A simple and fast Double-Flow microfluidic device based liquid-phase microextraction (DF-µLPME) for the determination of parabens in water samples

• Published in: Talanta (Oxford) 2017-04, Vol.165, p.496-501
• Main Authors: Ramos-Payan, María, Maspoch, Santiago, Llobera, Andreu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; Limit of Detection; Liquid Phase Microextraction - instrumentation; Liquid Phase Microextraction - methods; Microextraction; Microfluidic; Parabens; Parabens - analysis; Parabens - isolation & purification; Sample preparation; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - isolation & purification; Water samples
• ISSN: 0039-9140; 1873-3573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2016.12.059

A fast double-flow microfluidic based liquid phase microextraction (DF-µLPME) combined with a HPLC-UV procedure using diode array detection has been developed for the determination of the four most widely used parabens: Ethyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (EtP), Propyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (PrP), Butyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (BuP) and IsoButyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (iBuP) in water samples. Parabens have successfully been determined in environmental (lake and river water) samples with excellent clean up, high extraction efficiency and good enrichment factor using double-flow conditions. The microfluidic device consists of two micro-channels, which contain the acceptor and sample solution separated by a flat membrane (support liquid membrane). The sample (0.32mM HCl) and acceptor phase (5.6mM NaOH) are delivered to the µLPME at 10µLmin−1 and 1µLmin−1 flow rate, respectively. The extraction efficiencies are over 84% for all compounds in water samples with enrichment factors within the range of 9–11 and recoveries over 80%. The procedure provides very low detection limits between 1.6 and 3.5µgL−1. The extraction time and the volume required for the extraction are 5min and 50µL, respectively; which are greatly lower compared to any previous extraction procedure for parabens analysis. In addition, this miniaturized DF- µLPME procedure significantly reduces costs compared to not only the existing methods for paraben detection, but also to the existing analytical techniques for sample preparation. [Display omitted] •A rapid microfluidic device based on liquid phase microextraction (LPME) is proposed.•A microfluidic chip device can extract parabens in 5min.•The microdevice is very small, cheap, reusable and require a minimal sample volume.•The new procedure is applied in water samples with excellent clean-up.•The new platform offers high extraction efficiencies and good enrichment factors.