Method for the analysis of thyreostats in meat tissue using gas chromatography with nitrogen phosphorus detection and tandem mass spectrometric confirmation.

An analytical method not requiring a mercury column cleanup step is described for the isolation and detection of four thyreostatic agents in meat tissue. The use of these growth promotants in livestock has been banned by regulatory agencies. The meat tissue is homogenized with acetonitrile-water, centrifuged, and the supernatant is partitioned with petroleum ether. The acetonitrile-water is concentrated and then passed through a silica-gel column. The solvent is then removed and the residue derivatized with N-methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl)-trifluoroacetamide. The total amount of organic solvent used for the analysis is merely 35 mL. The derivatized thyreostats are detected and quantitated by gas chromatography (GC) equipped with a nitrogen-phosphorus detector. Percent recoveries from fortified meat tissue (n = 6) at the 0.1-microg/g (parts per million) level are 93.5 +/- 2.9 for 2-thiouracil, 90.3 +/- 3.0 for tapazole, 87.5 +/- 2.9 for 6-methyl-2-thiouracil, and 85.1 +/- 5.8 for 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil. For the confirmation of analyte identities, GC-tandem mass spectrometry with an ion-trap instrument is used. The estimated minimum level for a reliable measurement is 0.050 microg/g in meat tissue.

Supercritical fluid extraction of atrazine and other triazine herbicides from fortified and incurred eggs.

Triazines are a class of important pre-emergent weed herbicides. Some members of this class of herbicides exhibit carcinogenic and immunotoxicity properties, which make their use controversial in areas where animal feed crops are grown. It is therefore important to determine if triazine residues are transported to animal food products in order to ascertain the extent of human exposure. Most of the current herbicide residue extraction methods are time-consuming and solvent intensive. Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) using CO(2) has been used as a alternative for other residue extraction methods as a replacement for hazardous organic solvents. In this study, 10 triazines were extracted from eggs fortified at 100 ppb using unmodified supercritical CO(2) at a pressure of 10000 psi and a temperature of 50 degrees C with off-line collection on a solid phase extraction cartridge containing Florisil. Atrazine recovery averaged 90.4% with an RSD of 3.3%. The other triazines were recovered at mean levels >73%. In a separate feeding study, atrazine and two of its dealkyl metabolites were detected in the egg. The results indicate that SFE is a viable technique for isolating triazine residues from eggs, requiring only 8 mL of solvent for each analysis.

Potential artifact formation of dioxins in ball clay during supercritical fluid extraction.

Earlier surveys indicate that meat, fish and dairy products are the principal source of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD) exposure in the diet. A recent finding by others of PCDDs in chickens that consumed a feed containing PCDD led to the finding of ball clay, an anti-caking agent, as the source. Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) was studied as a means to isolate PCDDs from commercial ball clays using GC-electron capture detection (muECD) as a means to screen for these contaminants. The finding of ng/g amounts and recoveries >100% in several samples of ball clay containing octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (OCDD) suggested that PCDD may form artifactually as a result of analysis. Studies on pentachlorophenol (PCP) fortified ball clay were carried out by SFE and soxhlet extraction and the results compared. The values obtained by SFE were considered more problematic. The results obtained from ball clay suggest that precautions need to be exercised when using SFE to analyze for dioxins in solid samples containing chlorophenols.

Isolation of chloramphenicol from whole eggs by supercritical fluid extraction with in-line collection.

Egg consumption, at more than 65 billion per year in the United States, represents a potentially significant source of exposure to drug residues, particularly if the laying hens are treated with antimicrobial compounds or fed a diet containing medicated feed. Residues resulting from the use of chloramphenicol (CAP) is especially problematic if this compound is not used in accordance with national registration, e.g., for the control of Salmonella microorganisms in poultry. The most commonly used methods for the determination of CAP in biological samples require the use of large amounts of organic solvent. As a result, a less solvent intensive supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) method was developed for CAP in whole chicken eggs, and the results were compared with those for a solvent extraction procedure. In the SFE method, the egg sample is extracted with supercritical CO2 (without a modifier) at 10,000 psi (680 bar), 80 degrees C, and an expanded gas flow rate of 3.0 L/min to a total volume of 150 L. The CAP is trapped in-line on a Florisil sorbent bed. The CAP is eluted post-SFE by using the liquid chromatographic mobile phase solvent (water-methanol), and determined on a C8 column with ultraviolet detection at 280 nm. Recovery from eggs fortified at the 10 ppb level (n = 6) was 81.2 +/- 4.3%. To obtain eggs containing incurred CAP, hens were given a single daily dose of 75 mg CAP (orally by gelatin capsule) for 2 consecutive days, and the eggs were collected over a 12-day period. The mean value for "normally incurred" CAP in the eggs (n = 17) analyzed by SFE ranged from none detected to 174.5 ppb, with an overall mean of 60.5 ppb, compared with a mean of 60.4 ppb for the solvent extraction method. No significant difference in results was found between methods. However, the SFE method is more rapid, uses less solvent, and gives recoveries similar to those for the solvent extraction method, making it ideal for regulatory monitoring.

Supercritical fluid extraction of organochlorine pesticides in eggs.

The efficacy of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) for the recovery of 16 common organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) from liquid whole eggs was investigated by employing supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO(2)) without the use of a solvent modifier to minimize interfering coextractives. The OCPs tested included aldrin; alpha-, beta-, delta-, and gamma-BHCs; p,p'-DDD, -DDE, and -DDT; dieldrin; endosulfans I, II, and sulfate; endrin; endrin aldehyde; heptachlor; and heptachlor epoxide. The SFE conditions were as follows: 10000 psi (680 bar), 40 degrees C, SC-CO(2) flow rate of 3.0 L/min with an extraction time of 40 min for a total of 120 L of CO(2). The OCPs were trapped off-line in an SPE cartridge containing Florisil and then eluted by an acetone/hexane mixture and analyzed by gas chromatography-electron capture detection (GC-ECD). Recovery studies were carried out on homogenized eggs fortified at the 0.05, 0.10, and 0.20 ppm levels. At the lowest level, 0.05 ppm, recoveries ranged from 81.8 to 108.3%, with CVs < 9.8%. All recoveries were significantly higher than those obtained by an AOAC/FDA solvent extraction method. Eggs containing incurred endosulfan I were also effectively extracted by SFE. This study suggests that the application of SFE for the extraction of OCPs from eggs will result in significant savings in analysis time and lower solvent use and disposal costs compared to conventional solvent extraction procedures.

N-nitrosodibenzylamine in boneless hams processed in elastic rubber nettings.

Boneless hams processed in elastic rubber nettings contain high levels of nitrosamines in the outermost layer. The precursors of the nitrosamines are zinc dibutyl- or dibenzyldithlocarbamate used as a vulcanizing agent in the formulation of the rubber. The outermost layer from 59 commercial hams was analyzed for 11 volatile nitrosamines including N-nitrosodibutylamine (NDBA) and N-nitrosodibenzylamine (NDBzA). The principal nitrosamine, NDBzA, was detected in 32 (54%) ham samples at the 10-100 ppb range; it exceeded 100 ppb in 18 (30%) samples, with the highest at 512.2 ppb. No nitrosamine was detected in 7 of 59 ham samples. To determine the cause of the high NDBzA values, various types of unused nettings (from different manufacturers) accompanying the samples were analyzed for nitrosamines. No correlation was found between the NDBzA content of the hams and the nettings. The results suggest that the problem of nitrosamine formation in these products has not yet been resolved.

Supercritical fluid extraction of volatile N-nitrosamines in fried bacon and its drippings: method comparison.

N-Nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), known animal carcinogens, are consistently formed in bacon during frying. As a result, commercial bacon has been subject to regulatory monitoring and compliance for the past 20 years to ensure that N-nitrosamines do not exceed the 10 ppb volatile level. Currently, time-consuming distillation-solvent extraction and solid-phase extraction (SPE) methods are used for this purpose. With an emphasis on reducing solvent use, we investigated supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) for isolation of volatile nitrosamines common to fried bacon. Eighteen fried bacon samples were analyzed for NPYR and NDMA by SFE, SPE, mineral oil distillation (MOD), and low-temperature vacuum distillation (LTVD) methods, using the same gas chromatographic-chemiluminescence detection (thermal energy analyzer) conditions. The range of values for SFE was 0.7 to 20.2 ppb for NPYR and none detected (ND) to 2.4 ppb for NDMA. Analysis of variance of the NPYR data showed a significant difference (p < 0.05) between SFE and SPE results and significant differences between these and those obtained by MOD and LTVD. Overall, SFE was superior to the other methods with the highest recoveries, best repeatability, rapidity of analysis, and solvent-sparing characteristics. Similar results were obtained for SFE after comparison with distillation and SPE methods for determining the same nitrosamines in fried bacon drippings.

Determination of extractable, apparent total N-nitroso compounds in cured-meat products.

The modification of a newly developed method for determination of apparent total N-nitroso compounds by chemical denitrosation and chemiluminescence detection of nitric oxide (thermal energy analysis) is described. The minimum level of reliable measurement was 0.1 ppm, and the repeatability of the method was 0.2 ppm, based on the response of N-nitrosoproline(NPro). Seventy-three samples of cured-meat products, including frankfurters, bacon, and ham, were examined; 50 samples contained less than 1 ppm. The largest amounts, up to 24.8 ppm, were detected in canned corned beef. This method has several advantages over other methods.

Supercritical fluid extraction of N-nitrosamines in hams processed in elastic rubber nettings.

A method for analysing N-nitrosamines in hams processed in elastic rubber nettings by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) is described. The study was carried out with the prototype of a commercial extractor with a silica gel adsorption cartridge integrally attached to the variable restrictor. The SFE method was compared with a solid-phase extraction procedure currently used for ham analysis. Both methods used the same gas chromatographic-chemiluminescence detection conditions. No significant difference (p < 0.05) was found between results obtained with the 2 methods. Repeatability standard deviation of the SFE method was 1.7 ppb, with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 2.7%, compared with 2.2 ppb, with a CV of 3.5%, for solid-phase extraction. SFE permits minimal use of solvent and more rapid analysis of nitrosamines.

Kinetic study on the nitrosation of dibenzylamine in a model system.

A kinetic study of the formation of N-nitrosodibenzylamine (NDBzA), from the nitrosation of dibenzylamine (DBzA) by sodium nitrite, was performed in a model system under conditions (temperature, pH) that are similar to those encountered in the industrial production of hams processed in elastic rubber nettings. The nitrosation reaction was carried out in a KH2PO4 buffer (0.5 M) at pH 5.8 and at a temperature of 69 degrees C. Since DBzA is insoluble in an aqueous buffer system, a non-ionic surfactant, Tween 20, was used as a solubilizing agent. The nitrosation reaction exhibited first-order kinetics with respect to DBzA and second-order kinetics with respect to nitrite. The calculated rate constant was 4.7 +/- 0.5 M-2/min. The pH profile of NDBzA formation was also determined. The optimal pH of NDBzA formation, 3.12, was close to the pKa of nitrous acid (HNO2, pKa = 3.1).

Gas chromatographic/thermal energy analyzer method for N-nitrosodibenzylamine in hams processed in elastic rubber netting.

We previously described a solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure for determining volatile nitrosamines in hams processed in elastic rubber nettings. This same procedure was found to successfully isolate N-nitrosodibenzylamine (NDBzA), a semivolatile nitrosamine. This nitrosamine may form as a result of the reformulated rubber now used in nettings. Reformulation became necessary because of the reported presence of N-nitrosodibutylamine in both the old nettings and on the exterior portion of commercial hams. After SPE, NDBzA was quantitated by using a gas chromatographic (GC) system interfaced to a nitrosamine-specific chemiluminescence detector [thermal energy analyzer (TEA)]. The GC system was equipped with a heated interface external to the TEA furnace to facilitate quantitation of NDBzA. With separation on a packed column, the method can be used to analyze 10 volatile nitrosamines and NDBzA. Repeatability of the method for NDBzA was found to be 2.1 ppb, and the coefficient of variation (CV) was 10.6%. Analysis of 18 commercial hams from 9 different producers, purchased from local retailers, indicated that 12 were positive for NDBzA (range, 2.6-128.5 ppb). NDBzA was confirmed by GC/mass spectrometry.

Multiresidue recovery at PPB levels of 10 nitrosamines from frankfurters by supercritical fluid extraction.

The design of a laboratory-assembled supercritical fluid extractor is described for the efficient recovery of volatile nitrosamines from a common-cured meat product, frankfurters. The principal feature of the apparatus was a newly designed restrictor-collector interface where a commercial solid-phase extraction cartridge was directly attached to the micrometering valve. This reduced the path length between the discharge tube and the 1 g silica gel sorbent bed. The elapsed time for each 2.5 g sample extraction with supercritical CO2 was 17 min. The nitrosamines were separated and detected using a gas-chromatographic chemiluminescence (Thermal Energy Analyzer, Thermedics, Inc.; Woburn, MA) system. Recovery of 10 volatile aliphatic and alicyclic nitrosamines from frankfurters, fortified at the 20 ppb level, ranged from 84.3 to 104.8% with relative standard deviation of 2.34 to 6.13%.

Gas chromatographic-chemiluminescence method for determination of volatile N-nitrosamines in minced fish-meat and surimi-meat frankfurters: collaborative study.

A collaborative study was carried out on a solid-phase extraction method for separating volatile N-nitrosamines, particularly N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), from combination minced fish or surimi-meat frankfurters with detection by gas chromatography-chemiluminescence (thermal energy analyzer). The results from the 10 collaborators were evaluated using the most recent AOAC guidelines for determining outliers and for the analysis of variance. For NDMA, repeatability standard deviations, sr, ranged from 0.56 to 2.25; repeatability relative standard deviations, RSDr, ranged from 8.9 to 11.5%. Reproducibility standard deviations, SR, for NDMA ranged from 1.40 to 6.49, and reproducibility relative standard deviations, RSDR, ranged from 24.2 to 28.9%. Our data compared favorably to the reproducibility (RSDR) curve of Horwitz. The method has been adopted official first action by AOAC.

N-nitrosodimethylamine blood levels in patients with chronic renal failure: modulation of levels by ethanol and ascorbic acid.

We measured levels of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in peripheral blood from 13 fasting male patients, 30-74 years old, who had chronic renal failure, and in five healthy control subjects (four males and one female) 31-50 years old. In the patients, we found significant (P less than .01) levels of NDMA (mean +/- SD; 201 +/- 111 ng/kg of blood), which is known to be carcinogenic in animals. Five minutes after oral administration of ethanol (0.4 g/kg of body weight), all patients exhibited a significant (P less than .01) rise in blood NDMA levels (338 +/- 125 ng/kg), suggesting continuous endogenous formation of NDMA that was unmasked by ethanol's ability to inhibit first-pass hepatic metabolism of NDMA. In five of six patients, pretreatment with oral ascorbic acid resulted in a blunting, but not statistically significant, effect on maximum blood NDMA levels after consumption of ethanol. Mean levels were 340 +/- 100 ng/kg before treatment with ascorbic acid and 237 +/- 127 ng/kg during treatment. Ethanol administration unmasks increased gastrointestinal formation of NDMA in patients with chronic renal failure. Further studies are required to confirm a possible link between endogenous NDMA formation and the increased incidence of cancer in these patients.

Determination of ten N-nitrosoamino acids in cured meat products.

A rapid, sensitive, and accurate solid-phase extraction method was developed for the measurement of 10 N-nitrosoamino acids (NAAs) in cured meat products. In the procedure, the comminuted meat was mixed with sulfamic acid and Celite, and then added to a glass column containing anhydrous sodium sulfate. The column was washed with pentane, and the NAAs were eluted with ethyl acetate. The eluate was concentrated, then derivatized with diazomethane followed by acetic anhydride-pyridine reagent. The NAA methyl esters and their acylated hydroxy derivatives were separated by gas chromatography on a DB-5 fused silica capillary column and quantitated with a thermal energy analyzer, a chemiluminescence detector specific for nitric oxide derived from the thermal denitrosation of nitrosamines. Recovery of 10 of the NAAs exceeded 75% at the 10 ppb level. The method is applicable to a wide range of cured meat products.

Investigations on N-nitrosopyrrolidine in dry-cured bacon.

Dry-cured or "country-style" bacon is a low volume specialty product typically made by small producers whose production practices vary widely. These practices include the direct application of dry-cure formulations containing varying concentrations of salt, sugar, flavoring agents, sodium nitrite, and sometimes sodium nitrate, and the use of lengthy curing and processing times. Because of the possibility of generating higher levels of N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) after frying in this product type compared with pump-cured bacon, an investigation was carried out on dry-cured bacon obtained from cooperating state or federally inspected establishments. Three different samples from each of the 16 plants were analyzed. Only one sample from each of 2 different producers exceeded the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) action level of 17 ppb NPYR, indicating that the majority of samples tested were in compliance. A significant correlation (P less than 0.01) was found between residual NaNO2 prior to frying and NPYR after frying. The elimination of added nitrate in the dry-cure formulations is recommended.

Determination of volatile N-nitrosamines in frankfurters containing minced fish and surimi.

A method was developed to quantitatively measure volatile N-nitrosamines, particularly N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), in cured minced fish or surimi-meat frankfurters. This method is free from artifact formation. First, 2 dry solid-phase extraction columns are prepared. Solvent is passed through the top column containing the fish-meat into a second column containing acid Celite. The eluate from the Celite column is then passed through a third column containing silica gel. Nitrosamines are eluted from the acid Celite column and then from the silica gel column into the same receiver. Recovery of the internal standard, N-nitrosoazetidine, added at the 10 ppb level, was 86.5%. In addition, a few samples of nitrite-treated salmon (lox) were also tested for N-nitrosamines. The results show that the method is applicable to samples containing nitrite-treated fish and fish-derived products.

Determination by liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection of cysteamine and cysteine, possible precursors of N-nitrosothiazolidine.

A method is described that is selective, sensitive, rapid, and accurate for the quantitative measurement in meat products of both cysteamine and cysteine, potential precursors for N-nitrosothiazolidine (NTHZ) and N-nitrosothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (NTHZC), respectively. In general, a ground meat sample is homogenized with acetonitrile-formate buffer in the presence of dithiothreitol, and then is centrifuged, filtered, and recentrifuged in a disposable microfilter. The thiols are quantitated by liquid chromatography using an amperometric detector equipped with a gold/mercury electrode, operated in the oxidative mode. Cysteamine was found in 6 of 20 samples of raw pork belly in concentrations ranging from 150 to 450 ppb, and cysteine was found in all samples in concentrations ranging from 2.4 to 36.5 ppm. Analysis for the thiols and their corresponding nitrosamines--NTHZ and NTHZC--of bacon before and after processing showed no correlation between cysteamine and cysteine levels before processing nor with nitrosamine levels after processing. Liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection was found to be an extremely selective technique to measure the 2 free sulfhydryl compounds in a complex food substrate.

Observations of the use of 137caesium radiation to control N-nitrosopyrrolidine formation in bacon.

Several alternatives to the use of nitrite, including irradiation, have been developed to reduce the nitrosamine content in bacon and still retain its microbiological safety and desirable sensory characteristics. This paper presents results obtained from experiments in which 137Cs was used at +5 degrees C. Bacon prepared with 120 or 40 mg/kg sodium nitrite (NaNO2) yielded lower residual nitrite before frying and lower levels of N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) after frying when irradiated at 3.0 Mrad, compared to doses of 0, 0.75 and 1.50 Mrad. Also, a slight increase in the level of NPYR in fried bacon over the 0 control was noted with 0.75 Mrad. In bacon irradiated with 0-1.5 Mrad in 0.25-Mrad increments, a marked increase was observed at 0.5 Mrad. Bacon from pork bellies irradiated prior to processing had more NPYR after frying than bacon irradiated after processing, suggesting the formation of an additional precursor or some catalytic agent.

Analysis of human blood for volatile N-nitrosamines by gas chromatography-chemiluminescence detection.

A method was developed to separate and measure trace levels of volatile N-nitrosamines (NAs) in human blood that either eliminated or accounted for in vitro artifactual formation of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) through the use of water blanks, added inhibitor (ascorbic acid) and added morpholine. The absolute minimum detectable limit was 8 pg; minimum level of reliable measurement was 0.05 microgram/kg for a 20-g blood specimen. Recovery of NDMA from blood was 93 +/- 5%. Coefficient of variation was 25%. Bloods from 242 people were analyzed for volatile NAs. NDMA was the only NA found. Positive specimens were presumptively confirmed by their non-detection after ultraviolet photolysis and/or mass spectrometry. This paper presents additional evidence that in vivo NA formation occurs.