title: Study of the photoinduced degradation of polycyclic musk compounds by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.
abstract: Polycyclic musks are widely used synthetic fragrances that have been identified during the last few years in biota samples and environmental matrices. Nevertheless, there is a lack of information concerning the photodegradation behavior of these compounds. In this work, the photoinduced degradation of six polycyclic musk compounds (Cashmeran, Celestolide, Phantolide, Galaxolide, Traseolide and Tonalide) was studied using a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber as support. Musk fragrances were extracted from aqueous solutions using SPME fibers that were subsequently exposed to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation for different times. To study the degradation kinetics and to tentatively identify the photoproducts generated, gas chromatography coupled to ion trap mass spectrometry was used. Aqueous photodegradation studies were also performed. The on-fiber photodegradation approach avoids the need for further extraction processes and makes the identification of photoproducts easier, due to their higher concentration on the fibers. All musk compounds were easily photodegraded, suggesting that UV irradiation could work as a decontamination tool for these musks.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Analítica, Nutrición y Bromatología, Facultad de Química, Instituto de Investigación y Análisis Alimentario, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Avda. das Ciencias s/n, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: Lucía
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Prado
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lourido
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lores
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Llompart
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garcia-Jares
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cela