Extraction of pesticides from soil using direct-immersion SPME LC-Tips followed by GC-MS/MS: Evaluation and proof-of-concept.

A new method was evaluated and developed for the analysis of pesticides in sandy-loam soil by direct-immersion solid phase microextraction (DI-SPME) followed by gas chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) determination. Ten pesticides were selected based on a literature survey of the compounds reported to be present in EU soils. The extraction was performed using SPME LC-Tips, a new SPME configuration with the coated fibers attached to a disposable and easy-to-handle micropipette tip, which was immersed into a soil slurry made by the addition of an aqueous solution to the soil sample.

Increased Production of Pathogenic, Airborne Fungal Spores upon Exposure of a Soil Mycobiota to Chlorinated Aromatic Hydrocarbon Pollutants.

Organic pollutants are omnipresent and can penetrate all environmental niches. We evaluated the hypothesis that short-term (acute) exposure to aromatic hydrocarbon pollutants could increase the potential for fungal virulence. Specifically, we analyzed whether pentachlorophenol and triclosan pollution results in the production of airborne fungal spores with greater virulence than those derived from an unpolluted (Control) condition.

DCMC as a Promising Alternative to Bentonite in White Wine Stabilization. Impact on Protein Stability and Wine Aromatic Fraction.

Protein haze in white wine is one of the most common non-microbial defects of commercial wines, with bentonite being the main solution utilized by the winemaking industry to tackle this problem. Bentonite presents some serious disadvantages, and several alternatives have been proposed. Here, an alternative based on a new cellulose derivative (dicarboxymethyl cellulose, DCMC) is proposed.