Standard analytical methods for the detection of dieldrin and 4,6-dichloro-7-(2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)-2-trifluoromethylbenzimidazole (DTTB) in textiles, which are regulated by Japanese law ("Act on the Control of Household Products Containing Harmful Substances"), have been in place for more than 30 years. In this study, we developed an improved analytical method, based on GC-MS, that uses safe reagents and can simultaneously detect dieldrin and DTTB analytes. In the standard (existing) analytical method, dimethyl sulfate, which is a potential carcinogen, is used to derivatize DTTB. In the developed method, phenyltrimethylammonium hydroxide, as an alternative reagent, was used to derivatize DTTB in good results. Dieldrin and the derivatized DTTBs gave highly linear calibration curves when analyzed by GC-MS. Moreover, we found that both analytes are adequately extracted from textiles by refluxing in hydrochloric acid and methanol. Furthermore, we established a purification method using the Bond Elut PRS column that effectively removed interfering substances in woolen products. Finally, we developed an improved analysis method by combining the above-mentioned techniques; the developed method exhibited a recovery rate of 94-104% and a relative standard deviation of less than 7% for both analytes. In addition, the limits of quantitation (dieldrin: 1.3 μg/g, DTTB: 0.72 μg/g) were sufficiently lower than the Japanese regulatory value of 30 μg/g.
Keywords: GC-MS; dieldrin; phenyltrimethylammonium; textile.