The determination of traces of fluoroacetic acid by extractive alkylation, pentafluorobenzylation and capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
Abstract
A method is described for the extraction and determination of nanogram amounts of the highly toxic fluoroacetic acid in plant samples. The acid is extracted by ammonia solution and purified by repeated ether extractions. The fluoroacetate is then transferred to dichloromethane by using tetrahexylammonium as counter-ion, and finally derivatized by pentafluorobenzyl bromide. The determination is completed by capillary gas chromatography and single-ion monitoring mass spectrometry. Small amounts of fluoroacetate were found in many plant samples, including tea. The limit of detection was about 0.005 μg g -1, the reproducibility about ±9% and the recovery of added fluoroacetate 89 ± 6%.
- Publication:
-
Analytica Chimica Acta
- Pub Date:
- 1984
- DOI:
- 10.1016/S0003-2670(00)83609-0
- Bibcode:
- 1984AcAC..157...91V