determined by the QA provider for the crosschecked samples was reached.
A novel approach for the simulation of host.guest systems by systematically scanning the host moleculefs orientations within the guest cavity is presented along with a thermodynamic strategy for determining preferential binding modes and corresponding optimal interaction energies between host and guest molecules. By way of example, the elution order of hexabromocyclododecane stereoisomers from high performance liquid chromatography separation on a permethylated β-cyclcodextrin stationary phase has been computed using classical molecular dynamics simulations with the explicit solvents water and acetonitrile. Comparison of estimated with experimental separation data reveals remarkable squared coefficients of correlation with R2=0.87 and a very high correlation RLOO2 . 0:72 using the leaveone-out cross-validation method and water as solvent. In particular, the approach presented shapes up as very robust in terms of the evaluated time range under consideration, reflecting well thermodynamic equilibria. These and further observations correlating with experimental results suggest the suitability of the underlying force fields and our multi-mode approach for the estimation of relative binding affinities for host–guest systems with unknown binding modes.
Process waters obtained from hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of wheat straw, a biogas digestate derived thereof, and four woody biomass feedstocks were quantified regarding the total organic carbon (TOC) and selected organic compounds. HTC runs revealed that TOC loads were largely unaffected by process severity or type of feedstock whereas the C2–C6 fatty acids, determined by GC, displayed clear effects of temperature and feedstock. HPLC demonstrated simultaneously the initial increase and subsequent consumption of cellulose-derived furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural as well as the increase of the lignin-derived 2-methoxyphenol. 2-Methylbenzofuran, an example for a substance potentially harmful to aquatic biota, was observed in high concentration in the HTC liquor from wheat straw-based feedstocks.
The nature and concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in chars generated by hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is of concern considering their application as soil amendment. Therefore, the presence of VOCs in solid HTC products obtained from wheat straw, biogas digestate and four woody materials was investigated using headspace gas chromatography. A variety of potentially harmful benzenic, phenolic and furanic volatiles along with various aldehydes and ketones were identified in feedstock- and temperature-specific patterns. The total amount of VOCs observed after equilibration between headspace and char samples produced at 270 °C ranged between 2000 and 16,000 µg/g (0.2–1.6 wt.%). Depending on feedstock 50–9000 µg/g of benzenes and 300–1800 µg/g of phenols were observed. Substances potentially harmful to soil ecology such as benzofurans (200–800 µg/g) and p-cymene (up to 6000 µg/g in pine wood char) exhibited concentrations that suggest restrained application of fresh hydrochar as soil amendment or for water purification.
Soils are essential components of terrestrial ecosystems that experience strong pollution pressure. Microplastic contamination of soils is being increasingly documented, with potential consequences for soil biodiversity and function. Notwithstanding, data on effects of such contaminants on fundamental properties potentially impacting soil biota are lacking. The present study explores the potential of microplastics to disturb vital relationships between soil and water, as well as its consequences for soil structure and microbial function. During a 5-weeks garden experiment we exposed a loamy sand soil to environmentally relevant nominal concentrations (up to 2%) of four common microplastic types (polyacrylic fibers, polyamide beads, polyester fibers, and polyethylene fragments). Then, we measured bulk density, water holding capacity, hydraulic conductivity, soil aggregation, and microbial activity. Microplastics affected the bulk density, water holding capacity, and the functional relationship between the microbial activity and water stable aggregates. The effects are underestimated if idiosyncrasies of particle type and concentrations are neglected, suggesting that purely qualitative environmental microplastic data might be of limited value for the assessment of effects in soil. If extended to other soils and plastic types, the processes unravelled here suggest that microplastics are relevant long-term anthropogenic stressors and drivers of global change in terrestrial ecosystems.
In vitro cultured lung cancer cells are not suitable for animal-based breath biomarker detection
(2015)
In vitro cultured lung cancer cell lines were investigated regarding the possible identification of volatile organic compounds as potential biomarkers. Gas samples from the headspace of pure culture medium and from the cultures of human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines A549 and Lu7466 were exposed to polypropylene fleece in order to absorb odour components. Sniffer dogs were trained with loaded fleeces of both cell lines, and honey bees were trained with fleeces exposed to A549. Afterwards, their ability to distinguish between cell-free culture medium odour and lung cancer cell odour was tested. Neither bees nor dogs were able to discriminate between odours from the cancer cell cultures and the pure culture medium. Solid phase micro extraction followed by gas chromatography with mass selective detection produced profiles of volatiles from the headspace offered to the animals. The profiles from the cell lines were largely similar; distinct differences were based on the decrease of volatile culture medium components due to the cells' metabolic activity. In summary, cultured lung cancer cell lines do not produce any biomarkers recognizable by animals or gas chromatographic analysis.
Stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) was compared with standardized pump sampling regarding the prospects to assess airborne levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in indoor environments. A historic railway water tower, which will be preserved as a technical monument for museum purposes, was sampled with both approaches because the built-in insulationmaterial was suspected to release PAHs to the indoor air. The 16 PAHs on the US EPA list were quantified using gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection in filters from pump sampling after solvent extraction and on SBSE devices after thermal desorption. SBSEwas seen to sample detectable PAHmasseswith excellent repeatability and a congener pattern largely similar to that observed with pump sampling. Congener patterns were however significantly different from that in the PAH source because release from the insulation material is largely triggered by the respective congener vapor pressures. Absolute masses in the ng range sampled by SBSE corresponded to airborne concentrations in the ng L−1 range determined by pump sampling. Principle differences between SBSE and pump sampling as well as prospects of SBSE as cost-effective and versatile complement of pump sampling are discussed.
The role of matrix reference materials in the process of demonstrating the degree of equivalence of measurement results obtained from intercomparisons is outlined, reviewing exemplary selected experience gained at BAM regarding the determination of organic contaminants in environmental matrices.
The specific characteristics of reference materials employed in the process of demonstrating equivalence between laboratories in the course of proficiency testing as well as the development, comparison and validation of methods are elaborated. The demand is for series of appropriately characterised samples which are fit for the purpose and it is seen from representative examples that the utilisation of such tailor-made RM designed to tackle the specific need of an analytical problem dominates over certified matrix reference materials in this context. Concluding, the role of certified matrix reference materials in quality assurance is briefly looked at both from the users and providers points of view.
Three strategies to sample volatile organic compounds (VOC) from lung cancer cell lines cultured in vitro were compared. Headspace solid phase microextraction was applied in situ to culture flasks and alternatively to subsamples of headspace gas or to nutrient solution subsamples followed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The direct quantification of 55 VOC in the headspace of cell cultures was validated and is discussed with respect to reproducibility and system-related interferences. The role of the VOC background from culture media and usually employed polystyrene culture vessels is examined and was seen to invoke potentially misleading conclusions. The commercial A549 and two further adenocarcinoma cell lines displayed largely similar VOC profiles with distinct differences regarding certain individual substances. There is evidence for the inappropriateness of the standard cell culturing methods in the search for volatile cancer markers.
A method for the determination of the novel brominated flame retardant tetrabromobisphenol A bis(2,3-dibromopropylether), 1,1'-(isopropylidene)bis[3,5-dibromo-4-(2,3-dibromo-propoxy)-benzene] (TBBPA-dbpe), was developed. Technical TBBPA-dbpe was purified and the results of a thorough physical characterisation are reported. The application of APCI-MS is discussed and the fragmentation patterns are described. Quantification of TBBPA-dbpe was done by HPLC-DAD using external calibration. The validation of the method was accomplished using sediment and sewage sludge samples spiked with defined amounts of authentic TBBPA-dbpe. The average recovery rates of TBBPA-dbpe from spiked samples ranged from 35 to 91% (sediment) and from 57 to 98% (sewage sludge) depending on the respective extraction method. Pressurised fluid extraction (PFE) and fluidised bed extraction were superior to classical Soxhlet and sonication procedures and yielded recovery rates between 90 and 98% with relative standard deviations of 2%. The limits of detection (DTC), identification (ID) and determination (DTM) using HPLC-DAD were 10, 21 and 30 ng g-1 in sediment and 22, 44 and 72 ng g-1 in sewage sludge, respectively.
Isomerism of HBCD
(2007)
Ziel der vorliegenden Untersuchungen, die im Rahmen einer Diplomarbeit der Fachhochschule Lausitz/Senftenberg an der BAM durchgeführt wurden, war ein Vergleich unterschiedlicher Extraktionsverfahren für die Bestimmung von extrahierbarem organischem Halogen (EOX) in Bodenproben. EOX ist ein für die rasche Bewertung der Organochlor- Belastung kontaminationsverdächtiger Flächen wertvoller Summenparameter, der sämtliche mit organischen Lösungsmittel extrahierbare Organohalogenverbindungen erfasst. Gegenwärtig existiert jedoch kein für die Bodenanalytik genormtes Verfahren für die Durchführung von EOX-Bestimmungen. Daher wird in der Praxis auf das für Schlämme und Sedimente entwickelte Verfahren nach DIN 38414 S17 (1990) zurückgegriffen, so auch in der Bundesbodenschutz- und Altlasten-Verordung (BBodSchV). Literaturangaben und Erfahrungen mit der Wiederfindungsrate polarer Extraktionsmittel und moderner Extraktionsverfahren bei Organochlorpestiziden, die eine bedeutende Quelle für EOX in Schlämmen und Böden darstellen, lassen vermuten, dass das genannte Normverfahren systematisch zu Unterbefunden neigen könnte. Für die Untersuchungen wurden an der BAM entwickelte Boden-Referenzmaterialien mit "natürlicher", über jahrzehntelangen Eintrag entstandener DDT- und Lindan-Belastung verwendet. Neben den klassischen Extraktionsverfahren nach Soxhlet kamen die ultraschallunterstützte Extraktion, die Mikrowellen- und die beschleunigte Lösungsmittelextraktion (ASE) jeweils mit Lösungsmitteln unterschiedlicher Polarität zum Einsatz. Extraktionsausbeuten und Wiederholpräzision der einzelnen Varianten wurden verglichen und vor dem Hintergrund der Ergebnisse unabhängiger Verfahren wie der gaschromatographischen Bestimmung der einzelnen Organochlorverbindungen bewertet. Die Polarität des Extraktionsmittels weist auch bei trockenen Böden den größten Einfluss auf die Extraktionsausbeuten der in den untersuchten Proben enthaltenen Organochlorverbindungen auf. Die Mischung Hexan/Aceton (1:1), die sich für die Extraktion verschiedener organischer Parameter bewährt hat, ist hinsichtlich der EOX-Analytik der existierenden Norm überlegen.
Microplastics can affect biophysical properties of the soil. However, little is known about the cascade of events in fundamental levels of terrestrial ecosystems, i.e., starting with the changes in soil abiotic properties and propagating across the various components of soil−plant interactions, including soil microbial communities and plant traits. We investigated here the effects of six different microplastics (polyester fibers, polyamide beads, and four fragment types: polyethylene, polyester terephthalate, polypropylene, and polystyrene) on a broad suite of proxies for soil health and performance of spring onion (Allium fistulosum). Significant changes were observed in plant biomass, tissue elemental composition, root traits, and soil microbial activities. These plant and soil responses to microplastic exposure were used to propose a causal model for the mechanism of the effects. Impacts were dependent on particle type, i.e., microplastics with a shape similar to other natural soil particles elicited smaller differences from control. Changes in soil structure and water dynamics may explain the observed results in which polyester fibers and polyamide beads triggered the most pronounced impacts on plant traits and function. The findings reported here imply that the pervasive microplastic contamination in soil may have consequences for plant performance and thus for agroecosystems and terrestrial biodiversity.
The performance of twelve laboratories with previously established proficiency in the determination of the mineral oil content in a fresh water sediment is described. The summation parameter total petrol hydrocarbon (TPH) is defined according to ISO 16703:2004 with regard to the sample preparation to be applied, the flame ionisation detection (FID) and the boiling range of C10C40 to be integrated. Comprehensive tests of homogeneity and stability have been carried out on the candidate material using appropriate models. The outcome of the study served as the basis for the certification of the candidate reference material as ERM-CC015a. The certified mass fraction is 1,820±130mgkg-1 and traceability was established by using an appropriate calibration standard certified for the mass fraction of C10C40. The interlaboratory scatter of measurement results in this exercise can largely be explained by the variability of the individual calibrations based on this common calibration standard.