title: MEKC-UV as an effective tool for the separation and identification of explosives, high explosives, and their degradation products in environmental samples.
abstract: MEKC has been used in conjunction with UV detection for identification and quantitation of high explosives in environmental samples. To ensure the compatibility of the technique with ESI-MS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a volatile micelle, was used. Separation of EPA Method 8330 Mixes A and B using various concentrations of the micelle showed that the 80 mM solution of PFOA was the optimum concentration for the separation of the explosives. MEKC analysis of explosives with ESI-MS under optimum micelle concentration provided excellent results indicating the compatibility of the method with ESI-MS. Finally, the MEKC-UV method was applied to the detection and quantitation of explosives in various environmental samples including water, sand, and soil. The results demonstrate that the MEKC method described herein is a viable technique for detection of explosives in environmental samples using UV detection, while maintaining the compatibility of the technique with MS detection without any modification to the separation method, if laboratories decided to pursue this route in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Copper
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Science, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brensinger
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Science, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rollman
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Marlene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perez
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Ashton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Genzman
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rine
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Science, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA. moinim@gwu.edu.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moini
mesh_terms: D002210:Caprylates / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020374:Chromatography, Micellar Electrokinetic Capillary / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D053834:Explosive Agents / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D057230:Limit of Detection; D008823:Micelles; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D002210:Caprylates; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D053834:Explosive Agents; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D008823:Micelles; D012987:Soil; D014867:Water; C023036:perfluorooctanoic acid
keywords: Environmental analysis; Explosives; Mass spectrometry; Micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography