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Determination of Ethyl Carbamate in Sugar Cane Spirit by Direct Injection Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry Using 18-Crown-6/Trifluoroacetic Acid Spiking Additives

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Abstract

In this work, we describe a 2-min direct injection electrospray tandem quadrupolar mass spectrometric method for ethyl carbamate (EC) detection in Brazilian sugar cane spirit (SCS). Analyses were carried out with 18-crown-6/trifluoracetic acid (30 ppm/0.1%) additives to sequester metal cations by eliminating unwanted [EC + Na]+ and [EC + K]+ ions, favoring analyte detection as sole [EC + H]+ ions. Standard addition of EC was carried out with 18-crown-6/trifluoracetic acid (30 ppm/0.1%), resulting in spiked SCS samples (0, 75, 150, 300, 450, 600, 750, and 900 μg L−1). A carrier solution of methanol:18-crown-6:trifluoroacetic acid (99.9:30 ppm:0.10, v/v/v) was pumped to the mass spectrometer using positive ion mode and multiple reaction monitoring of 90 > 62 for EC. The limits of detection and quantification were 7.5 and 75.0 μg L−1, respectively, and the dynamic range used was 75–900 μg L−1. The validation results and application of the method to the analysis of real samples and certified SCS demonstrate its applicability to quality control and regulatory analysis.

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Funding

This study received financial support from the Waters Company, Forquimica Company, Jamel Company and UFPR.

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Correspondence to E. C. Meurer.

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Marcos Alessandro Ribeiro declares that he has no conflict of interest. Angelica Parussolo Tonin declares that she has no conflict of interest. Camila Burihan Poliseli declares that she has no conflict of interest. Jesui Vergilio Visentainer declares that he has no conflict of interest. Claudio Celestino de Oliveira declares that he has no conflict of interest. Valquiria de Moraes Silva declares that she has no conflict of interest. Eduardo Cesar Meurer declares that he has no conflict of interest.

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Ribeiro, M.A., Tonin, A.P.P., Poliseli, C.B. et al. Determination of Ethyl Carbamate in Sugar Cane Spirit by Direct Injection Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry Using 18-Crown-6/Trifluoroacetic Acid Spiking Additives. Food Anal. Methods 12, 69–75 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12161-018-1339-2

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