Static headspace-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the simultaneous determination of trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids in canned vegetables.
Canned vegetables appear to be a possible exposure pathway for hazardous disinfection by-products due to the use of sanitizers and treated water by the canning industry in the preparation of these foods. This work reports on two static headspace-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry methods for the simultaneous determination of 10 trihalomethanes (THMs) and 13 haloacetic acids (HAAs) in both solid and liquid phases of the canned vegetables. Both methods carry out the whole process (including the leaching of target analytes from the vegetable), derivatization of HAAs and volatilization of THMs and HAA esters, in a single step within a static headspace unit. The methods proposed provide an efficient and simple tool for the determination of regulated disinfection by-products in canned vegetables. Average limits of detection for THMs and HAAs were 0.19 and 0.45μg/kg, respectively, in the solid phase of canned vegetables, and 0.05 and 0.09μg/L, respectively, in the liquid phase. Satisfactory recoveries (90-99%) and precision, calculated as relative standard deviations (RSD≤10%), were obtained in both phases of canned vegetables. The methods proposed were applied for the analysis of frequently-used canned vegetables and confirmed the presence of up to 3 THMs and 5 HAAs at microgram per kilogram or liter levels in both phases of the samples.
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Campus of Rabanales, University of Córdoba, E-14071 Córdoba, Spain.
Maria Jose
MJ
Cardador
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Campus of Rabanales, University of Córdoba, E-14071 Córdoba, Spain. Electronic address: mercedes.gallego@uco.es.
Mercedes
M
Gallego
D000085:Acetates / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D057230:Limit of Detection; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D022882:Trihalomethanes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D014675:Vegetables / Q000737:chemistry*
D000085:Acetates; D022882:Trihalomethanes
Canned vegetables; Disinfection by-products; Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry; Haloacetic acids; Static headspace technique; Trihalomethanes