title: Meeting the European Commission performance criteria for the use of triple quadrupole GC-MS/MS as a confirmatory method for PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs in food and feed samples.
abstract: Until recently, European Union (EU) legislation required the use of high-resolution gas chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC-HRMS) based on magnetic sector analyzers as a standard approach for confirmatory analysis of dioxins (PCDDs) and furans (PCDFs) in feed and food. However, recent technological advances in MS instruments enabled other alternative analytical techniques to meet the same analytical criteria as those requested for HRGC-HRMS. In this sense, triple quadrupoles (GC-MS/MS) can be a realistic alternative for the analysis of dioxins. In this work, the performance of GC-MS/MS technology was evaluated against the criteria demanded by the EU for confirmatory analysis of dioxins and PCBs in food and feed. Thus, the study comprises a number of parameters including chromatographic separation, limit of quantification, linearity, repeatability, and ion ratio precision. Analyses of solvent standards as well as sample extracts (inter-calibration extracts and certified reference materials) were also considered within the scope of this study. Additionally, direct comparisons of the results obtained by GC-MS/MS with those from GC-HRMS were made. The results of this work suggested that GC-MS/MS was highly sensitive and selective for confirmatory analysis of PCDD/Fs and related compounds in food and feed samples and meets all the criteria requested by the European Commission.
authors.affiliation: Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, C/ Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ábalos
authors.affiliation: Thermo Fisher Scientific, Tudor Road, Manor Park, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 1TA, UK.
authors.forename: Cristian I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Cojocariu
authors.affiliation: Thermo Fisher Scientific, Tudor Road, Manor Park, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 1TA, UK.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Silcock
authors.affiliation: Thermo Fisher Scientific, Tudor Road, Manor Park, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 1TA, UK.
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, C/ Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034, Barcelona, Spain.|Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Environmental Catalysis Group, University of Antioquia, street 70 No. 52-2, 050001, Medellín, Colombia.
authors.forename: Diana M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Pemberthy
authors.affiliation: Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, C/ Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sauló
authors.affiliation: Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, C/ Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034, Barcelona, Spain. esteban.abad@idaea.csic.es.
authors.forename: Esteban
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abad
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated / Q000032:analysis*; D005060:Europe; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D057230:Limit of Detection; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000032:analysis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
keywords: Dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs); Food; GC-MS/MS; HRGC-HRMS; Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs); Polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs)