Publication details
Detremination of nitroaromatic explosives and product of their biotransformation by liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2005 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | Book of Abstracts-3rd Bleach Sea Basin Conference on Analytical Chemistry. Process Related Environmental Analytical Chemistry |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Analytic chemistry |
| Keywords | nitroaromatic explosives; liquid chromatography; capillary electrophoresis |
| Description | The most used explosives contain nitroderivatives of toluene such as 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). TNT, other trinitrotoluenes and products of their biotranformations, aminodinitrotoluenes (ADNT) and diaminonitrotoluenes (DANT) are widely distributed in the environment as a consequence of extensive usage in military zones and as a result of wrong handling. The various nitroaromatic compounds have been found as contaminants in soils at munitions manufacturing facilities, storage depots, and sites of the explosives use. TNT is often stepwise biologically reduced to aminodinitrotoluenes and diaminonitrotoluenes in the environment. They have mutagenic, carcinogenic and toxic effects. TNT, 2-ADNT, 4-ADNT, 2,4-DANT, 2,6-DANT have been found to be cytotoxic presumably due to induced oxidative stress. TNT, and the TNT-derived metabolites demonstrate mutagenic capability. According to EPA, TNT is possible human carcinogen. The most commonly used method for the analysis of nitrotoluenes and aminonitrotoluenes is high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection due to its widespread availability. At present, electromigration methods are used due to their unrivalled separation efficiency. Comparison of retention behaviour of selected nitroderivatives of toluene and aminonitroderivatives of toluene in high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), with their electromigration behaviour in capillary electrochromatography (CEC) and micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MECC) separation systems is presented. Analytical column with octadecyl stationary phase was used for HPLC separation, fused silica capillary filled with octadecylsilica stationary phase was used for CEC experiments and the standard bare fused silica capillary for MECC. Effect of pH and concentration of background electrolyte, sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS) concentration and organic modifier content was investigated in electrophoretic methods. Effect of mobile phase composition and different gradient elutions was studied in reversed phase liquid chromatography system. The applicability of separation method under investigation for determination of nitroderivatives of toluene in environmental samples is discussed. |
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