Influence of fumigants on sunflower seeds: Characteristics of fumigant desorption and changes in volatile profiles

TY - JOUR

T1 - Influence of fumigants on sunflower seeds: Characteristics of fumigant desorption and changes in volatile profiles

AU - Austel, Nadine

AU - Schubert, Jens

AU - Gadau, Sabrina

AU - Jungnickel, Harald

AU - Budnik, Lygia T

AU - Luch, Andreas

N1 - Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PY - 2017/9/5

Y1 - 2017/9/5

N2 - Fumigation of transport containers is common practice to protect stored products from pests. Yet little is known about the desorption times and effects of the highly toxic gases used in this process. To shed light on the behavior of fumigants in real food, we treated sunflower seeds (Helianthus annuus L.) with 100ppm phosphine (PH3), methyl bromide (MeBr) or 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) for 72h. The compound concentrations in the air were then analyzed by thermal desorption/2D gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and flame photometric detection (TD-2D-GC-MS/FPD). A desorption time of several months was observed for DCE, whereas PH3 and MeBr were outgassed in a matter of days. To investigate possible interactions between gases and constituents of the seeds, non-fumigated, fumigated and outgassed samples were analyzed by headspace solid-phase microextraction GC-MS. We observed significantly different volatile profiles in fumigated and subsequently outgassed seeds compared to non-fumigated seeds. Whereas PH3-treated seeds released far more terpenoids, the volatile pattern of seeds exposed to DCE revealed significantly fewer terpenoids but more aldehydes. These changes are likely to affect food aroma characteristics.

AB - Fumigation of transport containers is common practice to protect stored products from pests. Yet little is known about the desorption times and effects of the highly toxic gases used in this process. To shed light on the behavior of fumigants in real food, we treated sunflower seeds (Helianthus annuus L.) with 100ppm phosphine (PH3), methyl bromide (MeBr) or 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) for 72h. The compound concentrations in the air were then analyzed by thermal desorption/2D gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and flame photometric detection (TD-2D-GC-MS/FPD). A desorption time of several months was observed for DCE, whereas PH3 and MeBr were outgassed in a matter of days. To investigate possible interactions between gases and constituents of the seeds, non-fumigated, fumigated and outgassed samples were analyzed by headspace solid-phase microextraction GC-MS. We observed significantly different volatile profiles in fumigated and subsequently outgassed seeds compared to non-fumigated seeds. Whereas PH3-treated seeds released far more terpenoids, the volatile pattern of seeds exposed to DCE revealed significantly fewer terpenoids but more aldehydes. These changes are likely to affect food aroma characteristics.

KW - Journal Article

U2 - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2017.04.070

DO - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2017.04.070

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 28514707

VL - 337

SP - 138

EP - 147

JO - J HAZARD MATER

JF - J HAZARD MATER

SN - 0304-3894

ER -