Development and validation of a new analytical method for the determination of 1,4-dichlorobenzene in honey by gas chromatography-isotope dilution mass spectrometry after steam-distillation

A simple, fast, sensitive and robust analytical method using gas chromatography (GC)-isotope dilution mass spectrometry (MS) was developed and validated for the identification and quantification of 1,4-dichlorobenzene (p-DCB) residues in honey samples. The proposed methodology is based on steam-distillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in the selected ion monitoring (SlM) mode employing the isotopically labeled analogue D-4-1,4-dichlorobenzene (D4-p-DCB) as internal standard (IS). Validation of the method was performed in two different GC-MS systems, using quadrupole MS (QMS) and ion-trap MS (ITMS) detectors, with no statistically significant differences between two. Recoveries were better than 91% with percent relative standard deviations lower than 12%. The instrumental limits of detection were 1 mu g kg(-1) in the GC-ITMS system and 0.6 mu g kg(-1) in the GC-QMS system. The expanded uncertainty was estimated as 17% at the currently accepted "action level" of 10 mu g kg(-1). The method was applied to the analysis of 3 10 honey samples in an extensive national monitoring study. A quality control (QC) system applied during the assays has demonstrated a good performance and long-term stability over a period of more than 8 months of continuous operation. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.