Suitability of Short- and Long-Term Storage of Volatile Organic Compounds Samples in Syringe-Based Containers: A Comparison Study

Abstract

The employment of advanced analytical techniques and instrumentation enables the tracing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in vestigial concentrations (ppbv-pptv range) for several emerging applications, such as the research of disease biomarkers in exhaled air, the detection of metabolites in several biological processes, and the detection of pollutants for air quality control. In this scope, the storage of gaseous samples is crucial for preserving the integrity and stability of the collected set of analytes. This study aims to assess the suitability of three commercially available syringes as air containers (AC) that are commonly used for the collection, storage, isolation, and transportation of samples: glass syringes with glass plungers (AC1), and two plastic syringes, one with plastic plungers (AC2), and one with rubbered plungers (AC3). For this purpose, 99 air samples with different times of storage (from 10 min to 24 h) were analyzed using a Gas Chromatography—Ion Mobility Spectrometry device and the degradation of the samples was properly assessed by comparing the changes in the VOCs’ emission profiles. The quality of the method was assured by via the measurement of the blank’s spectra before each experimental run, as well as by the consecutive measurement of the three replicates for each sample. A statistical analysis of the changes in the VOCs’ emission patterns was performed using principal component analysis (PCA). The results, with a total explained variance of 93.61%, indicate that AC3 is the most suitable option for the long-term storage of air samples. Thus, AC3 containers demonstrated a higher capacity to preserve the stability and integrity of the analytes compared to AC1 and AC2. The findings of the short-term effects analysis, up to 1 h, confirm the suitability of all analyzed syringe-based containers for sample-transferring purposes in onsite analysis.

A non‐invasive method for phenotyping scab‐tolerant apple plants using volatile organic compounds

“…A new generation of VOC analysis techniques also makes it possible to measure VOCs in ecologically consistent settings under highly regulated conditions, providing comparable, normalized emission profiles for screening plant cultivars based on a set of predetermined parameters. Eventually, in different agricultural applications, VOCs can be utilized as non-destructive phenotypic markers (Santos et al, 2023). There are numerous studies that demonstrate that newly bred plants emit different sets of VOCs than their wild counterparts, along with differences in genotypes.…”

Diagnosis of Carcinogenic Pathologies through Breath Biomarkers: Present and Future Trends

“…Techniques like ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), whose limits of detection can achieve levels as low as ppb v and even ppt v , can be a suitable option to detect eventual metabolites not identified yet as relevant for this field [15]. In addition, newer collection and storage procedures based on new devices must be developed and tested in order to ensure the repeatability of the data and the relevancy of the results [24,148]. Beyond all the current challenges, the future of breath biomarkers for HNC diagnosis is auspicious and should not be overlooked.…”

“…It is important to mention that the literature review reveals a known problem with breath analysis and subsequent identification of potential biomarkers: there is currently no consensus for a standardized methodology that eliminates ambient air influencing factors. In fact, Santos et al (2023) even studied the suitability of three syringe-based containers for the collection and storage of breath samples. The authors concluded that plastic syringes with rubbered plungers seem to be the proper choice for the mentioned purpose [24].…”

“…In fact, Santos et al (2023) even studied the suitability of three syringe-based containers for the collection and storage of breath samples. The authors concluded that plastic syringes with rubbered plungers seem to be the proper choice for the mentioned purpose [24]. Nonetheless, this route still requires deeper and more numerous studies to assess the real impact of exogenous factors like temperature, humidity, or collection and storage procedures, as is referred to in this work.…”