Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Extraction of phthalate esters from water and beverages using a graphene-based magnetic nanocomposite prior to their determination by HPLC

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Microchimica Acta Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We have developed a highly sensitive microextraction method for the preconcentration of some phthalate esters such as diethyl phthalate, di-n-propylphthalate, di-n-butyl-phthalate, dicyclohexyl-phthalate, and diethyl-hexyl phthalate prior to their determination by HPLC. It is based on a magnetic graphene nanocomposite as an effective adsorbent. The effects of the amount of the extractant composite employed, extraction time, pH values, salt concentration and desorption conditions were investigated. Under the optimum conditions, the enrichment factors range from 1574 to 2880. Response is linear in the concentration range from 0.1 to 50 ng mL−1. The limits of detection (at S/N = 3) were between 0.01 and 0.04 ng mL−1. The method was successfully applied to the determination of five phthalate esters in water and beverage samples.

A novel microextraction method was developed by using magnetic graphene nanocomposite as an effective adsorbent for the preconcentration of some trace phthalate esters in water and beverage samples followed by high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. The enrichment factors of the method for the compouds were achieved ranging from 1574 to 2880.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. LaFleur AD, Schug KA (2011) A review of separation methods for the determination of estrogens and plastics-derived estrogen mimics from aqueous systems. Anal Chim Acta 696:6–26

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Feas CP, Alonso MCB, Pena-Vazquez E, Hermelo PH, Bermejo-Barrera P (2008) Phthalates determination in physiological saline solutions by HPLC–ES-MS. Talanta 75:1184–1189

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Holadov K, Prokupkova G, Hajslova J, Poustka J (2007) Headspace solid-phase microextraction of phthalic acid esters from vegetable oil employing solvent based matrix modification. Anal Chim Acta 582:24–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Gomez-Hens A, Aguilar-Caballos M (2003) Social and economic interest in the control of phthalic acid esters. Trends Anal Chem 22:847–857

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. EPA, US, National Primary Drinking Water Regulations: Federal Register, Part 12, 40 CFR Part 141, US Environmental Protection Agency, 1991.

  6. Mol H, Sunarto S, Stijger O (2000) Determination of endocrine disruptors in water after derivatization with N-methyl-N-(tert.-butyldimethyltrifluoroacetamide) using gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. J Chromatogr A 879:97–112

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Amiridou D, Voutsa D (2011) Alkylphenols and phthalates in bottled waters. J Hazard Mater 185:281–286

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. He J, Lv R, Zhu J, Lu K (2010) Selective solid-phase extraction of dibutyl phthalate from soybean milk using molecular imprinted polymers. Anal Chim Acta 661:215–221

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Li J, Cai Y, Shi Y, Mou S, Jiang G (2008) Analysis of phthalates via HPLC-UV in environmental water samples after concentration by solid-phase extraction using ionic liquid mixed hemimicelles. Talanta 74:498–504

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Cai YQ, Jiang GB, Liu JF, Zhou QX (2003) Multi-walled carbon nanotubes packed cartridge for the solid-phase extraction of several phthalate esters from water samples and their determination by high performance liquid chromatography. Anal Chim Acta 494:149–156

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Niu HY, Cai YQ, Shi YL, Wei FS, Mou SF, Jiang GB (2007) Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-coated titanate nanotubes for solid-phase extraction of phthalate esters from natural waters prior to high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. J Chromatogr A 1172:113–120

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Zhao RS, Wang X, Yuan JP, Lin JM (2008) Investigation of feasibility of bamboo charcoal as solid-phase extraction adsorbent for the enrichment and determination of four phthalate esters in environmental water samples. J Chromatogr A 1183:15–20

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Sablayrolles C, Montrejaud-Vignoles M, Benanou D, Patria L, Treilhou M (2005) Development and validation of methods for the trace determination of phthalates in sludge and vegetables. J Chromatogr A 1072:233–242

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Zhou X, Xie P, Wang J, Zhang B, Liu M, Liu H, Feng X (2011) Preparation and characterization of novel crown ether functionalized ionic liquid-based solid-phase microextraction coatings by sol–gel technology. J Chromatogr A 1218:3571–3580

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Feng J, Sun M, Li J, Liu X, Jiang S (2011) A novel silver-coated solid-phase microextraction metal fiber based on electroless plating technique. Anal Chim Acta 701:174–180

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Ye C, Gao J, Yang C, Liu X, Li X, Pan S (2009) Development and application of an SPME/GC method for the determination of trace phthalates in beer using a calix[6]arene fiber. Anal Chim Acta 641:64–74

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Dalby O, Birkett JW (2010) The evaluation of solid phase micro-extraction fibre types for the analysis of organic components in unburned propellant powders. J Chromatogr A 1217:7183–7188

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Cao X (2008) Determination of phthalates and adipate in bottled water by headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr A 1178:231–238

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Yao J, Xu H, Lv L, Song D, Cui Y, Zhang T, Feng Y (2008) A novel liquid-phase microextraction method combined with high performance liquid chromatography for analysis of phthalate esters in landfill leachates. Anal Chim Acta 616:42–48

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Farahani H, Ganjali MR, Dinarvand R, Norouzi P (2008) Screening method for phthalate esters in water using liquid-phase microextraction based on the solidification of a floating organic microdrop combined with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Talanta 76:718–723

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Chang MS, Shen JY, Yang S, Wu G (2011) Subcritical water extraction for the remediation of phthalate ester-contaminated soil. J Hazard Mater 192:1203–1209

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Prieto A, Zuloaga O, Usobiaga A, Etxebarria N, Fernandez LA (2007) Development of a stir bar sorptive extraction and thermal desorption–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous determination of several persistent organic pollutants in water samples. J Chromatogr A 1174:40–49

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Batlle R, Nerın C (2004) Application of single-drop microextraction to the determination of dialkyl phthalate esters in food simulants. J Chromatogr A 1045:29–35

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Farahani H, Norouzi P, Dinarvand R, Ganjali MR (2007) Development of dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction combined with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry as a simple, rapid and highly sensitive method for the determination of phthalate esters in water samples. J Chromatogr A 1172:105–112

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Chen S, Zhong Y, Cheng S, Qian T, Sun H (2011) Development of an ionic liquid-based dispersive liquid–liquid micro-extraction method for the determination of phthalate esters in water samples. J Sep Sci 34:1503–1507

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Liang P, Xu J, Li Q (2008) Application of dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and high-performance liquid chromatography for the determination of three phthalate esters in water samples. Anal Chim Acta 609:53–58

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Psillakis E, Kalogerakis N (2003) Hollow-fibre liquid-phase microextraction of phthalate esters from water. J Chromatogr A 999:145–153

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Su R, Zhao X, Li Z, Jia Q, Liu P, Jia J (2010) Poly(methacrylic acid-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) monolith microextraction coupled with high performance liquid chromatography for the determination of phthalate esters in cosmetics. Anal Chim Acta 676:103–108

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Nerín C, Asensio E, Jiménez C (2002) Supercritical fluid extraction of potential migrants from paper and board intended for use as food packaging materials. Anal Chem 74:5831–5836

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Regueiro J, Llompart M, Garcia-Jares C, Garcia-Monteagudo JC, Cela R (2008) Ultrasound-assisted emulsification–microextraction of emergent contaminants and pesticides in environmental waters. J Chromatogr A 1190:27–38

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Niu H, Zhang S, Zhang X, Cai Y (2010) Alginate-polymer-caged, C18-functionalized magnetic titanate nanotubes for fast and efficient extraction of phthalate esters from water samples with complex matrix. ACS Appl Mat Interfaces 2:1157–1163

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Zhang S, Niu H, Cai Y, Shi Y (2010) Barium alginate caged Fe3O4@C18 magnetic nanoparticles for the pre-concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and phthalate esters from environmental water samples. Anal Chim Acta 665:167–175

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Meng J, Bu J, Deng C, Zhang X (2011) Preparation of polypyrrole-coated magnetic particles for micro solid-phase extraction of phthalates in water by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis. J Chromatogr A 1218:1585–1591

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Geim AK, Novoselov KS (2007) The rise of graphene. Nat Mater 6:183–191

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Allen MJ, Tung VC, Kaner RB (2010) Honeycomb carbon: A review of graphene. Chem Rev 110:132–145

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Chen JM, Zou J, Zeng JB, Song XH, Ji JJ, Wang YR, Ha J, Chen X (2010) Preparation and evaluation of graphene-coated solid-phase microextraction fiber. Anal Chim Acta 678:44–49

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Luo YB, Cheng JS, Ma Q, Feng YQ, Li JH (2011) Graphene-polymer composite: extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from water samples by stir rod sorptive extraction. Anal Methods 3:92–98

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Chandra V, Park J, Chun Y, Lee JW, Hwang IC, Kim KS (2010) Water-dispersible magnetite-reduced graphene oxide composites for arsenic removal. ACS Nano 4:3979–3986

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Li NW, Zheng MB, Chang XF, Ji GB, Lu HL, Xue LP, Pan LJ, Cao JM (2011) Preparation of magnetic CoFe2O4-functionalized graphene sheets via a facile hydrothermal method and their adsorption properties. J Solid State Chem 184:953–959

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Luo YB, Shi ZG, Gao Q, Feng YQ (2011) Magnetic retrieval of graphene: extraction of sulfonamide antibiotics from environmental water samples. J Chromatogr A 1218:1353–1358

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Wang C, Feng C, Gao YJ, Ma XX, Wu QH, Wang Z (2011) Preparation of a graphene-based magnetic nanocomposite for the removal of an organic dye from aqueous solution. Chem Eng J 173. doi:dx.doi.org92-97

  42. He J, Lv R, Zhan H, Wang H, Cheng J, Lu K, Wang F (2010) Preparation and evaluation of molecularly imprinted solid-phase micro-extraction fibers for selective extraction of phthalates in an aqueous sample. Anal Chim Acta 674:53–58

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Zhang H, Chen X, Jiang X (2011) Determination of phthalate esters in water samples by ionic liquid cold-induced aggregation dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography. Anal Chim Acta 689:137–142

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Xu Q, Yin XY, Wu SY, Wang M, Wen ZY, Gu ZZ (2010) Determination of phthalate esters in water samples using Nylon6 nanofibers mat-based solid-phase extraction coupled to liquid chromatography. Microchim Acta 168:267–275

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Farahani H, Ganjali MR, Dinarvand R, Norouzi P (2008) Screening method for phthalate esters in water using liquid-phase microextraction based on the solidification of a floating organic microdrop combined with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Talanta 76:718–723

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31171698), the Natural Science Foundations of Hebei (B2010000657) and the the Scientific Research Foundation of Education Department of Hebei Province (2009132) is gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, College of Science, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, 071001, Hebei, China

    Qiuhua Wu, Min Liu, Xiaoxing Ma, Weina Wang, Chun Wang, Xiaohuan Zang & Zhi Wang

Authors
  1. Qiuhua Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Min Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Xiaoxing Ma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Weina Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Chun Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Xiaohuan Zang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Zhi Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhi Wang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wu, Q., Liu, M., Ma, X. et al. Extraction of phthalate esters from water and beverages using a graphene-based magnetic nanocomposite prior to their determination by HPLC. Microchim Acta 177, 23–30 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-011-0752-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-011-0752-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation