Discovering Volatile Chemicals from Window Weatherstripping through Solid-Phase Microextraction/Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Volatile compounds from polymeric materials such as weatherstripping were identified by solid-phase microextraction (SPME), a solvent-free analytical method, coupled to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). These compounds, originating from additives and fillers used in weatherstripping processing, were mostly polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The goal of this laboratory experiment was to demonstrate that a reliable connection can be established between the ability of our everyday olfactory sense to detect noxious odors and modern analytical instrumentation. The approach discussed here will guide students to develop critical thinking by interchanging between polymer and analytical instrumentation knowledge. The conceptual simplicity of SPME makes its inclusion in the undergraduate and high school curriculum appropriate and requires 2–3 h of laboratory time to complete.

Teaching Graduate Students GC-QTOF-MS Operation and Application via an Analytical Chemistry Experiment

“…Similar to our previous work, 6 three OCP standards (purity >98.0%), α-chlordane, lindane, and mirex, were purchased from Dr. Ehrenstorfer GmbH (Germany); 13 C hexachlorobenzene and dinitrochlorobenzene were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich Corporation (Germany). HPLC grade dichloromethane, n-hexane, and methanol were purchased from Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (USA).…”

“…16 In this experiment, the internal standard calibration was applied for quantitative analysis, which could compensate for the error caused by sample matrix chemicals, inconsistent injection volumes, or instrument drift. 13 C hexachlorobenzene was selected as an internal standard because it has a structure similar to that of the analytes, and the retention times of 13 C hexachlorobenzene and the OCPs in chromatography are different. Students can use this part of the experiment to figure out how to select a suitable internal standard and how to enhance the linearity and repeatability of a quantitative analysis.…”

“…16 Two calibration curves acquired by the external standard method and the internal standard method are illustrated in Figure 4. One graph is produced according to the external calibration method, which takes the OCP concentration as an x-axis and the OCP peak area as a y-axis; the other is created using the internal standard method, which takes the concentration ratio of the OCP and 13 C hexachlorobenzene as the x-axis and the peak area ratio of the OCP and 13 C hexachlorobenzene as the y-axis. 16 The concentrations of αchlordane, lindane, and mirex in the six standards were 5, 25, 50, 100, 250, and 500 ng mL −1 .…”

“…One of the biggest challenges in trace organic analysis is concentrating the provided sample sufficiently to accurately identify and quantify analytes above the method’s detection limit . Some pretreatment techniques published in this Journal have been reported for the cleanup and concentration of trace analytes of interest in an environmental matrix, including liquid–liquid extraction (LLE), solid-phase extraction (SPE), and solid-phase microextraction (SPME) . Among all of these techniques, SPE is an ideal method for enrichment of OCPs in water.…”

“…11 Some pretreatment techniques published in this Journal have been reported for the cleanup and concentration of trace analytes of interest in an environmental matrix, including liquid−liquid extraction (LLE), 12 solid-phase extraction (SPE), 11 and solid-phase microextraction (SPME). 13 Among all of these techniques, SPE is an ideal method for enrichment of OCPs in water. It offers a variety of advantages including rapidity, simplicity, low cost, and robustness.…”