Gas chromatographic method for ethylene dibromide in grains and grain-based products: collaborative study.

Nine laboratories analyzed samples of whole grain, intermediate, and ready-to-eat products for ethylene dibromide (EDB) residues. Supplied samples of wheat, rice, and flour contained both fortified and incurred EDB; corn bread mix, baby cereal, and bread contained only fortified EDB. The whole grains and intermediates were analyzed by the same basic procedural steps as in the official method for multifumigants: They were extracted by soaking in acetone-water (5 + 1). The baby cereal and bread were analyzed by a modification of the Rains and Holder hexane co-distillation procedure. EDB was determined by electron capture gas chromatography operated with an SP-1000 column. All products contained 3 different levels of EDB and were analyzed as blind duplicates. Overall mean recoveries ranged from 85.2% for 69.6 ppb to 105.0% for 4.35 ppb, both in baby cereal. Interlaboratory relative standard deviations ranged from 5.7% for 869 ppb in wheat to 20.2% for 69.6 ppb in baby cereal, both fortified. Mean levels of incurred EDB in wheat, rice, and flour were 926.7, 982.0, and 49.9 ppb, respectively; corresponding relative standard deviations were 9.9, 7.7, and 13.1%. The method was adopted official first action.

The Luke et al. method for determining multipesticide residues in fruits and vegetables: collaborative study.

Ten laboratories analyzed unfortified and fortified samples of lettuce, tomatoes, and strawberries for organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides by applicable portions of the comprehensive multipesticide method of Luke et al. The 3 crops were fortified with 6 pesticides, alpha-BHC, dieldrin, chlorpyrifos, acephate, omethoate, and monocrotophos, each at 3 levels per crop. Included in the 54 fortifications were 16 pairs of blind duplicates: same pesticide, crop, and level. Recoveries were calculated by area comparisons with known reference materials, using the responses obtained from 2 separate element-specific gas chromatographic (GC) systems. The organochlorine pesticides were chromatographed on a methyl silicone column and detected with a Hall 700A electrolytic conductivity detector, and the organophosphorus pesticides were determined with a flame photometric detector after being chromatographed on a specified DEGS column material. Chlorpyrifos was quantitated on both GC systems. Mean recoveries ranged from 82.6% for acephate fortified at 0.5000 ppm in strawberries to 118.1% for 0.0636 ppm fortification of chlorpyrifos in lettuce. Interlaboratory coefficients of variation ranged from 4.0% for 0.6360 ppm fortification of chlorpyrifos in tomatoes to 17.8% for the 0.0636 ppm chlorpyrifos level in lettuce. The procedure features essentially no cleanup before GC and proved comparable to existing multiresidue methods for pesticides of the class types studied, as evidenced by the intra- and interlaboratory measurements of precision and recoveries obtained. The method with the 2 GC systems has been adopted official first action.

Extraction procedures for oilseeds and related high fat-low moisture products.

A combined sample preparation/extraction procedure is presented for pesticide residue analysis of oilseeds and related high fat-low moisture products. The procedure utilizes high-speed milling to prepare the sample and high-speed homogenization in the extraction step to achieve what is apparently quantitative isolation of both incurred residues and natural oils. A separate, simple, oil determination step allows findings to be reported on either the fat or whole product basis. Petroleum ether, ethyl ether-petroleum ether (1 + 1), and ethanol are used serially as the extractants. Usual fatty food cleanup procedures and multiresidue gas chromatographic detection techniques are utilized. The procedure presented in this paper is a refinement of earlier work which used a homogenizer both to grind and to extract samples of unground seeds and which demonstrated essentially complete extraction of endrin residues in soybeans and DDT residues in mustard seed. Identical samples analyzed by the currently recommended shakeout procedure, 29.012, gave recoveries of approximately 50% of the total residues. The procedure presented in this paper was satisfactorily tested on 13 different oilseed types and one sample of soda crackers. Oil content for these samples ranged from 5 to 69%.

Quantitation of polychlorinated biphenyl residues by electron capture gas-liquid chromatography: reference material characterization and preliminary study.

Weight per cent compositions of individual peaks of Aroclors 1016, 1242, 1248, 1254, and 1260 were determined under standard gas-liquid chromatographic (GLC) conditions. The GLC peak compositions were determined by using a Hall electrolytic conductivity detector for chlorine measurement and chemical ionization mass spectrometry with single ion monitoring for molecular weight characterization. The Aroclors used are available as reference materials for individual peak quantitation of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) residues by electron capture GLC. On the basis of a limited interlaboratory study and a collaborative study, the individual peak method shows improved interlaboratory precision and/or accuracy in PCB quantitation over existing methods.