Phthalates determination in wine and spirits using GC-MS and LC-MS/MS

Phthalates, widely studied in the last years as insidious and ubiquitous contaminants of industrially processed foods, have recently been reported also in some wines and spirits. This work presents and compares the performances of two novel analytical approaches for the simultaneous determination of seventeen phthalates (i.e. DMP, DEP, DiBP, DBP, DMEP, BMPP, DEEP, DPP, DHXP, BBP, DBEP, DCHP, DEHP, DPhP, DNOP, DNP, DiNP; EN ISO 1043-3:1999 D) using mass spectrometry in alcoholic beverages. GC-MS analysis requires a preliminary time-consuming sample extraction, the use of perfectly cleaned glassware, highlypurified extraction solvents, and the concentration of the final organic extract. LC-MS/MS method is faster (no LLE and concentration steps) and more sensitive, even if it requires ultrapurified eluents, or the adoption of an on-line device for the background removal. Both approaches proved to be rugged and useful for routine and high-throughput analysis. DEHP, DiBP, DBP, DMEP and DiNP were present in more than 70% of spirits, while DBP and DNOP were quantifiable in 60% of wines