A portable device for fast analysis of explosives in the environment.
A novel portable device for fast and sensitive analysis of explosives in environmental samples is presented. The developed system consists of miniaturized microcolumn liquid chromatograph, photolytic converter and chemiluminescence detector. The device is able to determine selectively nitramine- and nitroester- and most of nitroaromates-based explosives as well as inorganic nitrates at trace concentrations in water or soil extracts in less than 8 min. The device allows to analyze various environmental samples such as soils or water materials without previous preconcentration. Because of internal power supply, the device ensures 12h of continuous operation. Limits of detection of compounds of interest are in the range of concentrations from 5.0 × 10(-9)M to 8.0 × 10(-5)M for a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. Limits of quantification are in the range of concentrations from 1.7 × 10(-8)M to 2.7 × 10(-4)M for a signal-to-noise ratio of 10. The repeatability of the method (RSD=2.9-5.6%) was determined by repeated injections (n=10) of the standard samples during 4h.
Institute of Analytical Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Veveří 97, 60200 Brno, Czech Republic. Electronic address: capka@iach.cz.
Lukáš
L
Čapka
Institute of Analytical Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Veveří 97, 60200 Brno, Czech Republic.
Zbyněk
Z
Večeřa
Institute of Analytical Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Veveří 97, 60200 Brno, Czech Republic.
Pavel
P
Mikuška
Institute of Analytical Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Veveří 97, 60200 Brno, Czech Republic.
Jozef
J
Šesták
Institute of Analytical Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Veveří 97, 60200 Brno, Czech Republic.
Vladislav
V
Kahle
University of Defence, Kounicova 65, 66210 Brno, Czech Republic.
Alena
A
Bumbová
D000814:Aniline Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D053834:Explosive Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D009566:Nitrates / Q000032:analysis*; D009578:Nitrobenzenes / Q000032:analysis*; D030421:Peroxynitrous Acid / Q000032:analysis*; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
D000814:Aniline Compounds; D053834:Explosive Agents; D009566:Nitrates; D009578:Nitrobenzenes; D012987:Soil; D014867:Water; D030421:Peroxynitrous Acid; C015384:nitramine
Analysis of explosives; Chemiluminescence detector; Microcolumn liquid chromatography; Portable device