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Improving the Performance of HS-SPME-GC-MS Fibers for Detection of Phthalates in Honey Samples: Incorporation of ZnO Nanoparticles as Coating
Summary
Researchers developed novel solid-phase microextraction fiber coatings incorporating ZnO nanoparticles synthesized via sonochemistry, achieving higher sensitivity for detecting five phthalate plasticizers in honey samples compared to standard polymer-coated fibers. The method enables more accurate detection of phthalate contamination migrating from plastic packaging into food, directly relevant to assessing human dietary exposure to plastic-associated chemicals.
The presence of plastics worldwide is a great concern since they have been confirmed in many foodstuffs. Specifically, the migration of phthalates into these matrices has been studied through plastic packaging. Here, solid-phase microextraction (SPME) comes up as an efficient alternative for the detection of contaminants at trace levels, avoiding the use of solvents. The limited variety of commercial fibers validates the necessity of new ones with affinity for emergent contaminants. In this regard, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) arise as an interesting alternative since they have been largely studied as materials that can interact with microplastics. In this contribution, SPME fibers were developed by coating them with ZnO NPs, which were in situ synthesized by using the sonochemical method. A deep characterization of the obtained fibers was performed, comparing their properties with polyethylene glycol (PEG) coated fibers previously prepared. The impact of NPs was evaluated in terms of their performance of the coated fiber to detect five phthalates in honey samples. The extraction was conducted using headspace mode and studied by gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer detector. ZnO NP incorporation on PEG-coated fiber turned into a new hybrid PEG/ZnO fiber coating with higher sensitivity as the enrichment factors revealed.