Alcohol determination

Article

The Column

ColumnThe Column-05-17-2012
Volume 8
Issue 9
Pages: 9

A rapid method has been developed for detecting ethyl carbamate (EC) in alcohol.

A rapid method has been developed for detecting ethyl carbamate (EC) in alcohol.1 EC is present in a range of alcohols and is potentially carcinogenic to humans.

The team extracted EC using liquid-liquid extraction technique. They then silylated with bis-(trimethylsilyl)trifuoroacetamide and finally analysed the sample by GC–MS. Isopropyl carbamate was used as the internal standard for quantitative analysis of the sample. The optimum extraction conditions of pH = 9 and ethyl acetate as the solvent were used. A derivatization reaction temperature of 80 ºC and a duration of 30 min was also employed.

The study was carried out on 35 kinds of alcoholic samples and it was concluded that the technique was a fast, reliable and low-cost method for the determination of EC in alcohol.

1. Y. Hu et al., Journal of Separation Science, doi:10.1002/ jssc.201100526 (2012).

This story originally appeared in The Column. Click here to view that issue.

Newsletter

Join the global community of analytical scientists who trust LCGC for insights on the latest techniques, trends, and expert solutions in chromatography.

Recent Videos
Bob Pirok
Kevin Schug © Image courtesy of interviewee
Related Content