Optimization of an analytical method based on the use of zwitterionic- phosphorylcholine -HILIC column for the determination of multiple polar emerging contaminants in reclaimed water.

The aim of this study was to optimize a Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) method using a zwitterionic phosphorylcholine HILIC column for the determination of several Persistent and Mobile Organic Contaminants (PMOC) in wastewater samples. An experimental design approach was implemented to both better understand the retention mechanisms of several polar compounds and to find the optimal operating conditions for their detection and quantification. Eleven PMOCs, with logD ranging from -5.

Removal of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances from tap water by means of point-of-use treatment: A review.

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used synthetic chemicals known for their environmental persistence and adverse health effects. For this reason, they have come under increasing scrutiny in drinking water, with several groundbreaking drinking water regulations adopted recently in the US and the EU. Nevertheless, conventional treatment processes often fail to remove PFAS effectively, raising concerns about drinking water quality and consumer health.

Exploring the potentialities of a biodegradable polymeric film in sample preparation: An optimized "white" protocol to extract and quantify emerging contaminants in water.

Background: The introduction of white analytical chemistry encourages the development of methods characterized by a balance among greenness, productivity/feasibility and analytical performances. In the environmental analysis of emerging contaminants (ECs), for which high sensitivity and specificity are mandatory, the use of green and sustainable sample preparation needs to be coupled to a reliable analytical determination. Herein, an extraction method based on the use of a biodegradable polymeric film (Mater-Bi) and coupled to LC-MS/MS analysis was developed for the sensitive determination of ECs in wastewater.

Wastewater and seawater monitoring in Antarctica: Passive sampling as a powerful strategy to evaluate emerging pollution.

The Ross Sea, among the least human-impacted marine environments worldwide, recently became the first marine protected area in Antarctica. To assess the impact of the Italian research station Mario Zucchelli (MZS) on the surrounding waters, passive sampling - as well as spot sampling for comparison - took place in the effluent of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and the receiving surface marine waters. Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Samplers (POCIS) were deployed for six consecutive 2-week periods from November to February in a reservoir collecting the wastewater effluent.

Polar licit and illicit ingredients in dietary supplements: chemometric optimization of extraction and HILIC-MS/MS analysis.

Many dietary supplements claim the ability to enhance sports performance and to improve the fitness of the consumers. Occasionally, along with legal ingredients, illicit compounds may be added without being labelled, leading to unintended doping. Hence, the aim of this study was to develop an analytical method to determine a set of 12 polar (logD from -2.

Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in bud-derived supplements by magnetic molecular imprinted microparticles and GC-MS: D-optimal design for a fast method optimization.

Within the world of natural food supplements, organic extracts deriving from young plant meristematic tissue (bud-derivatives) are becoming attractive, thanks to their richness in bioactive molecules. This natural source is scarce, but every year, tons of plant material, including buds, come from city pruning. If this sustainable source is rather promising from a circular economy point of view, the safety of the obtained supplements must be assessed.

Solvent-Free Determination of Selected Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Plant Material Used for Food Supplements Preparation: Optimization of a Solid Phase Microextraction Method.

The exploitation of waste and by-products in various applications is becoming a cornerstone of the circular economy. A range of biomasses can be employed to produce food supplements. An example is a particular extract obtained from plant buds (rich in bioactive molecules), which can be easily retrieved from cities' pruning.

Using integrative samplers to estimate the removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in a WWTP and by soil aquifer treatment enhanced with a reactive barrier.

The need and availability of freshwater is a major environmental issue, aggravated by climate change. It is necessary to find alternative sources of freshwater. Wastewater could represent a valid option but requires extensive treatment to remove wastewater-borne contaminants, such as contaminants of emerging concern (CECs).

A Review on Polyethersulfone Membranes in Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Samplers: Preparation, Characterization and Innovation.

The membranes in polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) enclose the receiving sorbent and protect it from coming into direct contact with the environmental matrix. They have a crucial role in extending the kinetic regime of contaminant uptake, by slowing down their diffusion between the water phase and the receiving phase. The drive to improve passive sampling requires membranes with better design and enhanced performances.

An optimized processing method for polar organic chemical integrative samplers deployed in seawater: Toward a maximization of the analysis accuracy for trace emerging contaminants.

Passive sampling of emerging contaminants (ECs) in seawater represents a challenge in environmental monitoring. A specific protocol for Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Sampler (POCIS) processing may be necessary when dealing with marine applications, due to the peculiarity of the considered matrix. Herein, both the instrumental LC-MS/MS analysis and the sampler processing for the determination of 22 ECs in seawater were carefully optimized.

The study of polar emerging contaminants in seawater by passive sampling: A review.

Emerging Contaminants (ECs) in marine waters include different classes of compounds, such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products, showing "emerging concern" related to the environment and human health. Their measurement in seawater is challenging mainly due to the low concentration levels and the possible matrix interferences. Mass spectrometry combined with chromatographic techniques represents the method of choice to study seawater ECs, due to its sensitivity and versatility.

Unravelling the role of membrane pore size in polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) to broaden the polarity range of sampled analytes.

Polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) are widely used in their standard configuration for sampling contaminants in water bodies. A wider polyethersulfone (PES) membrane pore size was employed in POCIS exposed in a static calibration experiment to investigate the uptake of 21 emerging contaminants ranging from hydrophilic (perfluoroalkyl compounds, xanthines, an artificial sweetener) to more hydrophobic compounds (pharmaceuticals, oestrogens, UV filters). Compared to standard POCIS with 0.

Experimental Design Step by Step: A Practical Guide for Beginners.

Inside the world of chemometrics, a fundamental role is played by the experimental design. Although introduced almost a century ago (1935), it is still not widely employed by chemists and its usefulness continues to be underestimated. When asking why, the answers are often the following: it is too difficult to apply and too much experimental effort is required.

An innovative sampling approach combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the analysis of emerging pollutants in drinking water.

In this work, an innovative sampling and preconcentration method followed by analysis with liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization (LC-ESI-MS/MS) was developed for the determination of different emerging pollutants (five anti-inflammatory drugs and one antibacterial agent) in water matrices. Thin-film microextraction blades, consisting of stainless steel blades with a coating made of divinylbenzene, have been employed. The blades, fixed onto a stainless steel support, were mounted on a laboratory stirrer with adjustable speed, immersed in water samples and eluted with methanol.

A clean-up strategy for identification of circulating endogenous short peptides in human plasma by zwitterionic hydrophilic liquid chromatography and untargeted peptidomics identification.

Short peptides, namely di- tri- and tetra peptides, have been proven to play an important diagnostic role in several diseases. Therefore, the development of an analytical approach for their detection and identification is nowadays an important research goal. This paper describes an analytical procedure able to overcome the issues of short peptide isolation, clean-up and identification in plasma samples.

New insights in hemp chemical composition: a comprehensive polar lipidome characterization by combining solid phase enrichment, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and cheminformatics.

The chemical composition of Cannabis sativa L. has been extensively investigated for several years; nevertheless, a detailed lipidome characterization is completely lacking in the literature. To achieve this goal, an extraction and enrichment procedure was developed for the characterization of phospholipids and sulfolipids.

Phospholipidome of extra virgin olive oil: Development of a solid phase extraction protocol followed by liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry for its software-assisted identification.

The determination of phospholipids in olive oil is challenging due to their low concentration. For this reason, a comparison of two solid phase extraction procedures, namely weak anionic exchange (WAX) and graphitized carbon black (GCB), is presented for the enrichment of phospholipids. Analyses were performed by liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) and lipids were identified by Lipostar software.

Enrichment procedure based on graphitized carbon black and liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry for elucidating sulfolipids composition of microalgae.

Microalgae have recently become a popular functional food due to their health benefits. Sulfolipids, a class of substances abundant in this matrix, have been reported to have interesting bioactivities, such as anti-carcinogenic activity. However, despite the potential interest in sulfolipids, a dedicated analytical method for their characterization is currently lacking but would significantly increase the coverage of sulfolipids with respect to the direct lipidomic analysis.

The experimental design approach to the optimization of a simple quick easy cheap effective rugged and safe method for the analysis of phytoestrogens in complex soy-based food.

The present paper deals with the multivariate optimization of an extraction-purification strategy for the determination of phytoestrogens (daidzein, genistein, coumestrol, formononetin, and biochanin A) in soy-based meat substitutes by high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. For a reliable quantitation of these new concerning compounds in such a complex matrix, recovery and matrix effect must be carefully evaluated. Therefore, two sequential experimental designs were used to optimize the sample-pretreatment of soy-based burgers: the chosen technique was the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe methodology, which does not require any particular facility or instrumentation.

Phytoestrogens in soy-based meat substitutes: Comparison of different extraction methods for the subsequent analysis by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

This paper presents the development of an efficient extraction procedure followed by a high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method for the determination of five phytoestrogens (genistein, daidzein, formononetin, biochanin A, and coumestrol) in soy-based meat substitutes. Phytoestrogens are considered endocrine disrupting compounds, and their quantification is important in soy-based products, whose diffusion is increasing nowadays. The HPLC-MS/MS method, with electrospray ionization (ESI) source, was optimized to obtain high specificity and sensitivity, as well as rapidity of the analysis.

Organizational Contributors to the Variation in Red Blood Cell Transfusion Practices in Cardiac Surgery: Survey Results From the State of Michigan.

Background: While large volumes of red blood cell transfusions are given to preserve life for cardiac surgical patients, indications for lower volume transfusions (1-2 units) are less well understood. We evaluated the relationship between center-level organizational blood management practices and center-level variability in low volume transfusion rates.

Methods: All 33 nonfederal, Michigan cardiac surgical programs were surveyed about their blood management practices for isolated, nonemergent coronary bypass procedures, including: (1) presence and structure of a patient blood management program, (2) policies and procedures, and (3) audit and feedback practices.

Prediction of Transfusions After Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Surgical Procedures.

Background: Although blood transfusions are common and have been associated with adverse sequelae after cardiac surgical procedures, few contemporaneous models exist to support clinical decision making. This study developed a preoperative clinical decision support tool to predict perioperative red blood cell transfusions in the setting of isolated coronary artery bypass grafting.

Methods: We performed a multicenter, observational study of 20,377 patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting among patients at 39 hospitals participating in the Michigan Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons Quality Collaborative's PERFusion measures and outcomes (PERForm) registry between 2011 and 2015.