EXTREVA ASE Accelerated Solvent Extractor accelerates time to insight for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) analyses in tuna

Significance of the topic

Tuna, a top predator in marine food chains, bioaccumulates persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as PCBs, OCPs, PBDEs, and PAHs, posing risks to human health. Accurate, efficient analysis of these compounds in tuna is essential for food safety monitoring and regulatory compliance.

Study objectives and overview

This study aimed to develop and validate a one-step analytical method integrating accelerated solvent extraction, inline cleanup, and concentration using the EXTREVA ASE system, followed by GC-MS/MS to quantify 33 POPs in tuna. The approach sought to streamline sample preparation, reduce solvent use, and increase throughput.

Methodology and instrumentation used

• Sample preparation: Tuna fillets were freeze-dried to remove water, homogenized with diatomaceous earth dispersant, and spiked with internal standards.
• Extraction and cleanup: EXTREVA ASE accelerated solvent extraction with inline Supel QuE Z-Sep sorbent for lipid and pigment removal, coupling extraction and cleanup in a 22 mL cell.
• Concentration: Extracts were evaporated to 0.5 mL under gas stream with hexane rinses.
• Detection: Thermo Scientific TRACE 1310 GC coupled to TSQ 8000 Triple Quadrupole MS in SRM mode for quantitative analysis.

Main results and discussion

• Validation showed excellent linearity (R² ≥ 0.99), repeatability, and recoveries ranging from 84 % to 109 % across all target POP classes.
• Analysis of 30 tuna samples from five FAO fishing areas detected PCBs in all samples (1.43–59.79 ng/g), various PBDE congeners, DDT and metabolites in 80 %, hexachlorobenzene in 100 %, and benzo(b)fluoranthene in two samples.
• Statistical comparisons revealed significantly higher contamination in samples from FAO area 37.2 versus other areas, indicating regional pollution differences.

Benefits and practical applications of the method

The integrated EXTREVA ASE workflow reduces sample preparation time by up to 50 %, halves solvent consumption, minimizes manual cleanup steps, and enables parallel extraction of four samples, offering robust, high-throughput analysis suitable for routine food safety laboratories.

Future trends and potential applications

• Continuous monitoring of POPs in various food chains to track environmental and regulatory developments.
• Extension of the method to emerging contaminants like PFAS and other analyte classes.
• Adaptation for diverse matrices (e.g., meat, dairy, environmental samples) and coupling with LC-MS/MS for broader compound coverage.
• Integration into QA/QC frameworks for industry compliance and risk assessment.

Conclusion

The one-step accelerated solvent extraction method with inline cleanup using EXTREVA ASE, combined with GC-MS/MS detection, provides a rapid, efficient, and reliable alternative to traditional extraction and cleanup procedures for POP analysis in tuna, delivering comparable analytical quality with reduced resources.

Reference

1. Strett, B. Bioaccumulation of contaminants in fish. In Fish Ecotoxicology; Braunbeck, T., Hinton, D.E., Strett, B., Eds.; Birkhäuser Verlag: Basel, Switzerland, 1998; pp. 353–387.
2. Chiesa, L.M.; Labella, G.F.; Panseri, S.; Pavlovic, R.; Bonacci, S.; Arioli, F. Distribution of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in wild Bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) from different FAO capture zones. Chemosphere 2016, 153, 162–169.
3. Galbiati, F.; Ladisa, T.; Chiesa, L.; Mosconi, G.; Panseri, S. Determination of persistent organic pollutants in fish tissues by EXTREVA ASE and GC-MS/MS. Thermo Scientific Application Note CN001959-EN 0323M, 2023.
4. European Commission. Analytical Quality Control and Method Validation Procedures for Pesticide Residues Analysis in Food and Feed (SANTE 11312/2021).
5. FAO. Fisheries and Aquaculture Major Fishing Areas; Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
6. By Karte: NordNordWest, Creative Commons by-sa-3.0 de; FAO major fishing areas map.