Validation according to European Commission Decision 2002/657/EC of a confirmatory method for aflatoxin M1 in milk based on immunoaffinity columns and high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

A high performance liquid chromatographic method with fluorimetric detection for the determination of aflatoxin M₁ (AFM₁) in milk has been optimized and validated according to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC by using the conventional validation approach. The procedure for determining selectivity, recovery, precision, decision limit (CC_α), detection capability (CC_β) and ruggedness of the method has been reported. The results of the validation process demonstrate the agreement of the method with the provisions of Commission Regulation 401/2006/EC. The mean recovery calculated at three levels of fortification (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5-fold the MRL) was 91% and the maximum relative standard deviation value for the within-laboratory reproducibility was 15%. Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) values were 0.006 μg kg⁻¹ and 0.015 μg kg⁻¹ while the CC_α and CC_β values were 0.058 μg kg⁻¹ and 0.065 μg kg⁻¹, respectively. The relative expanded measurement uncertainty of the method was 7%. The method was not affected by slight variations of some critical factors (ruggedness minor changes) as pre-treatment and clean-up of milk samples, thermal treatment and different storage conditions, as well as by major changes valued in terms of milk produced by different species (buffalo, goat and sheep). The method allowed accurate confirmation analyses of milk samples, resulted positive by the screening method. In fact, the Z-score values attained in a proficiency test round were well below the reference value of 1, proving the excellent laboratory performances.     

In-house validation of liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for determination of semicarbazide in eggs and stability of analyte in matrix

An improved LC-MS/MS method for the determination of semicarbazide in whole egg is described. Waters OASIS-MCX cation exchange purification cartridges increased the sensitivity for analysis by LC-MS/MS. The validation study was carried out according to criteria and requirements of Commission Decision 2002/657/EC for confirmatory analysis and provided the data as follows: The correlation coefficient for the matrix calibration curve, in the range of 0–5 μg kg⁻¹, was r = 0.9968. The detection capability and decision limit, measured according to ISO11843-2, were CCα = 0.20 μg kg⁻¹ and CCβ = 0.25 μg kg⁻¹. Repeatability (CVSr) and within-laboratory reproducibility (CVSwr) determined for the concentration levels of 0.2, 0.5 and 1.0 μg kg⁻¹ SEM ranged from 11.9 to 5.7% and 11.8 to 6.3%, respectively. The validated method was applied to investigate SEM stability in incurred materials (egg homogenates) during long-term storage at −20 °C and 4 °C. The study proved by a two-sampling test that SEM at levels of 17. 7, 1.2, 10.6 and 0.47 μg kg⁻¹ was stable for up to 12 months.     

Validation of a high-performance liquid chromatographic method with fluorescence detection for the simultaneous determination of tetracyclines residues in bovine milk

A high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection method was optimized and validated to determine tetracyclines residues in bovine milk. Post-column derivatization using metal complexation in non-aqueous reagent increased the fluorescence of chelates by a factor up to 2.54 compared to water (signal-to-noise ratio enhancement). Overall recoveries ranged from 61 to 115%, with RSD_r from 5 to 15% (n = 54). Detection limits ranged from 5 to 35 μg kg⁻¹. Limits of quantification were established at 50 μg kg⁻¹. Decision limits (CCα) were 109, 108 and 124 μg kg⁻¹ and detection capabilities (CCβ) 119, 117 and 161 μg kg⁻¹ for oxytetracycline, tetracycline and chlortetracycline, respectively. The method was applied successfully in a national monitoring program.     

Determination of ochratoxin A in wine grapes: comparison of extraction procedures and method validation

A method for determination of ochratoxin A (OTA) in wine grapes is described, using extraction with a hydrogen carbonate and polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution (5% NaHCO₃ and 1% PEG 8000), followed by immunoaffinity clean-up and liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Validation was made with spiked samples, in levels of 0.05 and 1 μg kg⁻¹, with average recovery rates of 76% and relative standard deviations in repeatability and intermediate precision conditions of 8 and 12%, respectively. The limit of detection and limit of quantification in grapes were established at 0.004 and 0.007 μg kg⁻¹, respectively. To evaluate further the accuracy and efficiency of this method, naturally contaminated grapes were also analysed by another method that involves extraction with acidified methanol, at levels ranging from 0.05 to 37 μg kg⁻¹, and the results compared. A good correlation (r=0.9996) was found, with better performances in terms of precision for the new method. A survey was conducted on wine grapes from 11 Portuguese vineyards, during the harvest of 2002, using the proposed method. OTA was detected in three out of the 11 samples, at levels ranging from 0.035 to 0.061 μg kg⁻¹.The new method meets all the criteria of the European Commission directive 2002/26/CE, that lays down the sampling and the analysis methods for the official control of OTA levels in foodstuffs. It is reliable for low levels of contamination (ng kg⁻¹), and avoids the use of organic solvents in the extraction step.     

Application of a modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for 3-amino-2-oxazolidinone residue in aquatic animals

Furazolidone has been banned from use in food animals because of its carcinogenicity and mutagenicity, but its continued misuse is widespread in aquacultures. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a simple, reliable, and rapid method for the detection of its marker residue, 3-amino-2-oxazolidinone (AOZ), in aquatic products. In this regard, we modified a simplified indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) to address this need. A good linearity was achieved over a concentration range of 0.05-12.15 μg L⁻¹, and the IC₅₀ value was 0.96 μg L⁻¹. The sample preparation was simple and effective included water bath treatments, acid hydrolysis combined with overnight derivatization of AOZ by benzaldehyde. The limit of detection and the limit of quantification were 0.15 and 0.3 μg kg⁻¹. The recoveries of AOZ in all tissues were between 78.0-95.3% at the levels of 0.3, 1.0, and 2.0 μg kg⁻¹. The inter-assay variability was less than 19.1%. The modified ic-ELISA was applied in quantification of AOZ elimination in carp. The results showed that AOZ was quite difficult to eliminate. Good correlations of the results obtained by ELISA and LC-MS/MS were observed in incurred carp muscle (r = 0.9923) and carp plasma (r = 0.9915) at the levels of 2.5-571.8 μg kg⁻¹ (μg L⁻¹). Better results were obtained by modified ic-ELISA when compared with commercial ELISA kit. Therefore, the present assay is considered a rapid, accurate, reliable, and inexpensive method for the detection of furazolidone-residues in the edible tissues of aquatic animals.     

Concentration levels of total and methylmercury in mussel samples collected along the coasts of Sardinia Island (Italy)

This paper reports the assessment of the total mercury (T-Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) contamination of mussel samples collected by two sampling campaigns from along the coastline of Sardinia (Italy). T-Hg has been determined by a direct mercury analyser (DMA) whereas MeHg has been determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) after acid extraction, and employs a novel NaBPh₄ derivatization method. The evaluation of the quality of measurements was carried out by analysing candidate certified reference material (CRM) BCR 710, for MeHg and T-Hg, and CRM IAEA-350 for T-Hg. In the analysed samples, the T-Hg concentrations range from 35 to 115 μg kg⁻¹ and from 40 to 830 μg kg⁻¹, for the two sampling campaigns, respectively, whereas the MeHg concentrations range from l5 to 51 μg kg⁻¹ and from 17 to 116 μg kg⁻¹. Consequently, the MeHg/T-Hg ratios range from 0.33 to 0.91 and from 0.14 to 0.98, respectively. Despite the increasing trend of Hg concentration from the first to the second sampling campaign, the T-Hg concentration of all the samples was much below the 0.5 μg g⁻¹ WHO limit, and the MeHg values ranged between 2.2 and 17.2 μg kg⁻¹, not exceeding the 43.5 μg kg⁻¹ tolerable daily residue level calculated for Italy.     

Enzyme immunoassay for semicarbazide--the nitrofuran metabolite and food contaminant

Semicarbazide (SEM), the marker residue for the banned nitrofuran veterinary antibiotic nitrofurazone (NFZ), has been detected regularly in foods (47% of recent nitrofuran EU Rapid Alerts involve SEM). However, the validity of SEM as a definitive marker for NFZ has been undermined by SEM arising from other sources including azodicarbonamide, a plastics blowing agent and flour treatment additive. An inexpensive screening test for SEM in food matrices is needed—all SEM testing currently uses expensive LC-MS/MS instrumentation. We now report the first production of antibodies against derivatised SEM. A novel carboxyphenyl SEM derivative was used to raise a polyclonal antibody that has been incorporated into a semi-quantitative microtitre plate ELISA, validated according to the criteria set out in Commission Decision 2002/657/EC, for use with chicken muscle. The antibody is highly specific for derivatised SEM, cross-reactivity being 1.7% with NFZ and negligible with a wide range of other nitrofurans and poultry drugs. Samples are derivatised with o-nitrobenzaldehyde and simultaneously protease digested before extraction by cation exchange SPE. The ELISA has a SEM detection capability (CC_β) of 0.25 μg kg⁻¹ when a threshold of 0.21 μg kg⁻¹ is applied to the selection of samples for confirmation (lowest observed 0.25 μg kg⁻¹ fortified sample, n = 20), thus satisfying the EU nitrofurans’ minimum required performance limit of 1 μg kg⁻¹. NFZ-incurred muscles (12) containing SEM at 0.5-5.0 μg kg⁻¹ by LC-MS/MS, all screened positive by this ELISA protocol which is also applicable to egg and chicken liver.     

Determination of flunixin and ketoprofen in milk by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A relatively fast, simple and very selective liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) method for the detection of flunixin, its 5-hydroxymetabolite and ketoprofen in raw milk has been developed and validated. After a simple extraction with acetonitrile and partial evaporation of the organic phase, the extract was filtered and directly injected into the LC-MS-MS system on a Symmetry C₁₈ column. The parent ions were selected for further fragmentation with argon. The method developed was partially validated according to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC [Commission Decision 2002/657/EC implementing Council Directive 96/23/EC concerning the performance of analytical methods and the interpretation of results]. The validation parameters were linearity, specificity, repeatability, recovery and decision limit (CCα). CCα varied from 0.5 μg kg⁻¹ for flunixin and 5-hydroxyflunixin to 1 μg kg⁻¹ for ketoprofen.Holstein-Friesian cows were given either Ketofen^® or Finadyne^® via an intravenous injection at the maximum dose as written in the instructions. Cows were milked twice a day and all samples were analysed by the method described. The highest concentrations found for ketoprofen, flunixin and 5-hydroxyflunixin were 2.5, 6.7 and 590 μg l⁻¹, respectively. The concentration of 5-hydroxyflunixin declined rapidly to concentrations below the MRL value of 40 μg l⁻¹. It can be concluded that the withdrawal time proposed by the pharmaceutical companies, 12 h after the last dosing, is acceptable for both compounds.     

Determination of benzimidazolic fungicides in fruits and vegetables by supramolecular solvent-based microextraction/liquid chromatography/fluorescence detection

A supramolecular solvent consisting of vesicles, made up of equimolecular amounts of decanoic acid (DeA) and tetrabutylammonium decanoate (Bu₄NDe), dispersed in a continuous aqueous phase, is proposed for the extraction of benzimidazolic fungicides (BFs) from fruits and vegetables. Carbendazim (CB), thiabendazole (TB) and fuberidazole (FB) were extracted in a single step and no clean-up or concentration of extracts was needed. The high extraction efficiency obtained for BFs was a result of the different types of interactions provided by the supramolecular solvent (e.g. hydrophobic and hydrogen bonds) and the high number of solubilisation sites it contains. Besides simple and efficient, the proposed extraction approach was rapid, low-cost, environment friendly and it was implemented using conventional lab equipments. The target analytes were determined in the supramolecular extract by LC/fluorescence detection. They were separated in a Kromasil C₁₈ (5 μm, 150 mm × 4.6 mm) column using isocratic elution [mobile phase: 60:40 (v/v) 50 mM phosphate buffer (pH 4)/methanol] and quantified at 286/320 nm (CB) and 300/350 nm (TB and FB) excitation/emission wavelengths, respectively. Quantitation limits provided by the supramolecular solvent-based microextraction (SUSME)/LC/fluorescence detection proposed method for the determination of CB, TB and FB in fruits and vegetables were 14.0, 1.3 and 0.03 μg kg⁻¹, respectively, values far below the current maximum residue levels (MRLs) established by the European Union, i.e. 100-2000 μg kg⁻¹ for CB, 50-5000 μg kg⁻¹ for TB and 50 μg kg⁻¹ for FB. The precision of the method, expressed as relative standard deviation, for inter-day measurements (n = 13) was 3.3% for CB (50 μg kg⁻¹), 3.5% for TB (10 μg kg⁻¹) and 2.8% for FB (0.5 μg kg⁻¹) and recoveries for fruits (oranges, tangerines, lemons, limes, grapefruits, apples, pears and bananas) and vegetables (potatoes and lettuces) fortified at the μg kg⁻¹ level were in the interval 93-102%.     

Simultaneous determination of sex hormones in egg products by ZnCl2 depositing lipid, solid-phase extraction and ultra performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

A method was developed for simultaneous determination of residues of 17 sex hormones in egg products. Target compounds were extracted from samples with methanol in an ultrasonic bath, effectively separated from lipids in the extracts by ZnCl₂ depositing filtration and purified using a C₁₈ solid-phase extraction (SPE) and followed by NH₂ SPE cartridge. The analytes were quantified by liquid chromatography using a BEH C₁₈ column coupled to an electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometer (LC-ESI-MS/MS) operating in negative mode for estrogens and in positive multiple reaction monitoring mode for androgens. The parameters of the mass spectrometer and the composition of mobile phase and additives were also optimized to enhance detection sensitivity. Average recoveries of the target compounds varied from 70.0% to 121.0% with relative standard deviations ranging from 2.3% to 11.2% at two fortification levels. The limits of detection (LOD) of the method were from 0.002 μg kg⁻¹ to 0.23 μg kg⁻¹ and the limits of quantification (LOQ) were in the range of 0.007-0.76 μg kg⁻¹.     

Simultaneous determination of tetracyclines in poultry muscle by capillary zone electrophoresis

A capillary zone electrophoresis method with UV detection was developed for the simultaneous detection and quantification of three tetracyclines in chicken meat samples: tetracycline (TC), oxytetracycline (OTC) and doxycycline (DOC). The separation conditions were: a running buffer containing 30 mM sodium phosphate, 2 mM EDTA disodium salt and 2.5% 2-propanol, pH 12.0, a 5 s hydrodynamic injection and a 14 kV separation voltage. Two different clean-up methodologies were employed: solid-phase extraction with C₁₈ cartridges and ion exchange with Amberlite XAD7 resin. Analytes were detected at 360 nm in less than 12 min. LODs ranged from 61 μg kg⁻¹ for OTC to 68 μg kg⁻¹ for DOC with C₁₈ cartridges, and 81 μg kg⁻¹ for DOC to 89 μg kg⁻¹ for TC with Amberlite XAD7 resin. The recoveries for TC, OTC and DOC obtained by both methods were between 85 and 95%, and the peak area repeatability for all of the samples was below 5% in all cases. Twenty-four samples of commercial chicken drumsticks were examined with both clean-up methodologies. In nine cases (37.5%) TC was detected, in a range from 197.8 to 2564.3 μg kg⁻¹, and in seven cases (29.2%) OTC was detected in a range from 83.0 to 2049.3 μg kg⁻¹. DOC was not detected in any of the tested samples. This method would be useful for the routine monitoring of TCs residues in poultry muscle.     

A reliable high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection for the determination of sulfonamides in honey

The sulfonamides are stable chemotherapeutics used against the bacterial disease affecting bees, known as American foulbrood (Bacillus larvae), so their residues could appear in the honey of treated bees. Their presence at a concentration above the limit value is a potential hazard to human health. Brazilian authorities have included in the National regulatory monitoring program, the control of the three most widely used sulfonamides in honey production, i.e., sulfathiazole, sulfamethazine and sulfadimethoxine. A method for the determination of residual sulfonamides in honey, using sulfapyridine as an internal standard has been developed, optimized and validated. Some changes were implemented on current available methodologies for the analysis of sulfonamides in honey in order to adopt such procedures to Brazilian honey samples. Sulfonamides were extracted from honey with dichloromethane after dissolution with 30% sodium chloride, and cleaned up with solid phase extraction on Florisil columns. The eluate was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. The limit of detection was determined at 3 μg kg⁻¹, 4 μg kg⁻¹ and 5 μg kg⁻¹ for sulfathiazole, sulfamethazine and sulfadimethoxine, respectively with average recoveries of 61.0% for sulfathiazole; 94.5% for sulfamethazine and 86.0% for sulfadimethoxine at the 100 μg kg⁻¹ level. As the final step of validation procedure, the analysts were submitted to a blind spiked sample prepared by the quality assurance officer which results were successfully obtained regarding recovery and deviations.     

A dual validation approach to detect anthelmintic residues in bovine liver over an extended concentration range

This paper describes a method for the detection and quantification of 38 residues of the most widely used anthelmintics (including 26 veterinary drugs belonging to the benzimidazole, macrocyclic lactone and flukicide classes) in bovine liver using two different protocols for MRL and non-MRL levels. A dual validation approach was adopted to reliably quantify anthelmintic residues over an extended concentration range (1-3000 μg kg⁻¹). Sample extraction and purification was carried out using a modified QuEChERS method. A concentration step was included when analysing in the low μg kg⁻¹ range. Rapid analysis was carried out by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS), which was capable of detecting residues to <2 μg kg⁻¹. The method has been single-laboratory validated according to the 2002/657/EC guidelines and met acceptability criteria in all but a few cases. The inclusion of 19 internal standards, including 14 isotopically labelled internal standards, improved accuracy, precision, decision limit (CCα) and detection capability (CCβ).     

Simultaneous determination of salbutamol sulphate, bromhexine hydrochloride and etofylline in pharmaceutical formulations with the use of four rapid derivative spectrophotometric methods

Four simple, rapid, accurate, precise, reliable and economical spectrophotometric methods have been proposed for simultaneous determination of salbutamol sulphate (SS), bromhexine hydrochloride (BH) and etofylline (ET) in pure and commercial formulations without any prior separation or purification. They were first derivative zero crossing spectrophotometry (method 1), simultaneous equation method (method 2), derivative ratio spectra zero crossing method (method 3) and double divisor ratio spectra derivative method (method 4). The ranges for SS, BH and ET were found to be 1-35 μg mL⁻¹, 4-40 μg mL⁻¹ and 5-80 μg mL⁻¹. For methods 1 and 2, the values of limit of detection (LOD) were 0.2314 μg mL⁻¹, 0.4865 μg mL⁻¹ and 0.2766 μg mL⁻¹ and the values of limit of quantitation (LOQ) were 0.7712 μg mL⁻¹, 1.6217 μg mL⁻¹ and 0.9221 μg mL⁻¹ for SS, BH and ET, respectively. For method 3, LOD values were 0.3297 μg mL⁻¹, 0.2784 μg mL⁻¹ and 0.7906 μg mL⁻¹ and LOQ values were 0.9325 μg mL⁻¹, 0.9282 μg mL⁻¹ and 2.6352 μg mL⁻¹ for SS, BH and ET, respectively. For method 4, LOD values were 0.3161 μg mL⁻¹, 0.2495 μg mL⁻¹ and 0.2064 μg mL⁻¹ and LOQ values were 0.9869 μg mL⁻¹, 0.8317 μg mL⁻¹ and 0.6879 μg mL⁻¹ for SS, BH and ET. The precision values were less then 2% R.S.D. for all four methods. The common excipients and additives did not interfere in their determinations. The results obtained by the proposed methods have been statistically compared by means of Student t-test and by the variance ratio F-test.     

Ultra-trace level determination of hydroquinone in waste photographic solutions by UV-vis spectrophotometry

A simpler UV-vis spectrophotometric method was investigated for hydroquinone (HQ) determination using KMnO₄ as oxidizing agent for conversion of HQ to p-benzoquinone (BQ) as well as signal enhancer. Various parameters such as analytical wavelength, stability time, temperature, pH, solvent effect and interference of chemicals were checked and parameters optimized by using 1 μg ml⁻¹ standard solution of HQ. Beer's Law was applicable in the range of 0.07-2 μg ml⁻¹ and 0.005-0.05 μg ml⁻¹ at 245.5 nm and at 262 nm for aqueous standard solutions of HQ with linear regression coefficient value of 0.9978 and 0.9843 and detection limit of 0.021 μg ml⁻¹ and 0.0016 μg ml⁻¹ HQ, respectively. Standard deviation of 1.7% and 2.4% was true for 1 μg ml⁻¹ and 0.03 μg ml⁻¹ HQ solution (n = 11) run at respective wavelengths. The method was successfully applied to dilute waste photographic developer samples for free HQ determination.     

Supramolecular solvents in solid sample microextractions: Application to the determination of residues of oxolinic acid and flumequine in fish and shellfish

Supramolecular solvents are here proposed firstly as extractants in solid sample microextractions. The approach was evaluated by extracting flumequine (FLU) and oxolinic acid (OXO), two widely used veterinary medicines, from fish and shellfish muscle using a supramolecular solvent made up of decanoic acid (DeA) reverse micelles. The antibiotics were extracted in a single step (∼15 min), at room temperature, using 400 μL of solvent. After centrifugation, an aliquot of the extract was directly analyzed by liquid chromatography and fluorescence, without the need of clean-up or solvent evaporation. Contrary to the previously reported methods, both OXO and FLU were quantitatively extracted from fish and shellfish, independently of sample composition. The high extraction efficiencies observed for these antibiotics were a consequence of their amphiphilic character which resulted in the formation of DeA-OXO and DeA-FLU mixed aggregates. The quality parameters of this quantitative method including sensitivity, linearity, selectivity, repeatability, trueness, ruggedness, stability, decision limit and detection capability were evaluated according to the 2002/657/EC Commission Decision. Quantitation limits in the different samples analyzed (salmon, sea trout, sea bass, gilt-head bream, megrim and prawns) ranged between 6.5 and 22 μg kg⁻¹ for OXO and, 5 and 15 μg kg⁻¹ for FLU. These limits were far below the current maximum residue limits (MRLs) set by the European Union (EU) (i.e. 100 and 600 μg kg⁻¹, for OXO and FLU, respectively). The trueness of the method was determined by analyzing a Certified Reference Material (CMR, BCR^®-725) consisting of a lyophilised salmon tissue material. Recoveries for fortified samples (50–100 μg kg⁻¹ of OXO and 50–600 μg kg⁻¹ of FLU) and their relative standard deviations were in the intervals 99–102% and 0.2–5%, respectively. The repeatability, expressed as relative standard deviation, was 3.6% for OXO and 2.3% for FLU ([OXO] = [FLU] = 200 μg kg⁻¹ and n = 11).     

Evaluation of polychlorotrifluoroethylene as sorbent material for on-line solid phase extraction systems: determination of copper and lead by flame atomic absorption spectrometry in water samples

Polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE) in the form of beads was applied, as packing material for flow injection on-line column preconcentration and separation systems coupled with flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Its performance characteristics were evaluated for trace copper determination in environmental samples. The on-line formed complex of metal with diethyldithiophosphate (DDPA) was sorbed on the PCTFE surface. Isobutyl methyl ketone (IBMK) at a flow rate of 2.8 mL min⁻¹ was used to elute the analyte complex directly into the nebulizer-burner system of spectrophotometer. The proposed sorbent material reveal, excellent chemical and mechanical resistance, fast adsorption kinetics permitting the use of high sample flow rates up to 15 mL min⁻¹ without loss of retention efficiency. For copper determination, with 90 s preconcentration time the sample frequency was 30 h⁻¹, the enhancement factor was 250, which could be further improved by increasing the loading (preconcentration) time. The detection limit (3s) was c_L = 0.07 μg L⁻¹, and the precision (R.S.D.) was 1.8%, at the 2.0 μg L⁻¹ Cu(II) level. For lead determination, the detection limit was c_L = 2.7 μg L⁻¹, and the precision (R.S.D.) 2.2%, at the 40.0 μg L⁻¹ Pb(II) level. The accuracy of the developed method was evaluated by analyzing certified reference materials and by recovery measurements on spiked natural water samples.     

Trace determination of sulfonamides residues in meat with a combination of solid-phase microextraction and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

An integrated method of combining solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was evaluated for determination trace amount of sulfonamides in meat products. Eight commonly used sulfonamides, sulfadiazine (SDZ), sulfathiazole (STZ), sulfamerazine (SMR), sulfamethazine (SMT), sulfamonomethoxine (SMMX), sulfamethoxazole (SMXZ), sulfaquinoxaline (SQX) and sulfadimethoxine (SDMX), were investigated in this study. Chromatography was performed on a C₁₈ reversed-phase column using an isocratic acetonitrile in water as the mobile phase. Fiber coated with a 65 μm thickness of polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB) was used to extract sulfonamides at optimum conditions. Analytes were desorbed with static desorption in an SPME-HPLC desorbed chamber for 15 min and then determined by LC-MS. The detection limits of these sulfonamides in pork were from 16 μg kg⁻¹ (SMT) to 39 μg kg⁻¹ (SMMX). According to the analysis, the linear range was from 50 to 2000 μg kg⁻¹ with relative standard deviation (R.S.D.s) value below 15% (intra-day) and 19% (inter-day). The proposed method was tested by analyzing meats from a local market for sulfonamides residues. Some sulfonamides in our study were detected in the meat samples. The concentration of these residual sulfonamides ranged from 66 μg kg⁻¹ (SDZ) to 157 μg kg⁻¹ (SQX) in a chicken sample. The results demonstrate that the SPME-LC-MS system is highly effective in analyzing trace sulfonamides in meat products.     

Application of a quick,easy, cheap,effective, rugged and safe-based method for the simultaneous extraction of chlorophenols,alkylphenols, nitrophenols and cresols in agricultural soils,analyzed by using gas chromatography–triple quadrupole-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry

Due to the different physico-chemical properties of phenols, the development of a methodology for the simultaneous extraction and determination of phenolic compounds belonging to several families, such as chlorophenols (CPs), alkylphenols (APs), nitrophenols (NTPs) and cresols is difficult. This study shows the development and validation of a method for the analysis of 13 phenolic compounds (including CPs, APs, NTPs and cresols) in agricultural soils. For this purpose, a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS)-based procedure was developed, validated and applied to the analysis of real samples. A derivatization step prior to the final determination by gas chromatography (GC) coupled to a triple quadrupole analyzer operating in tandem mass spectrometry (QqQ-MS/MS) was performed by using acetic acid anhydride (AAA) and pyridine (Py). The optimized procedure was validated, obtaining average extraction recoveries in the range 69–103% (10 μg kg⁻¹), 65–98% (50 μg kg⁻¹), 76–112% (100 μg kg⁻¹) and 76–112% (300 μg kg⁻¹), with precision values (expressed as relative standard deviation, RSD) ≤ 22% (except for 4-chlorophenol) involving intra-day and inter-day studies. Furthermore, 15 real soil samples were analyzed by the proposed method in order to assess its applicability. Some phenolic compounds (e.g. 2,4,6-trichlorophenol or 4-tert-octylphenol) were found in the samples at trace levels (<10 μg kg⁻¹).     

Three-way models and detection capability of a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method for the determination of clenbuterol in several biological matrices: the 2002/657/EC European Decision

Clenbuterol has been extracted by mixed solid-phase extraction from two biological matrices (bovine hair and urine) and detected by GC/MS (selected ion monitoring (SIM) and full-SCAN modes). The analytical signal has been modelled with univariate and three-way models, namely DTLD, PARAFAC, PARAFAC2, Tucker3 and trilinear PLS. Since clenbuterol is a banned substance a comparative study of the capability of detection (CCβ, X₀=0) has been performed as a function of the sample (hair, 74 μg kg⁻¹ and urine, 0.36 μg l⁻¹), the mode in which the signals are monitored (SCAN, 283 μg kg⁻¹ and SIM, 74 μg kg⁻¹) and the statistical model (univariate, 283 μg kg⁻¹ and trilinear PLS, 20.91 μg kg⁻¹). The capability of detection has been calculated as stated in ISO 11843 and Decision 2002/657/EC setting in all cases the probabilities of false positive and of false negative at 0.05.The identification of the mass spectra must be done to confirm the presence of clenbuterol and has been carried out through PARAFAC. The correlation coefficient between the spectra estimated by PARAFAC and the library spectra is 0.96 (hair, SCAN mode) and 1.00 (hair and urine, SIM mode).The Decision 2002/657/EC advocates the use of independent mass fragments to identify banned compounds. These recommendations together with the effect of the number of ions registered on the capability of detection have lead us to select five uncorrelated fragments (86, 243, 262, 264 and 277) from the data set of 210 ions by hierarchical clustering of variables.