An Immunoaffinity Purification Method for the Simultaneous Analysis of Triclocarban and Triclosan in Foodstuffs by Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Triclocarban (TCC) and triclosan (TCS) have been simultaneously detected in five kinds of foodstuffs using an immunoaffinity purification method coupled with ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) for the first time. Two highly specific monoclonal antibodies against TCC and TCS were produced and coupled to N-hydroxysuccinimide-activated Sepharose 6B gel to prepare the immunosorbent. Under the optimal conditions, mean recoveries from spiked samples by the IAC-UHPLC-MS/MS method were 70.1−92.8% for TCC and 76.6−102.5% for TCS. Intraday relative standard deviations were below 14.5%. The limits of quantification (LOQs) of TCC were 1 ng/L for beverage samples and 0.01−0.02 μg/kg for food samples. The LOQs of TCS were 0.03 μg/L for beverage samples and 0.2−0.3 μg/kg for food samples. The applicability of the method has been proven by analyzing TCC and TCS in different samples from supermarkets in Beijing. The proposed method is sufficiently sensitive and reliable for monitoring trace concentrations of TCC and TCS in food samples.

Exposure to Triclosan and Bisphenol Analogues B, F, P, S and Z in Repeated Duplicate-Diet Solid Food Samples of Adults

“…In a recent study by Azzouz et al [20], TCS residues were not detected in 13 different cereal-based foods (cookies, corn flakes, macaroni, muesli with fruit, multiseed bread, noodles, rice, sesame reganus, spaghetti, tortellini with cheese, wheat flour, wheat tortillas, and white bread) that were purchased from several shops and supermarkets in Spain. However, in another study by Yao et al [19], TCS residues were found in three raw chicken eggs (maximum = 6.7 ng/g), but not in samples of beer, soda, chicken meat, or cherries purchased at supermarkets in China. The authors suggested that the eggshells may have been indirectly contaminated at the supermarkets by employees using products (e.g., sponges or wipes) containing TCS to clean food preparation surfaces.…”

“…TCS is not known to be incorporated into any food packaging materials [17], but this chemical has been used in a variety of consumer goods such as personal care products and kitchenware [14][15][16][17]. Only a few studies in the literature have quantified the concentrations of TCS residues in any foodstuffs, globally [18][19][20]. In a recent study by Azzouz et al [20], TCS residues were not detected in 13 different cereal-based foods (cookies, corn flakes, macaroni, muesli with fruit, multiseed bread, noodles, rice, sesame reganus, spaghetti, tortellini with cheese, wheat flour, wheat tortillas, and white bread) that were purchased from several shops and supermarkets in Spain.…”

“…There is growing concern about the potential dietary exposures of people to TCS residues resulting from the indirect use of some of these consumer goods (i.e., kitchenware, countertops, and personal care products) containing this phenol [14,16]. Currently, only three published studies conducted in China and Spain have measured TCS residue concentrations in any foods or beverages, and none in the US [18][19][20]. These small studies have reported finding TCS residues in one boiled ham sample (~2 ng/g) and in three raw chicken egg samples (up to 6.7 ng/g), but not in any cereal-based foods (i.e., corn flakes, pasta, cookies, and white bread) purchased from local supermarkets.…”

“…In previous dietary exposure studies, researchers have collected food items from grocery stores or supermarkets and then analyzed these food items for specific phenols in a laboratory setting [2,5,[7][8][9][10][11][12][18][19][20]. A major limitation of this approach is that it does not account for the possible additional contamination of these food items with phenolic compounds by people in real world settings.…”

“…A major limitation of this approach is that it does not account for the possible additional contamination of these food items with phenolic compounds by people in real world settings. These types of real-life studies are necessary as previous research has suggested that the personal behavior of adults (i.e., use of certain types of kitchenware or personal care products on hands when preparing or eating foods) can considerably increase the levels of phenols in some foods prior to consumption [1,18,19,24].…”