Aniline in vegetable and fruit samples from the Canadian total diet study

Abstract

An isotope dilution method based on solvent extraction followed by GC–MS analysis was developed and used to determine aniline in vegetable and fruit samples collected from the Canadian total diet study. Aniline was not detected in any of the 23 vegetable samples from the 2005 total diet study at a method detection limit of 0.01 mg kg^–1. Among the 16 fruit samples, it was detected only in apple samples, with an average concentration of 0.278 mg kg^–1. Aniline was not detected in apple samples collected in the 2002, 2003, 2006 or 2007 total diet studies, but it was detected in the apple samples collected from the 2001 and 2004 studies, at concentrations of 0.085 and 0.468 mg kg^–1, respectively. The average aniline concentration for the 2001, 2004 and 2005 apple samples was 0.277 mg kg^–1. Good repeatability of the method was observed with replicate analysis of apple samples, with relative standard deviations (RSD) ranging 3.8–21% and an average of 11%.

Keywords:

• aniline
• vegetable
• fruit
• apple
• total diet study

Acknowledgements

Xu-Liang Cao would like to thank Dr Thea Rawn (Health Canada) for providing information on potential pesticides for aniline formation by degradation, and Jeannette Corriveau (Health Canada) for assistance in sample preparation. This project was funded by the Canadian government under Canadian Environmental Protection Act.