Ozone degradation of residual carbon in biological samples using microwave irradiation.

In an attempt to produce complete oxidation of a biological matrix, bovine liver, ozone was investigated as an additional, potentially non-contaminating, oxidizing reagent after nitric acid digestion. Experiments were carried out to determine the decomposition efficiency of residual carbon species, primarily o-, m- and p-nitrobenzoic acids (NBAs), using ozone. The NBAs were degraded by purging sample digests with ozone, while heating the solutions with microwave energy at atmospheric pressure. The effects of the degradation temperature and solution pH on the ozonation of NBAs were determined. Solid phase extraction (C18) was used to extract NBAs from the acid digestate solutions prior to HPLC analysis. Reversed phase HPLC was used to determine NBA concentrations in digest solutions. After 2.5 h of purging ozone at 80 degrees C, 33.65 +/- 3.80% o-NBA degradation, 19.39 +/- 1.74% m-NBA degradation, and 26.47 +/- 3.36% p-NBA degradation were obtained.