Headspace solid phase microextraction--GC/C-IRMS for delta13CVPDB measurements of mono-aromatic hydrocarbons using EA-IRMS calibration

Isotopes Environ Health Stud. 2009 Mar;45(1):53-8. doi: 10.1080/10256010802522176.

Abstract

This work aims at comparing the delta(13)C(VPDB) of mono-aromatic hydrocarbons benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene isomers (BTEX) measured by elemental analyser (EA)-isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) with the delta(13)C(VPDB) measured on the same compounds by headspace solid phase microextraction - GC/C-IRMS (hSPME - GC/C-IRMS) with the final goal of using these compounds as internal standards on the latter system. The EA-IRMS measurements were done using calcium and lithium carbonate isotopic reference materials: NBS19 and L-SVEC for establishing the delta(13)C(VPDB) scale. The EA-IRMS measurements with helium dilution of a set of five reference materials (USGS40, USGS41, IAEA-CH-6, IAEA-CH-3 and IAEA-601) show systematic bias of 1 per thousand relative to their assigned values. This bias due to the dilution mechanism in the used ConfloII interface device could not be avoided. As the selected hydrocarbons: BTEX could not be analysed by EA-IRMS without helium dilution, their delta(13)C(VPDB) must be corrected from this observed bias using an external calibration. The CO(2) gas calibrated using EA-IRMS without helium dilution, was used as an in-house reference for the delta(13)C(VPDB) measurements of the BTEX by the hSPME - GC/C-IRMS system. The comparison made between the delta(13)C(VPDB) measured on the same BTEX compounds by EA-IRMS (with external calibration) and by hSPME - GC/C-IRMS techniques showed good agreement.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Benzene / analysis
  • Benzene / chemistry
  • Benzene Derivatives / analysis
  • Benzene Derivatives / chemistry
  • Calibration
  • Carbon Dioxide / chemistry
  • Carbon Isotopes / analysis
  • Chromatography, Gas / methods
  • Environmental Pollutants / chemistry*
  • Helium / chemistry
  • Hydrocarbons, Aromatic / analysis*
  • Hydrocarbons, Aromatic / chemistry
  • Hydrocarbons, Aromatic / isolation & purification
  • Mass Spectrometry / methods
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Solid Phase Microextraction / methods*
  • Toluene / analysis
  • Toluene / chemistry
  • Xylenes / analysis
  • Xylenes / chemistry

Substances

  • Benzene Derivatives
  • Carbon Isotopes
  • Environmental Pollutants
  • Hydrocarbons, Aromatic
  • Xylenes
  • Carbon Dioxide
  • Helium
  • Toluene
  • Benzene
  • ethylbenzene