Development and application of a simultaneous SPE-method for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), alkylated PAHs, heterocyclic PAHs (NSO-HET) and phenols in aqueous samples from German Rivers and the North Sea.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heterocyclic PAHs (NSO-HETs), alkylated PAHs and phenols are known as the prevailing contaminants in groundwater at tar contaminated sites. Besides these local sources, the concentrations and the distribution in particular of NSO-HETs in environmental samples, such as rivers, have received notably less attention. To investigate their occurrence in river basins two sensitive analytical methods for the simultaneous extraction of 86 substances including NSO-HETs, classical EPA-PAHs, alkylated PAHs and phenols were developed: liquid-liquid extraction for the whole water phase and solid phase extraction for the dissolved water phase only.

Monitoring of microbially mediated corrosion and scaling processes using redox potential measurements.

The use of redox potential measurements for corrosion and scaling monitoring, including microbially mediated processes, is demonstrated. As a case study, monitoring data from 10years of operation of an aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) site located in Berlin, Germany, were examined. (Fe(2+))-activities as well as [Fe(3+)]-build up rates were calculated from redox potential, pH, conductivity, temperature and dissolved oxygen measurements.

Identification of ozonation by-products of 4- and 5-methyl-1H-benzotriazole during the treatment of surface water to drinking water.

During the treatment of surface water to drinking water, ozonation is often used for disinfection and to remove organic trace substances, whereby oxidation by-products can be formed. Here we use the example of tolyltriazole to describe an approach for identifying relevant oxidation by-products in the laboratory and subsequently detecting them in an industrial-scale process. The identification process involves ozonation experiments with pure substances at laboratory level (concentration range mg L(-1)).

Structural elucidation of main ozonation products of the artificial sweeteners cyclamate and acesulfame.

Purpose: The two artificial sweeteners cyclamate (CYC) and acesulfame (ACE) have been detected in wastewater and drinking water treatment plants. As in both facilities ozonation might be applied, it is important to find out if undesired oxidation products (OPs) are formed.

Methods: For the separation and detection of the OPs, several analytical techniques, including nuclear magnetic resonance experiments, were applied.

A new approach to data evaluation in the non-target screening of organic trace substances in water analysis.

Non-target screening via high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) has gained increasingly in importance for monitoring organic trace substances in water resources targeted for the production of drinking water. In this article a new approach for evaluating the data from non-target HPLC-MS screening in water is introduced and its advantages are demonstrated using the supply of drinking water as an example. The crucial difference between this and other approaches is the comparison of samples based on compounds (features) determined by their full scan data.

Inside-sediment partitioning of PAH, PCB and organochlorine compounds and inferences on sampling and normalization methods.

Comparability of sediment analyses for semivolatile organic substances is still low. Neither screening of the sediments nor organic-carbon based normalization is sufficient to obtain comparable results. We are showing the interdependency of grain-size effects with inside-sediment organic-matter distribution for PAH, PCB and organochlorine compounds.

Combination of different liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry technologies for the identification of transformation products of rhodamine B in groundwater.

Rhodamine B and its five de-ethylated transformation products could be identified in a groundwater sample. Using high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) six fluorescent zones were detected in the sample. In order to identify the compounds in the zones by exact mass mass spectrometry (MS) measurements and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), they were extracted from the HPTLC plate for subsequent analysis by nano-chip high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (nano-chip HPLC/QTOFMS).