Improved method for the determination of benzene in soft drinks at sub-ppb levels

• Published in: Food additives & contaminants. Part A, Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment Vol. 25; no. 4; pp. 401 - 405
• Main Authors: Cao, X.L, Casey, V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Taylor & Francis Group 01.04.2008; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Benzene; Benzene - analysis; beverages; Biological and medical sciences; capillary gas chromatography; carbonated beverages; Carbonated Beverages - analysis; Consumer Product Safety; food additives; food analysis; Food Analysis - methods; Food Contamination - analysis; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gas chromatography-mass selective detection (GC-MSD); Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry - methods; General aspects; headspace; headspace analysis; Humans; Hygiene and safety; isotope dilution; mass spectrometry; Non alcoholic beverage industries and mineral waters; quantitative analysis; Reproducibility of Results; soft drinks; Sulfates - chemistry; Temperature; Gas chromatography; gas chromatography-mass selective detection (GC-MSD); beverages; Analysis method; soft drinks; Benzene; Isotope dilution; Headspace; Soft drink; Control method; Detection
• ISSN: 0265-203X; 1944-0049; 1464-5122; 1944-0057
• DOI: 10.1080/02652030701586673

An automated, simple, and reproducible method based on isotope dilution headspace gas chromatography/mass spectrometry developed previously for the determination of benzene in soft drinks was further improved by adding sodium sulfate to samples, lowering the gas chromatography oven starting temperature to narrow benzene peak width, and increasing sample injection volume. This improved method had a lower detection limit (0.016 µg l −1 ) and good repeatability, and was used in a follow-up survey to assess benzene levels in 139 samples of soft drink products. Benzene was detected in 67% of the 139 products tested. Compared with the previous survey, the average benzene concentrations in most products from this survey were lower, and only a few products had benzene at elevated levels.