Meaning
Deuterated compounds used in mass spectrometry act as reference materials to correct for recovery losses during chemical analysis. Utilizing d10 phenanthrene as an internal standard is a standard procedure in testing polymer food contact materials for migrating contaminants. This specific isotope behaves chemically like the target analyte but is distinguished by its mass in the detector.
Analytical Standard
The molecule contains ten deuterium atoms substituted onto a phenanthrene ring. Analysts add it before extraction to track sample loss during preparation. It behaves almost identically to native polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Migration Extraction
Food contact regulations require tests to verify that harmful compounds do not migrate from the plastic packaging into food. The extraction process using organic solvents can be inefficient, leading to underreporting of the hazard. Spiking the extract with d10 phenanthrene reveals how much of the target compound was lost during these steps.
Quantification Accuracy
The mass spectrometer separates the deuterated standard from the native compound by its higher mass-to-charge ratio. This separation allows the analyst to calculate the absolute recovery percentage for each run. Correcting the raw data with this recovery percentage ensures that the reported migration values are accurate and compliant with food safety limits.
Without this correction, the risk of releasing packaging with high migration levels increases.
