Kamil Křůmal

Antimicrobial properties and chemical composition of liquid and gaseous phases of essential oils

The antimicrobial properties of fifteen essential oils (EOs) tested on seventeen microorganisms were determined using the vapour-agar contact method. The most effective EOs (i.e. Lavandula angustifolia, Cymbopogon nardus, Citrus aurantifolia, Juniperus communis, Myrtus communis and Cinnamomum zeylanicum), whose volatile components afforded the best antimicrobial properties, were selected for a detailed study of chemical composition. All these six EOs contained one to three main components that presented 67–91 mass % of total mass of a corresponding essential oil. The amount of other components was much lower (less than 5 mass %). The volatile components of Lavandula angustifolia exhibited the most effective antimicrobial properties because they completely inhibited the tested bacteria and fungi within 3 days and 1 week, respectively. The components of Lavandula angustifolia with the highest concentration in the gaseous phase were linalool (99.0 ppmv), eucalyptol (44.9 ppmv), linalyl acetate (25.9 ppmv), myrcene (22.2 ppmv), β-trans-ocimene (19.7 ppmv), camphor (16.7 ppmv) and limonene (14.9 ppmv).

Analysis of water-soluble fraction of metals in atmospheric aerosols using aerosol counterflow two-jets unit and chemiluminescent detection

A new analytical system for a semi-continuous analysis of water-soluble fraction of particulate metals is described. The system combines the continuous sampling of atmospheric aerosols into deionized water using the Aerosol Counterflow Two-Jets Unit and on-line chemiluminescent detection of water soluble fraction of metals in collected aerosols. The potential of analytical system was studied using Fe3+, Cu2+ and Co2+ as model metals in atmospheric aerosols. The detection limits of particulate Fe3+, Cu2+ and Co2+ (S/N = 3) are 24, 41 and 0.4 ng m−3, respectively. The presented set-up allows the determination of concentration of water-soluble fraction of particulate metals in ‘real time’ with time resolution of 30 min. The system is sufficiently robust for the field application. The method has been applied to the measurement of selected metals in urban TSP (Total Suspended Particles) aerosols in Brno in the Czech Republic. The concentrations of particulate water-soluble Fe3+, Cu2+ and Co2+ were found in the range of 35 to 290, 42 to 462 and 0.5 to 9 ng m−3, respectively.

Wet effluent diffusion denuder: The tool for determination of monoterpenes in forest.

Three methods, i.e., the cylindrical wet effluent diffusion denuder (CWEDD)-GCMS, Tenax tubes-GCMS and Proton-Transfer-Reaction Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (PTR-TOF-MS) were compared for the determination of monoterpenes in forest. While the on-line technique (PTR-TOF-MS) allows only for the measurement of sum of monoterpenes, both the off-line preconcentration techniques (CWEDD and Tenax tubes) are suitable for the determination of concentrations of individual monoterpenes due to subsequent analysis of samples by GCMS. The CWEDD-GCMS is the only method that allows sampling of individual monoterpenes with short time intervals of 2-5min. Monoterpenes are absorbed into a liquid (n-heptane), flowing down on the inner wall of the CWEDD, and then the collected liquid with monoterpenes is immediately taken away for the GCMS analysis, which minimizes time when collected monoterpenes are exposed to oxidants presented in the air during sampling. The limits of detection of CWEDD-GCMS are in the range 1-7pptv for individual monoterpenes.

Determination of short-term changes in levoglucosan and dehydroabietic acid in aerosols with Condensation Growth Unit – Aerosol Counterflow Two-Jets Unit – LC-MS

Residential areas in urban agglomerations and also in the countryside are often burdened with high concentrations of aerosol in winter, this originating from local combustion sources. Aerosol sources can be identified by a monitoring of organic markers of biomass burning. Abundant markers of biomass and softwood burning are levoglucosan and dehydroabietic acid, respectively. The aim of this research was to develop an analytical method for the determination of levoglucosan and dehydroabietic acid in aerosol over short time periods involving aerosol sampling into liquid samples, quantitative pre-concentration of analytes, and their determination by liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry. A Condensation Growth Unit - Aerosol Counterflow Two-Jets Unit (CGU-ACTJU) sampler was used for the quantitative collection of aerosol directly into water. Dehydroabietic acid was pre-concentrated from the aqueous phase by solid phase extraction (C-18). Afterwards, levoglucosan in water samples was concentrated on a vacuum evaporator. The detection limits of levoglucosan and dehydroabietic acid were 28 ng m-3 and 5.5 ng m-3, respectively. The results obtained by the developed method were compared with an independent determination of both markers in aerosol by means of the sampling of aerosols on a filter and subsequent analysis by GC-MS. The developed method demonstrated sufficient agreement with the independent determination for generated standard aerosol as well as for urban aerosol over an eight-day winter campaign. The presented method allows the monitoring of concentration changes in biomass burning markers in 2-h intervals.

WITHDRAWN: Wet effluent diffusion denuder: The tool for determination of monoterpenes in forest

The Publisher regrets that this article is an accidental duplication of an article that has already been published, 10.1016/j.talanta.2016.03.032. The duplicate article has therefore been withdrawn.The full Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy.