Gas chromatographic--mass spectrometric determination of volatile organic compounds in fish.

A technique has been developed for the determination of volatile organic compounds in fish. The methodology is based on procedures used to determine purgeable organic compounds in water and wastewater. Fish tissue is added to reagent water, cooled in an ice bath, and homogenized with cell disruption using ultrasonic energy. The processed sample is then analyzed by a purge and trap procedure using an impinger-type device at 70 degrees C, with determination of the purged compounds by computerized gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Both ground fish and cored fish specimens were successfully analyzed by this technique. The overall average recovery for 39 volatile compounds studied was 77% with an average standard deviation of 20%.