Analytical Sciences

Development of a Headspace GC/MS Analysis for Carbonyl Compounds (Aldehydes and Ketones) in Household Products after Derivatization with o-(2,3,4,5,6-Pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine

Naeko SUGAYA,*¹ Katsumi SAKURAI,*¹ Tomoo NAKAGAWA,*¹ Nobuhiko ONDA,*²Sukeo ONODERA,*³ Masatoshi MORITA,*⁴ and Masakatsu TEZUKA*⁵

*1 Yokohama City Institute of Health, 1-2-17 Takigashira, Isogo-ku, Yokohama 235-0012, Japan
*2 PerkinElmer Japan, 2-8-4 Kitasaiwai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama 220-0004, Japan
*3 Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda-shi, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
*4 National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan
*5 College of Pharmacy, Nihon University, 7-7-1 Narashinodai, Funabashi-shi, Chiba 274-8555, Japan

Carbonyl compounds (aldehydes and ketones) are suspected to be among the chemical compounds responsible for Sick Building Syndrome and Multiple Chemical Sensitivities. A headspace gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis for these compounds was developed using derivatization of the compounds into volatile derivatives with o-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine (PFBOA). For GC/MS detection, two ionization modes including electron impact ionization (EI) and negative chemical ionization (NCI) were compared. The NCI mode seemed to be better because of its higher selectivity and sensitivity. This headspace GC/MS (NCI mode) was employed as analysis for aldehydes and ketones in materials (fiber products, adhesives, and printed materials). Formaldehyde was detected in the range of N.D. (not detected) to 39 µg/g; acetaldehyde, N.D. to 4.1 µg/g; propionaldehyde, N.D. to 1.0 µg/g; n-butyraldehyde, N.D. to 0.10 µg/g; and acetone, N.D. to 3.1 µg/g in the samples analyzed.

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