J Namiesnik

Botanical and Geographical Origin Characterization of Polish Honeys by Headspace SPME-GC× GC-TOFMS

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) composition of Polish honeys obtained from various geographical regions was studied. Headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) using Divinylbenzene/Carboxen/Polydimethylsiloxane-coated fibers was used in combination with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GCGC-TOFMS) because of the complexity of the samples. Acacia, linden, rapeseed, buckwheat and honeydew honeys were studied in this project. A total of 329 compounds were identified during the investigations. Positive identification of 82 compounds was achieved using analytical standards, while tentative identification of 247 compounds was based on comparison of deconvoluted mass spectra and linear temperature programmed retention indices (LTPRI) with NIST 2005 library and literature values, respectively. Many VOCs identified in Polish honey samples were commonly present in honeys from other geographical regions of Europe (e.g. Italy, Corsica). They included certain acyclic and cyclic alkanes, acyclic and cyclic alkenes, aromatic hydrocarbons, oxygenated aromatic compounds, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, es- ters, ethers, nitriles, organic sulphides, phenolic compounds and terpenes. GCGC-TOFMS profiles for the same types of honey samples were remarkably similar. Eight botanic discriminants were selected among all compounds. Their identity was confirmed by comparison with authentic standards. Furthermore, possible geographical discriminants for Polish honeys were identified, including 19 for acacia, 3 for linden, 3 for rapeseed and buckwheat and 6 for honeydew honeys.

Chapter 2 Sampling water and aqueous solutions

Publisher Summary Liquid samples are collected in such a way that they are representative of the matrix being sampled at as many sampling sites as possible and maintain compositional integrity prior to analysis. Liquid samples are taken from the following sources: surface water, groundwater, surface microlayers (microfilms) of water, potable (drinking) water, run-off water and throughfall water, industrial water, physiological fluids, and commercial fluids. This chapter discusses the basic principles and equipment for sampling some types of liquid samples, mainly water and wastewater samples. The sampling approaches focus on sampling for chemical analysis and not for the determination of physical or other properties. One of the basic requirements of sampling is to establish quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) procedures that will ensure the reliability and validity of the data collected. These procedures comprise all aspects of the sampling program, both in the field and the laboratory.

Monitoring of Gaseous Air Pollution

Air pollution can be defined as the presence in the atmosphere of one or more contaminants in such quality and for such duration as is injurious, or tends to be injurious, to human health or welfare, animal or plant life. It is the contamination of air by the discharge of harmful substances. Industrialization have led to air getting more and more polluted over the years. Industries, vehicles, increase in the population, and urbanization are some of the major factors responsible for air pollution. The following industries are among those that emit a great deal of pollutants into the air: thermal power plants, cement, steel, refineries, petro chemicals, and mines. Air pollution can cause health problems and it can also damage the environment and property. It has caused thinning of the protective ozone layer of the atmosphere, which is leading to climate change. The source of pollution may be in one country but the impact of pollution may be felt elsewhere. The discovery of pesticides in Antarctica, where they have never been used, suggests the extent to which aerial transport can carry pollutants from one place to another. The most important tools in environmental protection is monitoring and modeling. Both the monitoring and modeling of air pollution is essential to provide a picture of the damage humans are doing to the environment, and to enable pollution problems to be discovered and dealt with. An environmental monitoring could be defined as a system of detection, measurements, evaluations and forecasts of environmental states, and the collecting, processing and spreading of information on the environment. Air pollution and its control is a global issue demanding international cooperation. Monitoring of air pollution is a very important source of data. However, measurement of the air pollutant concentrations, in comparison to monitoring of other elements in the environment, is the most difficult. The difficulties arise from the large dynamics of the atmosphere, causing that it constitutes the main route of pollution spreading and their transport between remaining environmental compartments and universal exposure for a large population without a chance for isolation, which is possible in the case of polluted waters and soil. Another problem is low concentration of air pollutants and their interaction with other gases. This chapter is divided into two parts. In the first, a general information on gaseous air pollution, parameters used to characterize the pollution level and equipment applied for air

Determination of Pesticide Residues in Honey using the GC×GC-TOFMS Technique

In this study, a QuEChERS method and gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GCTOFMS) was developed for rapid extraction and simultaneous determination of 12 pesticide residues in honey. The GC×GC-TOFMS method was validated according to the SANCO guidance in terms of linearity, selectivity, reproducibility and recovery. Regarding the results, recovery rates ranged between 70-120% with relative standard deviations <20% in most cases. The method Limits of Quantification (LOQ) ranged between 6-26 ng/g. According to the estimated LOQ values the analytical procedure can be applied to analysis of real honey samples.