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An analytical method based on liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS–MS) has been developed for the determination of acrylamide in water. To obtain clean extracts and low detection limits, an activated carbon cartridge was investigated for use in solid-phase extraction (SPE), and extraction conditions such as desorption solvent and elution volume were optimized by a series of experiments. High recoveries (99.1–99.8%) were obtained using the activated carbon solid-phase extraction cartridges with methanol as the eluent. This method could be applied to the quantification of acrylamide in environmental water samples.

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Sample preparation has often been viewed as the bottleneck in analytical procedures. Surveys have shown that time is typically the most frequent problem area for sample preparation procedures. While newly developed extraction techniques address time, modern chromatography advances are also moving towards faster separations. Based on these considerations, what is high-throughput sample preparation? Do modern extraction methods adequately address the issue of time? How can we address the analytical need for speed?

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Scientists at the University of Cambridge (Cambridge, UK) have reconstructed the early conditions of the Earth?s oceans to find that spontaneous chemical reactions could have generated the first biological molecules, before the evolution of organisms or the existence of enzymes.1 The study published in the journal Molecular Systems Biology presents data collected from liquid chromatography?triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC–QTOF–MS) suggesting that reactions central to our core metabolism could have spontaneously occurred.

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Over the last 30 years, the occurrence of head and neck cancer in Spain has been increasing, and now accounts for between 5–10% of malignant tumours diagnosed each year.1 In a new study published in the journal Chromatographia, solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS) has been performed to identify two potential biomarkers of epidermoid laryngeal cancer, that could be used in non-invasive diagnostic testing.

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This article presents a new method to evaluate the temperature shift observed in analytical temperature rising elution fractionation (ATREF). The evaluation is based on the dependence of the measured peak temperature as a function of heating rates. Application of the proposed method does not require any knowledge of the fluid circuit characteristics geometry and avoids the use of narrow preparative TREF standards. The results are found to be more accurate than the method that is usually applied.

Anthony Gravell of Natural Resources Wales discusses the principles of passive sampling and the advantages of the technique over spot sampling when screening water samples for environmental contaminants.

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James Frahill, Research Analyst, Pfizer Process Development Centre, spoke to LCGC about the role of the chromatographer in the pharmaceutical process development group at Pfizer.