Multi-layer solid-phase extraction and evaporation-enrichment methods for polar organic chemicals from aqueous...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Water Quality Analysis

Background:

• Analyzing polar organic chemicals in aquatic environments is challenging due to a lack of effective enrichment methods.
• Existing methods often struggle with the broad range of physico-chemical properties exhibited by polar pollutants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the suitability of a novel multi-layer solid-phase extraction (mlSPE) cartridge and an evaporation method for enriching polar organic chemicals.
• To compare the performance of these new methods against a conventional hydrophilic and lipophilic balanced (HLB) solid-phase extraction method.

Main Methods:

• Developed and tested a multi-layer solid-phase extraction (mlSPE) cartridge combining multiple SPE materials.
• Investigated an evaporation technique for concentrating polar analytes.
• Analyzed 26 polar model substances across various aqueous matrices using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS/MS).

Main Results:

• The mlSPE method achieved >10% recovery for 65% of model substances (mean recovery 76%), while the evaporation method enriched 73% (mean recovery 78%).
• Compared to HLB-SPE which retained only 30% of substances, mlSPE and evaporation demonstrated significantly higher efficiency.
• Non-target screening revealed mlSPE and evaporation methods enriched more polar analytes, as indicated by longer retention times in HILIC-MS/MS analysis.

Conclusions:

• The novel mlSPE and evaporation methods offer substantial advantages for the enrichment of polar organic chemicals in aquatic samples.
• These advanced techniques provide a more comprehensive analysis of polar pollutants compared to standard HLB-SPE methods.
• The findings support the adoption of mlSPE and evaporation for improved water quality monitoring and environmental analysis.