Development, Optimization and Validation of a Sustainable and Quantifiable Methodology for the Determination of 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole, 2,3,4,6-Tetrachloroanisole, 2,4,6-Tribromoanisole, Pentachloroanisole, 2-Methylisoborneole and Geosmin in Air

Abstract

Compounds 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), 2,3,4,6-tetrachloroanisole (TeCA), 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA) and pentachloroanisole (PCA), 2-methylisoborneol (2MIB) and geosmin (GSM) have been reported as being responsible for cork and wine taint. A sustainable method based on thermal desorption-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (TD-GC/MS) has been developed and optimized, taking into account desorption parameters and chromatographic and mass spectrometric conditions. The combination of parameters that jointly maximized the compound detection was as follows: desorption temperature at 300 °C, desorption time at 30 min, cryo-temperature at 20 °C and trap high temperature at 305 °C. The proposed methodology showed a good linearity (R ≤ 0.994) within the tested range (from 0.1 to 2 ng) for all target compounds. The precision expressed as repeatability and reproducibility was RSD < 10% in both. The limits of quantification ranged from 0.05 to 0.1 ng. The developed methodology and the sampling rates (R-values) of all targeted compounds (from 0.013 to 0.071 m3 h−1) were applied to the air analysis of two wineries. The results showed that the developed methodology is a sustainable and useful tool for the determination of these compounds in air