Multiple headspace solid-phase microextraction for the quantitative determination of volatile organic compounds in...

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in packaging materials require accurate quantification.
• Traditional methods often involve organic solvents and can be influenced by sample matrix effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel multiple headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) method for direct, solvent-free quantitative analysis of VOCs in solid packaging.
• To eliminate matrix effects in HS-SPME analysis of solid samples.

Main Methods:

• A stepwise multiple HS-SPME approach involving four successive extractions was developed.
• Analyte removal from the headspace and theoretical exponential decay of peak areas were utilized for quantification.
• Carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane (CAR-PDMS) and divinylbenzene-carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane (DVB-CAR-PDMS) fibers were compared for VOC analysis.

Main Results:

• The method successfully quantifies VOCs in packaging materials without organic solvents.
• CAR-PDMS fibers were optimal for low molecular mass VOCs, while DVB-CAR-PDMS fibers were better for high molecular mass VOCs.
• The method demonstrated good linearity, low detection limits, and reproducibility when applied to multilayer packaging samples.

Conclusions:

• Multiple HS-SPME offers a robust, solvent-free alternative for VOC determination in packaging.
• Fiber selection is crucial for optimizing the analysis of VOCs with varying molecular masses.
• The developed method is suitable for the quantitative analysis of VOCs in diverse multilayer packaging materials.