Determination of aflatoxins B1 and B2 using ion mobility spectrometry.

This paper describes total determination of aflatoxins B1 and B2 in pistachio samples using corona discharge ion mobility spectrometry (IMS). A new injection port was designed to introduce liquid samples into the IMS. Using this port, the liquid solvent (methanol) containing standard aflatoxins or an extracted sample was directly introduced into the injection port. Calibration curves resulting from experimental analyses were linear within two orders of magnitude and relative standard deviations (R.S.D.) were less than 10%. The limit of detection (LOD) was found to be 0.25 ng for both aflatoxins. Addition of ammonia as the dopant to the carrier gas improved the LOD by a factor of 2.5. Pistachio samples were analyzed to demonstrate the capability of the proposed method in detecting aflatoxins in real samples.