Gas chromatographic method for ethylene dibromide in grains and grain-based products: collaborative study

Nine laboratories analyzed samples of whole grain, intermediate, and ready-to-eat products for ethylene dibromide (EDB) residues. Supplied samples of wheat, rice, and flour contained both fortified and incurred EDB; corn bread mix, baby cereal, and bread contained only fortified EDB. The whole grains and intermediates were analyzed by the same basic procedural steps as in the official method for multifumigants: They were extracted by soaking in acetone-water (5 + 1). The baby cereal and bread were analyzed by a modification of the Rains and Holder hexane co-distillation procedure. EDB was determined by electron capture gas chromatography operated with an SP-1000 column. All products contained 3 different levels of EDB and were analyzed as blind duplicates. Overall mean recoveries ranged from 85.2% for 69.6 ppb to 105.0% for 4.35 ppb, both in baby cereal. Interlaboratory relative standard deviations ranged from 5.7% for 869 ppb in wheat to 20.2% for 69.6 ppb in baby cereal, both fortified. Mean levels of incurred EDB in wheat, rice, and flour were 926.7, 982.0, and 49.9 ppb, respectively; corresponding relative standard deviations were 9.9, 7.7, and 13.1%. The method was adopted official first action.     

Determination of several halogenated fumigants in cereal products by steam distillation and capillary gas chromatography with electron capture detection

A steam distillation procedure is described for the determination of ethylene dibromide (EDB), ethylene dichloride (EDC), and carbon tetrachloride (CT) in flour, flour-based mixes, baked cakes, breakfast cereals, and citrus fruits. A representative sample is steam distilled using a modified Garman steam distillation apparatus, the steam and volatile components are condensed, and the condensate is partitioned with hexane (EDB) or pentane (EDC and CT). The solvent extract is then injected on-column and analyzed by using a 15 m X 0.32 mm 1.0 micron DB-1701 fused-silica capillary column at 50 degrees C for EDB or a 30 m X 0.25 mm 1.0 micron DB-5 column at 35 degrees C for EDC and CT. For routine EDB determinations as low as 10 ppb, 2 g flour, flour-based mix, or breakfast cereal is distilled and partitioned into 10 mL hexane. For enhanced sensitivity, up to 10 g dry sample can be concentrated into 1 mL hexane, for detection as low as 0.1 ppb (10% FSD, 2.0 pg). Recoveries from flour spiked with 100, 5, and 0.5 ppb EDB were 98.9, 95.1, and 117%, respectively. Coefficients of variation for marketplace flour samples found to contain EDB at 122, 6.0, and 1.2 ppb were 4.6, 6.9, and 3.6%, respectively, and for baby cereal at 0.22 ppb, 4.5%. Recoveries for EDC and CT from flour spiked at 46, 94, and 140 ppb were 61, 73, and 72%, and 96, 95, and 87%, respectively. Coefficients of variation were 10.0, 7.8, and 4.8, and 8.0, 3.2, and 8.4%, respectively.     

Determination of ethylene dibromide in foods and grains by high resolution capillary gas chromatography with electron capture detection

Ethylene dibromide (EDB) levels in food samples were determined by gas chromatography with a high-resolution capillary column and electron capture detector. The capillary column used was 3 mm id X 25 m cross-linked 5% phenylmethyl silicone. Column temperature was set at 40 degrees C by a coolant containing carbon dioxide gas. Optimum temperatures of the injection port and detector were 200 and 350 degrees C, respectively. The detection limit was 0.5 ppb and linear from 1 to 20 pg on the dynamic range. EDB residues in food samples were extracted with n-hexane by steam distillation. A few impurity peaks appeared near EDB on the chromatogram; however, the EDB peak was resolved. Recoveries of EDB from wheat and brown rice ranged from 66.1 to 99.6%. EDB was detected in 3 samples of imported wheat at a range of 0.74-1.70 ppb, and was not detected at all in 37 samples. The EDB remaining in EDB-fortified cookies after baking was examined. The amounts of EDB were reduced to 30 to 50% of the original amounts by kneading the dough, and to below 1.5% by baking.     

Method for determination of pentobarbital in dry dog food by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

A procedure has been developed and validated for measuring the concentration of pentobarbital residues in dry, extruded animal feed in the range of 3-200 ng/g (ppb) with an estimated limit of quantitation of 2 ppb. The method was developed for surveillance purposes: to measure the concentration of euthanizing agent which might be present in feeds incorporating rendered products which themselves might include some fraction of euthanized animals. A previously published qualitative procedure was modified by adding isotopically labelled pentobarbital as an internal standard. Dry feed was ground and extracted with methanol. The extract was loaded on a mixed-mode (C-18, anion exchange) solid-phase extraction cartridge designed for barbiturate residues. Pentobarbital was eluted and derivatized for gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in positive ion chemical ionization mode. Quantitation was based on the ratio of dimethyl-pentobarbital MH+ (m/z 255) vs dimethyl-pentobarbital-d(5) (m/z 260) in standards and extracts. Accuracy ranged from 112% at 3 ppb to 96% at 200 ppb, with relative standard deviations ranging from 4% at 3 ppb to 2% at 200 ppb.     

Purge and trap method for determination of ethylene dibromide in whole grains, milled grain products, intermediate grain-based foods, and animal feeds

An improved method has been developed for the determination of ethylene dibromide (EDB; 1,2-dibromoethane) in whole grains, milled grain products, intermediate grain-based foods, and animal feeds. Samples are mixed with water and sparged with nitrogen for 1 h with stirring in a water bath at 100 degrees C. The EDB collected on the adsorbent Tenax TA is eluted with hexane and determined by gas chromatography (GC) with electron capture detection (ECD) and confirmed with Hall electrolytic conductivity detection (HECD) using a second GC column. The highest levels of EDB were also confirmed by full scan GC/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). A total of 24 whole grains, milled grain products, intermediate grain-based foods, and animal feeds analyzed by using this method contained EDB levels up to 840 ppb (wheat). Recoveries from fortified samples ranged from 90 to 105%. Values from this method were compared with those obtained from the acetone soak method; for all 24 samples, this purge and trap method gave equivalent or superior recoveries and detected levels of EDB. Chromatograms for this purge and trap method were clean, enabling a quantitation level of 0.5 ppb to be achieved.     

Comparison of methodology for determination of ethylene dibromide in grains and grain-based foods

Three commonly used methods for determination of ethylene dibromide (EDB) in grains and grain products have been compared. EDB residues were extracted by soaking in hexane, triple co-distillation with hexane from an aqueous sample solution, and soaking in acetone-water (5 + 1). Each method was used for triplicate analyses of 12 samples containing incurred residues of EDB ranging from about 10 to 1000 ppb and representing whole grains (wheat and oats) and intermediate grain-based products such as corn meal and flour. The 4-day hexane soaking method extracted the least EDB. In some cases, this was half of the amount determined by the other methods. Levels from soaking in acetone-water were equal to, or up to 25% greater than, those from distillation. Although soaking for 2 days is required for whole grains in the method, a period of only 16 h was found acceptable for ground products. Results were obtained faster with the distillation method, but more analyst time per sample was required. A single distillation recovered about 80% (40-60% from wheat) of total EDB extracted by triple distillation. Foaming was reduced by the addition of concentrated H2SO4 to the aqueous hexane-sample mixture, plus stirring during distillation, thereby allowing complete recovery of the hexane.     

Purge and trap method for determination of ethylene dibromide in table-ready foods

An improved method has been developed for the determination of ethylene dibromide (EDB, 1,2-dibromoethane) in a variety of table-ready foods. Samples are mixed with water and sparged with nitrogen for 1 h with stirring in a water bath at 100 degrees C. The EDB collected on the adsorbent Tenax TA is eluted with hexane and determined by gas chromatography (GC) with electron capture (EC) and confirmed with Hall electrolytic conductivity (HECD) detection using a second GC column. The highest levels of EDB were also confirmed by full scan GC/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Twenty-five table-ready foods from the Food and Drug Administration's Total Diet Study that were analyzed by this method exhibited levels up to 70 ppb (pecans). Recoveries from fortified samples ranged from 91 to 104%. Values from this procedure were compared to those obtained by a modified Rains and Holder codistillation method. In all 25 samples this purge and trap procedure showed equivalent or superior recoveries and detected levels of EDB.     

Determination of morantel-related residues in bovine milk by electron capture gas chromatography

A gas chromatographic assay was developed to determine major residues of morantel in bovine milk over a range that is suitable for monitoring residues of the drug. The method is based on hydrolysis of the N-methyl-tetrahydropyrimidine portion of morantel and its metabolites to N-methyl-1,3-propanediamine, and converting the diamine to an N,N-bis-(2-nitro-4-trifluoromethylphenyl) derivative. The addition of an internal standard, the N-desmethyl-N-ethyl homolog of pyrantel, to the milk sample circumvents any potential problem that could arise from variable reaction yields, and eliminates the true recovery as a factor affecting the accuracy and precision of the procedure. The concentrations of the derivatives are determined by pulsed electron capture gas chromatography over a linear dynamic range that is equivalent to 12.5-50 ppb morantel. The method was evaluated at the 0, 12.5, 25, and 50 ppb levels in fortified bovine milk, and in a withdrawal sample containing physiologically incurred morantel residues. Mean values of 14 +/- 1.7, 24 +/- 3.7, and 47 +/- 6.9 were found for the fortified samples, approximately 3 ppb for control milk, and 16 +/- 1.7 ppb for the withdrawal sample.     

Determination of benzene in polypropylene food-packaging materials and food-contact paraffin waxes

An analytical procedure was developed for determination of benzene in polypropylene food packaging and was adapted for determination of benzene in commercial paraffin waxes intended for food-contact use. The polymer was dissolved in hexadecane at 150 degrees C. The wax was melted in an 80 degrees C oven. A simple helium-sparging apparatus was used to remove the volatile chemical from the polymer or wax. The contaminant was collected in methanol, distilled water was added, and the resulting solution was analyzed by headspace gas chromatography. The instrument was equipped with a 30 m fused silica open tubular capillary column and a photoionization detector. Average recoveries of benzene from polymer and paraffin wax at low parts-per-billion concentrations were 63 and 70%, respectively. Limits of detection and quantitation for analysis of polypropylene were 8 and 17 ppb, respectively; the limit of quantitation for analysis of paraffin wax was 2 ppb. In several commercial polypropylene products examined, benzene levels ranged from none detected to 426 ppb. In 3 commercial waxes examined, concentrations of 16-73 ppb benzene were determined. The presence of benzene was confirmed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.     

Improved codistillation method for determination of carbon tetrachloride, ethylene dichloride, and ethylene dibromide in grain and grain-based products

A method is described for the determination of the common fumigants carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), ethylene dichloride (EDC), and ethylene dibromide (EDB) in grain and grain-based products. A properly prepared sample is mixed with water and hexane, an internal standard mixture of 1,2-dichloropropane (DCP) and 1,2-dibromopropane (DBP) is added, and the fumigants are codistilled with the hexane into an appropriate receiver. After the hexane solution is dried over sodium sulfate, the quantities of fumigants present are quantitated on a gas chromatograph (GC) equipped with an electron capture detector (ECD). For the matrices investigated, the relative standard deviation of the method was 6.0, 9.7, and 23.1% for CCl4, EDC, and EDB, respectively. Recoveries of added fumigants were 107, 95, and 101%, respectively. Comparison with an acetone-water soak extraction method gave a correlation of 0.967 between methods for EDB with odds of a difference between methods of 35%.     

Rapid gas chromatographic method for determining ethyl carbamate in alcoholic beverages with thermal energy analyzer detection

A rapid column elution method has been developed for the determination of ethyl carbamate (EC) in alcoholic beverages. The beverage is mixed with Celite and packed in a column containing deactivated alumina capped with a layer of sodium sulfate. EC is then eluted with methylene chloride. The method, using a gas chromatograph-thermal energy analyzer with a nitrogen converter for detection and quantitation of EC, has been applied to a variety of alcoholic beverages. Recoveries +/- standard deviations of EC in wine and whisky fortified at the 20 and 133 micrograms/kg (ppb) levels averaged 87.3 +/- 5.3 and 88.7 +/- 3.6%, respectively. The method has a limit of detection of 1.5 ppb. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry was used to confirm the identity and quantitation of EC in selected beverage extracts.     

Multiresidue assay for benzimidazole anthelmintics by liquid chromatography and confirmation by gas chromatography/selected-ion monitoring electron impact mass spectrometry

A multiresidue method utilizing all-disposable labware has been developed for 8 benzimidazole anthelmintics from ovine, bovine, and swine muscle and liver tissues. After an initial extraction with ethyl acetate and subsequent evaporation, a 3-component extraction using hexane, ethanol, and 0.2N HCl was used for final cleanup. Clean extracts were produced for separation and determination by reverse-phase liquid chromatography at 298 nm, using methanol and aqueous buffer as mobile phase. A synthesized internal standard, 2-(n-butylmercapto)benzimidazole, was used for quantitation of all drugs. Results are included along with statistical information verifying the performance of the method. Spiked control tissues and incurred drug tissues were used for an intralaboratory study with a concentration range of 50-1470 ppb. A series of standard curves at 0, 50, 100, and 200 ppb were analyzed. Overall recovery at the 100 ppb level averaged 92% (CV 8%) in liver tissues, across all 3 species and 88% (CV 5%) in muscle tissues across all 3 species. Results were confirmed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry with acid hydrolysis of the remaining extract in 2N HCl followed by re-extraction of the amine and derivatization to the tert-butyldimethylsilyl derivative. The anthelmintics were identified by gas chromatography/selected ion monitoring electron-impact mass spectrometry. Ion ratio measurements were taken and compared to standard material. CVs averaged 10% or less for all drugs tested.     

Capillary gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric determination of fluoroacetate residues in animal tissues

A method for the quantitative determination of fluoroacetate (FAC) residues in animal tissues is described. The procedure involves tungstic acid extraction, partitioning into ethyl acetate, evaporation of ethyl acetate, derivatization with pentafluorobenzyl bromide (PFB), and analysis of the resulting derivative (PFB-FAC) by capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (CGC-MS) with specific ion monitoring (SIM). The tungstic acid system extracted 96.8 +/- 4.2% of the endogenous 14C-1080 residues in rat tissues. Recovery of FAC during the extraction, purification, and derivatization procedures is established by use of a 14C-FAC spike. 1,2-Dibromobenzene is used as an internal standard for the CGC-MS analysis. PFB-FAC is identified on the basis of comparative retention times and the relative intensities of m/z 257.9 and 181.0. PFB-FAC is quantitated by comparing the response at m/z 257.9 to a PFB-FAC standard curve. Routine sensitivity of the method allows determination of 10 ppb fluoroacetate in tissue.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of monensin in chicken tissues with fluorometric detection and confirmation by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

An accurate, sensitive method is described for the determination of monensin residue in chicken tissues by liquid chromatography (LC), in which monensin is derivatized with a fluorescent labeling reagent, 9-anthryldiazomethane (ADAM), to enable fluorometric detection. Samples are extracted with methanol-water (8 + 2), the extract is partitioned between CHCl3 and water, and the CHCl3 layer is cleaned up by silica gel column chromatography. Free monensin, obtained by treatment with phosphate buffer solution (pH 3) at 0 degrees C, is derivatized with ADAM and passed through a disposable silica cartridge. Monensin-ADAM is identified and quantitated by normal phase LC using fluorometric detection. The detection limit is 1 ppb in chicken tissues. Recoveries were 77.6 +/- 1.8% at 1 ppm, 56.7 +/- 7.1% at 100 ppb, and 46.5 +/- 3.7% at 10 ppb fortification levels in chicken. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry is capable of confirming monensin methyl ester tris trimethylsilyl ether in samples containing residues greater than 5 ppm.     

Determination of linuron in potatoes using capillary column gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

A convenient method for the determination of the N-methyl,N-methoxy-phenylurea herbicide (linuron) in potatoes has been developed. The herbicide is extracted from potatoes using a slightly modified Luke multiresidue procedure. The extract is analyzed directly by gas chromatography with cold on-column injection, using an ion trap mass spectrometer in the chemical ionization mode as the detector. Quantitation is performed using p-bromonitrobenzene as the internal standard. The limit of detection is 0.1 ppm. Recoveries of linuron in potatoes averaged 112 +/- 6% at the 0.5 ppm level, and 110 +/- 2% at the 0.2 ppm level. No linuron residues were found in 25 potato samples that were analyzed by this method. Two other N-methyl,N-methoxy-phenylurea herbicides, metobromuron and chlorbromuron, are also sufficiently stable to be determined by this method, but the N,N-dialkyl-phenylurea herbicides neburon, diuron, and monuron are too thermally unstable and degrade in the gas chromatograph.     

Effect of cooking on levels of ethylene dibromide residues in rice

Two studies were conducted to determine the effect that cooking has on the level of residues of ethylene dibromide (EDB) in rice. In the first study, 4 samples of long and medium grain polished white rice containing 113, 295, 956, and 1568 ppb EDB were cooked according to typical label directions. Three batches of cooked rice were prepared from each sample of polished rice and frozen until analysis; each batch was analyzed in duplicate. EDB levels in all cooked rice samples were less than 10 ppb. In the second study, conducted jointly by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a sample of medium grain polished white rice containing about 1600 ppb EDB was cooked by each laboratory. Overall average EDB levels in rice analyzed immediately after cooking were 16 and 37 ppb for FDA and EPA, respectively. The corresponding frozen samples contained 8 and 39 ppb EDB. The 2 laboratories exchanged these frozen samples and reanalyzed them to check variability in the analytical procedure. FDA found 49 ppb EDB in the sample cooked by EPA and EPA found 8 ppb EDB in the sample cooked by FDA, thus indicating that analytical methodology was not a major source of variability. The range of EDB levels was therefore attributed to minor differences in the way the rice was cooked or handled immediately after cooking.     

Immunochromatography of fusarochromanone mycotoxins

The present paper describes an enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) used in combination with thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and liquid chromatography (LC) for determination of fusarochromanone (TDP) mycotoxins in barley, wheat, and a Fusarium culture grown in rice and corn. The mycotoxins were first extracted from the sample with 100% methanol and subjected to TLC or LC without additional cleanup treatment. Individual fractions eluted from TLC or LC were acetylated, then analyzed by ELISA. Determinations of TDP toxins at levels as low as 0.1 and 0.5 ng were achieved by ELISA in combination with LC and TLC, respectively. The detection limit for TDP-1 in barley and wheat was about 20 ppb by ELISA alone as compared with a detection limit of 5 ppb by a combination of ELISA with either TLC or LC. Overall analytical recovery (% of added) of TDP-1 added to barley and wheat at 5, 10, and 20 ppb of TDP-1 was 106.9 +/- 15.3 and 113.2 +/- 11.6 by LC-ELISA and 108.8 +/- 9.1 and 110.4 +/- 4.9 by TLC-ELISA, respectively. Analysis of extracts obtained from Fusarium equiseti R6137 grown in corn and rice by the combination of TLC and ELISA revealed that diacetyl-TDP was also produced by this fungus in addition to TDP-1 and TDP-2. Comparable results were obtained when fungal extracts were subjected to ELISA, LC, and immunochromatography (i.e., combination of ELISA with either TLC or LC).     

Gas chromatographic determination of monoethylene glycol and diethylene glycol in chocolate packaged in regenerated cellulose film

A method for the quantitative determination of monoethylene glycol (MEG) and diethylene glycol (DEG) in chocolate is described. The procedure involves dissolving the chocolate in hot water, defatting with hexane, removing sugars by precipitation, and analyzing as trimethylsilyl (TMS) ether derivatives by capillary gas chromatography. The use of butan-1,4-diol as an internal standard corrects for recovery, which is between 50 and 60%, to give a relative standard deviation of 10-11% for the determination of both glycols at the level of 50 mg/kg. The presence of MEG and DEG in chocolate is confirmed by full scanning gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of the TMS derivatives.     

Headspace gas chromatographic method for determination of methyl bromide in food ingredients

A headspace gas chromatographic (GC) method, which can be automated, has been developed for determination of methyl bromide. This method has been applied to wheat, flour, cocoa, and peanuts. Samples to be analyzed are placed in headspace sample vials, water is added, and the vials are sealed with Teflon-lined septa. After an appropriate equilibration time at 32 degrees C, the samples are analyzed within 10 h. A sample of the headspace is withdrawn and analyzed on a gas chromatograph equipped with an electron capture detector (ECD). Methyl bromide levels were quantitated by comparison of peak area with a standard. The standard was generated by adding a known amount of methyl bromide to a portion of the matrix being analyzed and which was known to be methyl bromide free. The detection limit of the method was 0.4 ppb. The coefficient of variation (CV) was 6.5% for wheat, 8.3% for flour, 3.3% for cocoa, and 11.6% for peanuts.     

Simultaneous determination of alachlor, metolachlor, atrazine, and simazine in water and soil by isotope dilution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

A multiresidue method was developed for the simultaneous determination of low parts per billion (ppb) concentrations of the herbicides alachlor, metolachlor, atrazine, and simazine in water and soil using isotope dilution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Known amounts of 15N,13C-alachlor and 2H5-atrazine were added to each sample as internal standards. The samples were then prepared by a solid phase extraction with no further cleanup. A high resolution GC/low resolution MS system with data acquisition in selected ion monitoring mode was used to quantitate herbicides in the extract. The limit of detection was 0.05 ppb for water and 0.5 ppb for soil. Accuracy greater than 80% and precision better than 4% was demonstrated with spiked samples.