Determination of Phthalate Plasticisers in Palm Oil Using Online Solid Phase Extraction-Liquid Chromatography (SPE-LC)

Abstract

Contamination of phthalates plasticisers to food has raised concern as some of the phthalates are suspected to be endocrine disruptors. The phthalates have high affinity with oily environment and analysing these chemicals in such matrices is difficult because of the trace amount of the analyte and interference from matrix. An online solid phase extraction (SPE) technique using a large volume (3.5 mL) injection was developed for the analysis of 6 common plasticisers in palm oil. A simple sample preparation involving alumina as a fat retainer and methanol : acetonitrile (1 : 1) as the extraction solvent was performed prior to the usage of online SPE-LC system. This system consists of two columns, C16for the solid phase extraction (SPE) and C18as the analytical column, and a photo diode array detector. The calibration curves were linear from 5 to 1000 μg L−1, with correlation coefficients above 0.99. The instrumental limit of detection was 3 μg L−1and satisfactory recovery was obtained. A screening on a few samples in the retail market revealed the presence of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and butylbenzylphthalate (BBP) in the palm oil, with concentration less than 1 mg L−1.

Effect of Contact Time on the Level of Phthalates in Polyethylene Terephthalate-bottled Water from the Point of Sale

“…Fellow researchers in Malaysia, e.g., Chong et al (2011) determined phthalates in polypropylene consumer products (such as food containers, instant noodle cups, and snack containers) and found the examined samples to contain DEHP ranging from 830 mg/kg to 1270 mg/kg. Ibrahim et al (2014) determined phthalates in different palm oil brands, which were packed in PET bottles in the retail market in Malaysia. They detected DBP and BBP at concentrations less than 1 mg/kg.…”

Carbonized Aramid Fiber as the Adsorbent for In-Tube Solid-Phase Microextraction to Detect Estrogens in Water Samples

“…Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was firstly introduced by Arthur and Pawliszyn in the early 1990s [10]. SPME is a simple and convenient sample preparation technique that has enabled automation, miniaturization, and high-throughput performance [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. In-tube SPME is a novel SPME technique that is easy to operate, solvent free, and cost effective [19][20][21][22].…”

Migration studies of butylated hydroxytoluene, tributyl acetylcitrate and dibutyl phthalate into food simulants

“…Migration studies conducted with foodstuffs and food simulants under different study conditions are widely reported in several studies. [8][9][10][11][12][13][14] Plasticizers with a relatively low molecular weight at high concentration levels have high mobility in the polymeric matrix and usually represent the most problematic extractable additives in plastics that tend to migrate in foodstuffs, especially with a high fat content, as a result of the higher solubility of these migrating compounds in fat.…”