PVC products, which are inexpensive plastics that are indispensible to the manufacturing industry, have become controversial due to their phthalate content. Due to the health effects of phthalate exposure gaining worldwide concern, scientists have begun to use GC/MS, LC/MS, and LC/MS/MS for phthalate analysis in food and commercial products. However, Solvent Assisted Inlet Ionization (SAII), a rapid and sensitive MS technique, has been developed at USciences and is optimal for phthalate analysis. With the use of a high-resolution Orbitrap Exactive, diethyl and dimethyl phthalate standards were detected at the low parts per trillion concentration. A simultaneous analysis using GC/MS and GC/FID showed a limit of detection in the high parts per billion range.  The high sensitivity for phthalates observed in SAII suggests that inlet ionization may surpass current ionization techniques in sensitivity, without the need for low solvent flows, complex sample preparation, or long wait time.

GC/MS and SAII/MS sensitivity study using phthalates

244th National Meeting (2012)

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