Aims: The utilisation of lignocellulosic biomass for bioethanol production reduces the dependency on fossil fuels as a source of energy and emission of greenhouse gas (GHG). However, studies in this emerging field are hampered by the cost of ethanol quantification methods. Due to the volatile nature of ethanol, the method for the quantification of bioethanol production should be reproducible and rapid to avoid any evaporation loss to the surroundings. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a simple, rapid and precise bioethanol quantification method using a gas chromatographyflame ionisation detector (GC-FID) without having to go through distillation process for ethanol purification. Methodology and results: The bioethanol was produced via consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) using Trichoderma asperellum B1581 and paddy straw. The peak corresponding to ethanol was obtained at 2.347 min with a peak area of 189.66, equating to 0.159% (v/v) or 1.25 g/L ethanol. A comparison between the quantity of ethanol detected by GC-FID and spectrophotometric analysis (340 nm) showed no significant difference (p>0.05) in the amount of ethanol detected by GC analysis, thus validating the accuracy of the GC method. Conclusion, significance and impact of study This work presents a simple, precise and reliable method to determine the amount of bioethanol in the sample using a GC-FID. Currently, there are many GC-FID methods available for the determination of ethanol/alcohol in a human blood samples or in beverages but not in bioethanol samples. Thus, this method was developed to facilitate the determination of bioethanol in the samples produced from lignocellulosic materials.
Chromatography, Gas ; Flame Ionization ; Ethanol

BACKGROUND: Benzene is a known occupational and environmental pollutant. Its urinary metabolite trans, trans-muconic acid (tt-MA) has been introduced by some environmental and occupational health regulatory associations as a biological index for the assessment of benzene exposure; however, recently, doubts have been raised about the specificity of tt-MA for low-level benzene exposures. In the present study, we investigated the association between urinary levels of tt-MA and inhalational exposure to benzene in different exposure groups. METHODS: Benzene exposure was assessed by personal air sampling. Collected benzene on charcoal tube was extracted by carbon disulfide and determined by a gas chromatograph (gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector). Urinary tt-MA was extracted by a strong anion-exchange column and determined with high-performance liquid chromatography–UV. RESULTS: Urinary levels of tt-MA in intensive benzene exposure groups (chemical workers and police officers) were significantly higher than other groups (urban and rural residents), but its levels in the last two groups with significant different exposure levels (mean = 0.081 ppm and 0.019 ppm, respectively) showed no significant difference (mean = 388 μg/g creatinine and 282 μg/g, respectively; p < 0.05). Before work shift, urine samples of workers and police officers showed a high amount of tt-MA and its levels in rural residents’ samples were not zero. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that tt-MA may not be a reliable biomarker for monitoring low-level (below 0.5 ppm) benzene exposures.
Benzene* ; Carbon Disulfide ; Charcoal ; Chromatography ; Creatinine ; Environmental Monitoring ; Flame Ionization ; Humans ; Occupational Health ; Police ; Sensitivity and Specificity

The content analysis of fatty acids in Perilla cultivars and commercial oils is conducted through gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector. Results show that Perilla cultivars, such as Deulsaem and Daesil, contain high amounts of α-linolenic acid (262.22 and 261.97 mg/g, respectively). Among commercial oils, Perilla oil contains a higher amount of α-linolenic acid (515.20 mg/g). Accordingly, α-linolenic acid is a major fatty acid of Perilla cultivars and oil. Therefore, Perilla cultivars could be used as a food supplement for nutritional and pharmaceutical purposes.
Chromatography, Gas ; Dietary Supplements ; Fatty Acids ; Flame Ionization ; Industrial Oils* ; Perilla*

OBJECTIVETo develop a GC-FID method for the determination of borneol concentration in rat plasma and to investigate the pharmacokinetics after injection of novel-Xingnaojing.

METHODNovel-Xingnaojing was injected via by caudal vein injection. The blood samples were collected by posterior orbital venous plexus approach at 0.5, 1, 3, 5, 8, 12, 20, 30, 45 min. The drug in plasma was extracted with ethyl acetate and then detected by GC-FID, octadecane was used as the internal standard. The pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by the software of Kinetica.

RESULTThe calibration curve was good linear in the range of 1.67-16.67 mg x L(-1). The extraction recoveries of low, medium and high concentration were (92.81 +/- 1.11)%, (85.38 +/- 0.86)% and (84.58 +/- 0.58)%, respectivley. And the RSDs of within-day and between-day were below 3.00%. Plasma concentration of borneol was consistent with the two-compartment open model. The pharmacokinetic parameters were that the t1/2alpha was (1.18 +/- 0.20) min, the t1/2beta was (22.27 +/- 6.85) min, the C(max)(Calc) was (18.76 +/- 2.10) mg x L(-1), the MRT was (23.84 +/- 7.67) min(-1), and the AUC was (100.00 +/- 15.85) mg x min x L(-1).

CONCLUSIONThe GC-FID method developed can be applied to determination and pharmacokinetics. The borneol in novel-Xingnaojing is distributed and metabolized fast after being administrated.

Animals ; Bornanes ; pharmacokinetics ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacokinetics ; Flame Ionization ; methods ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo determine ethylacetate and petroleum ether(60-90 ℃)in Haikesu 2,which is one of the raw materials of artificial musk,using the head-space gas chromatography.

METHODSThe determination was performed on HP-5(30 m×0.53 mm,5 Μm)capillary column with an hydrogen flame ionization detector. The solvent was dimethyl sulfoxide and the internal standard was methanol. The injector temperature and the detector temperature were controlled at 180 ℃ and 250 ℃,respectively. The carrier gas was nitrogen. The containers of head-space injector were preheated at 90 ℃ for 15 minutes. The column temperature was programmed raised,which achieved baseline separation of the components.

RESULTSThe results showed a good linear relationship for ethylacetate and petroleum ether(60-90 ℃)in their linearity range;and the limit of detection was 0.7 and 0.3 Μg/ml,respectively. The good precision and good average recoveries were satisfactory.

CONCLUSIONThe head-space gas chromatography is simple,rapid,and precise technique for the measurement of residual solvents in Haikesu 2.

Acetates ; analysis ; Chromatography, Gas ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated ; chemistry ; Flame Ionization ; Solvents ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo explore the usefulness of head-space gas chromatography for the determination of methanol and ethanol in Haikesu I,a raw material of artificial musk.

METHODSThe determination was performed on HP-5(30 m×0.53 mm,5 Μm)capillary column with an hydrogen flame ionization detector. The solvent was dimethyl sulfoxide and the internal standard was acetone. The injector temperature and the detector temperature were controlled at 180 ℃ and 250 ℃,respectively. The carrier gas was nitrogen. The containers of head-space injector were preheated at 90 ℃ for 15 minutes. The column temperature was programmed raised,which achieved baseline separation of the components.

RESULTSThe results showed a good linear relationship for methanol and ethanol in their linearity range;and the limit of detection was 0.8 and 1.0 Μg/ml,respectively. The precision and average recoveries were satisfactory.

CONCLUSIONThe head-space gas chromatography is simple,rapid,and precise technique for the measurement of residual solvents in Haikesu I.

Acetone ; analysis ; Chromatography, Gas ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Ethanol ; analysis ; Flame Ionization ; Methanol ; analysis ; Solvents ; analysis

BACKGROUND: Construction painters have not been studied well in terms of their hazards exposure. The objective of this study was to evaluate the exposure levels of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) for painters in the construction industry. METHODS: Activity-specific personal air samplings were carried out in three waterproofing activities [polyurethane (PU), asphalt, and cement mortar] and three painting activities (epoxy, oil based, and water based) by using organic-vapor-monitor passive-sampling devices. Gas chromatograph with flame ionization detector could be used for identifying and quantifying individual organic chemicals. The levels of TVOCs, by summing up 15 targeted substances, were expressed in exposure-index (EI) values. RESULTS: As arithmetic means in the order of concentration levels, the EIs of TVOCs in waterproofing works were 10.77, 2.42, 1.78, 1.68, 0.47, 0.07, and none detected (ND) for indoor PU-primer task, outdoor PU-primer task, outdoor PU-resin task, indoor PU-resin task, asphalt-primer task, asphalt-adhesive task, and cement-mortar task, respectively. The highest EI for painting works was 5.61 for indoor epoxy-primer task, followed by indoor epoxy-resin task (2.03), outdoor oil-based-spray-paint task (1.65), outdoor water-based-paint task (0.66), and indoor oil-based-paint task (0.15). Assuming that the operations were carried out continuously for 8 hours without breaks and by using the arithmetic means of EIs for each of the 12 tasks in this study, 58.3% (7 out of 12) exceeded the exposure limit of 100% (EI > 1.0), while 8.3% (1 out of 12) was in 50-100% of exposure limit (0.5 > EI > 1.0), and 4 tasks out of 12 were located in less than 50% of the limit range (EI < 0.5). CONCLUSION: From this study, we recognized that construction painters are exposed to various solvents, including carcinogens and reproductive toxins, and the levels of TVOC concentration in many of the painting tasks exceeded the exposure limits. Construction workers need to be protected from chemical agents during their painting works by using personal protective devices and/or work practice measures. Additional studies should focus on the exposure assessment of other hazards for construction workers, in order to identify high-risk tasks and to improve hazardous work environments.
Carcinogens ; Construction Industry ; Flame Ionization ; Humans ; Organic Chemicals ; Paint ; Paintings ; Protective Devices ; Solvents* ; Volatile Organic Compounds ; Water