Citation

Jürschik S, Agarwal B, Kassebacher T, Sulzer P, Mayhew CA, Märk TD. J. Mass Spectrom. 2012; 47(9): 1092-1097.

Affiliation

IONICON Analytik GmbH., Eduard-Bodem-Gasse 3, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria; Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Leopold-Franzens Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/jms.2993

PMID

22972776

Abstract

In this work, we illustrate the application of proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) in the field of food and drink safety. We present proof-of-principle measurements of four different drinks (water, tea, red wine and white wine) each spiked separately with four different date rape drugs (chloral hydrate, tricholorethanol, γ-butyrolactone and butanediol). At first, the ideal PTR-MS operating conditions (reduced electric field strength and monitoring the most abundant [fragment] ion) for detection of the drugs were determined utilizing a time-of-flight-based PTR-MS instrument. We then dissolved small quantities of the drugs (below the activation threshold for effects on humans) into the various types of drinks and detected them using a quadrupole-based PTR-MS instrument via two different sampling methods: (1) dynamic headspace sampling and (2) direct liquid injection. Both methods have their advantages and drawbacks. Only with dynamic headspace sampling can rape drug contaminations be detected within a timeframe of seconds, and therefore, this method is the most promising use of PTR-MS as a fast, sensitive and selective monitor for the detection of food and drink contamination. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Language: en