Rapid quantification of hexachlorobenzene in the color additives D&C Red Nos. 27 and 28 (phloxine B) using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

The present paper describes the development of a method for the quantification of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in the color additives D&C Red Nos. 27 and 28 (phloxine B) using solid-phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The method is simple and fast (1 h for each analysis), generates little solvent waste, and does not involve a solid matrix, thus permitting a more efficient extraction than does a previously developed Soxhlet extraction-GC-MS method. Test portions from 30 batches of US-certified color additives D&C Red Nos. 27 and 28 were analyzed for HCB using the new method. Those batches represent domestic (five) and foreign (one) manufacturers that requested certification for the colors during the past four years. All the samples contained HCB, ranging from 0.2 ppm to 244.3 ppm. The analyses revealed significant differences in the levels of HCB across batches from the same manufacturer as well as among different manufacturers. The range of HCB levels found in the analyzed batches (0.2-244.3 ppm) suggest that the contamination with HCB may be decreased by avoiding use of starting material (tetrachlorophthalic anhydride) heavily contaminated with HCB.