Solid Phase Extraction and QuEChERS Sample Preparation Methods for Rapid Screening of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Avian Blood and Egg Tissue by UPLC-UV

Abstract

This article reports modern and effective sample preparations designed for rapid screening of large number of samples of avian blood utilizing liquid–liquid extraction and egg using QuEChERS techniques. A UPLC-UV methodology for determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on the afore mentioned matrices was developed based on samples associated with the Gulf of Mexico after the Deep Water Horizon oil spill. Both sample preparation methods provided comparable recovery results for 15 EPA priority pollutants PAHs. A UPLC system equipped with photo-diode array detector and tandem mass spectrometer was utilized for the quantification and confirmation of the analytes, respectively. The surrogate compound, naphthalene-d8, was used to monitor the extraction efficiency and chrysene-d12 as the quantitative internal standard. The recoveries of the analytes in the quality control (QC) samples were 65–110% with surrogate recoveries greater than 80%, whereas for the avian egg tissue recoveries were 43–100% and greater than 80% for the quality control (QC) samples and surrogate, respectively.

Keywords:

• Alumina-N cleanup
• Egg tissue
• Oil spill
• PAHs
• QuEChERS
• Red blood cells
• UPLC-PDA

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge valuable assistance provided from Kim Lilley of Waters Corporation (USA) on the sample preparation and the analysis. Special thanks to Gary Ulatowski who was heavily involved in method development and sample preparation. We would also like to thank our collaborators, including Biodiversity Research Institute (ME, USA) for providing avian egg and blood tissue for this research project. None of these samples used in this study were obtained as part of the federal Natural Resources Damage Assessment for the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

Notes

n.d., not detected; n/a, not applicable (not present in a mix).

*baseline separation was not achieved with the applied chromatographic conditions. Initial Control Blank (ICB), Continuous Control Blank (CCB); Initial Calibration Verification (ICV), Continuous Calibration Verification (CCV), Laboratory Control Sample (LCS), Standard Reference Material (SRM).

n.d., not detected; n/a, not applicable (not present in a mix).

*baseline separation was not achieved with the applied chromatographic conditions.

n.d., not detected.

a) Red blood cells; b) Egg tissue.