Combined dispersive solid-phase extraction-dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction-derivatization for gas chromatography–mass spectrometric determination of aliphatic amines on atmospheric fine particles

Short-chain aliphatic amines are ubiquitous in the atmospheric environment. They play an important role in the formation and growth of atmospheric particles. As such, there is a pressing need to monitor these particle-bound compounds present at trace quantities. The present work describes an efficient, one-step microextraction technique for the preconcentration and detection of trace levels of 10 aliphatic amines on fine particles (particulate matter of 2.5μm or less (PM2.5)) in the atmosphere. After extraction of amines from particles in acidified water samples, carbon-based sorbents (in dispersive solid-phase extraction mode), and vortex agitation were utilized for simultaneous derivatization-extraction and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction. The approach significantly increased the recoveries and enrichment of the amine derivatives. This one-step, combined technique is proposed for the first time. Several influential factors including type and concentration of derivatization reagent (for gas chromatographic separation), type of buffer, sample pH, types and volumes of extraction and disperser solvents, type and amount of sorbent, vortex time and temperature, desorption solvent type and volume, and salt content were investigated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, high enrichment factors (in the range of between 307 and 382) and good reproducibility (relative standard deviations, below 7.0%, n=5) were achieved. The linearity ranged from 0.1μg/L–100μg/L, and from 0.5μg/L–100μg/L, depending on the analytes. The limits of detection were between 0.02μg/L (corresponding to ∼0.01ng/m3 in air) and 0.09μg/L (corresponding to ∼0.04ng/m3 in air). The developed method was successfully applied to the analysis of PM2.5 samples collected by air sampling through polytetrafluoroethylene filters. The concentration levels of amines ranged from 1.04 to 4.16ng/m3 in the air sampled.