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Ernst Lankmayr

Publications and source records attributed to Ernst Lankmayr.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

DDT degradation during enhanced solid-liquid extractions. A consideration.

Analysis of p,p'-DDT in solid environmental samples, like soil or sediment, requires monitoring the breakdown of this insecticide during sample preparation and measurement, which produces mainly p,p'-DDD and p,p'-DDE. The occurrence of matrix-enhanced p,p'-DDT degradation during GC injection is a well-known phenomenon; careful cleaning and pre-treatment of the GC injection port enables for an overcoming of this problem. Modern solid-liquid extraction methods apply high temperatures and/or pressures to enhance the extraction kinetics and diffusion rates of the target compounds from the solid matrix. Due to the parameters, high temperature and catalytic surface, DDT could break down during enhanced solid-liquid extraction comparable to the degradation process during GC injection. In the present study a performance evaluation by an experimental design of microwave-assisted extraction in closed vessels, pressurized-liquid extraction and fluidized-bed extraction with standard solutions of p,p'-DDT and with a quality control material was carried out. In order to identify the effect of matrix-enhanced DDT degradation during solid-liquid extraction a careful analytical protocol using isotope labelled standards was developed. At high temperatures matrix-enhanced degradation could be observed during all three investigated extraction methods. This result might have important implications on the resultant interpretations of environmental degradation of DDT.

Chemical Fractionation↗

Chemometrical classification of pumpkin seed oils using UV-Vis, NIR and FTIR spectra.

The main outcome of this work is elaboration of classification models for edible oil samples representing the most widespread brands of Austrian pumpkin seed oil. A complete spectral characterisation of the pumpkin seed oil samples by UV-Vis, NIR and FTIR spectra was obtained together with their basic sensorial classification. Chemometrical processing of the measured data enabled the detection of the most important spectral features, which are crucial for categorising the oils into two or three classes according to their sensory quality evaluated by a panel of experts. The elaborated models thus make it possible to predict the category into which a hitherto unclassified oil sample belongs--considering classification into either two categories, containing oils with overall acceptable scores or oils that were not accepted, or three categories, involving oils fulfilling all quality criteria, oils with good scores and not accepted oils. This will perspectively facilitate the determination of chemical substances responsible for bad taste, odour and colour of the respective oil brands, as well as finding substances contributing to the excellent sensorial perception of some tested products.

Algorithms↗

Triazines in the aquatic systems of the Eastern Chinese Rivers Liao-He and Yangtse.

The results of a one-year monitoring program on the two Eastern Chinese River systems, i.e. the Liao-He and the Yangtse, with special emphasis on the presence of triazine herbicides are presented. Sediment, suspended solids and water samples from both rivers were analyzed. Additionally, recovery experiments on the SPE-in-field-enrichment procedure and the extraction methods were performed. The samples were measured by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, electron capture detection and a newly developed mu-plasma atomic emission detector. A typical result of a one-year monitoring was obtained in case of the Liao-He: During winter, at low water period, low triazine values were found. A similar situation was found in early spring. Highest concentrations of atrazine up to 1600 ng/l were found in late spring in the water samples. Maximum concentrations of atrazine, simazine, propazine, simetryn and prometryn were observed in this season as a result of the actual use of triazines. Finally, after the high water period in autumn the triazine concentrations decreased. Additionally, atrazine adsorbed on sediment (up to 2.8 ng/g) and suspended solids was determined (up to 8 ng/l) during late spring sampling. Therefore, the logarithm of the organic carbon based sorption coefficient of atrazine could be calculated. Low levels of atrazine were measured in the water of Yangtse (up to 18.3 ng/l). The concentrations from all sampling points and sampling stations of a particular sampling date were similar, which indicates a homogeneous distribution of this herbicide. Due to the high discharge rate of up to 79,000 m3/s in case of the Yangtse a considerable mass transport of up to 57.5 kg per day atrazine may take place, even at concentrations below the European drinking water limit of 100 ng/l.

Adsorption↗

Optimized extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from contaminated soil samples.

A comparison of Soxhlet extraction and a new extraction technique, fluidized-bed extraction, has been conducted. The extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by this new technique has been optimized considering as experimental variables the variation of the number of extraction cycles and the holding time after reaching the heating temperature by means of a surface response design. The significance of the operational parameters of the fluidized-bed extraction onto the performance characteristics has been investigated. For the determination of the analytes, a cleanup of the extracts followed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection was used. The accuracy of the method was established by extraction and analysis of a reference material, supplied from the European Commission's Joint Research Centre.

Cyclohexanes↗

Occurrence of triazines in surface and drinking water of Liaoning Province in Eastern China.

The Liaoning Province in Eastern China has a prosperous economy and traditional agricultural background. Steadily increasing water demand implies the direct use of surface water for drinking water support and foodstuff production. Due to the extensive use, high persistence, water solubility and relatively weak adsorptivity, the chloro s-triazines contaminate the aquatic environment and are therefore regularly and most frequently detected in ground and surface water. Water sample enrichment procedures were performed by solid-phase extraction (SPE) using different materials. During a 1-year monitoring program on the Liao-He River, water sample enrichment was performed using C(18)-SPE cartridges. These SPE cartridges showed low recoveries for the atrazine metabolites, although high triazine values were detected. Based on these results, a pilot sampling on drinking water in the Liao-He region was performed. This time, in addition to the C(18)-SPE cartridges, a new polymer SPE sorbent made from a balance ratio of two monomers, the lipophilic divinylbenzene and the hydrophilic N-vinylpyrrolidone, was used. Both materials were characterized by establishing breakthrough curves for the investigated analytes and up to large volumes.

China↗