[Determination phthalates in Chinese spirits]

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Food Safety Analysis

Background:

• Phthalates (PAEs) are common plasticizers with potential health concerns.
• Accurate detection of PAEs in food and beverages is crucial for consumer safety.
• Chinese spirits represent a significant market where PAE contamination needs monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an isotope internal standard method for phthalate determination.
• To quantify phthalates in Chinese spirits using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
• To establish a precise, sensitive, and efficient analytical process for PAE detection.

Main Methods:

• An isotope internal standard was employed for accurate quantification.
• Sample preparation involved alcoholicity adjustment and toluene extraction.
• Phthalate analysis was performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Main Results:

• Linear calibration curves (R² > 0.997) were achieved for 16 phthalates across a concentration range of 0.05–2 µg/mL.
• The method demonstrated high effectiveness with recovery rates from 81.8% to 120%.
• Excellent precision was observed with relative standard deviations (RSD) ranging from 0.711% to 6.63%, and limits of quantification between 0.005–0.05 µg/mL.

Conclusions:

• The developed analytical process is simple, fast, and precise.
• The method exhibits high sensitivity, making it suitable for detecting a wide range of phthalates.
• This validated GC-MS method is highly effective for the routine analysis of phthalates in Chinese spirits.