TITLE:
Evaluation of the Equality of Non-Polar Capillary Columns in GC/MS Analysis of Food Contact Plastics
AUTHORS:
Motoh Mutsuga, Miku Yamaguchi, Yutaka Abe, Hiroshi Akiyama
KEYWORDS:
Non-Polar Capillary Column; GC/MS Analysis; Additives for Food Contact Plastics; Relative Retention Time; Relative Peak Area
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Analytical Chemistry,
Vol.4 No.9,
September
13,
2013
ABSTRACT: Non-polar capillary columns for GC/MS are widely
utilized in the analysis of additives for food contact materials. Though
various kinds of non-polar capillary columns are commercially available, the
equality of their performance has not been verified. Herein, ninety-six
additives for food contact plastics were analyzed using fifteen kinds of
columns, and the peak separation, retention times, and peak areas of each additive
were compared. The additives, with various chemical properties, comprised forty
four plasticizers, twenty lubricants, twenty antioxidants, nine ultraviolet
absorbers, and three other compounds. 10 μg.mL-1 test solutions were prepared in acetone, and injected to the GC/MS. The fifteen
columns were classified into five categories based on the chromatogram pattern
and peak separation. To facilitate comparison of the retention time and
detection sensitivity of the columns for the additives, the relative retention
time (RRT) and relative peak area (RPA) were calculated by using
dibutylphthalate or 4-tert-butylphenylsalicylate
as an internal standard. The RRTs of the additives on each column were
essentially similar. However, the RRT of the additives which were detected in
the later stages differed slightly. Although the RPA of the plasticizers and
lubricants were roughly similar, column-to-column differences were observed for
certain additives, such as antioxidants and ultraviolet absorbers. Furthermore,
certain fatty acids, antioxidants, two plasticizers, and two benzophenone type
ultraviolet absorbers were not detected in the chromatograms of two columns.