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Elucidation of non-intentionally added substances migrating from polyester-polyurethane lacquers using automated LC-HRMS data processing

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Abstract

An untargeted strategy aiming at identifying non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) migrating from coatings was developed. This innovative approach was applied to two polyester-polyurethane lacquers, for which suppliers previously provided the identity of the monomers involved. Lacquers were extracted with acetonitrile and analyzed by liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). Data, acquired in the full scan mode, were processed using an open-source R-environment (xcms and CAMERA packages) to list the detected features and deconvolute them in groups related to individual compounds. The most intense groups, accounting for more than 85% of cumulated feature intensities, were then investigated. A homemade database, populated with predicted polyester oligomer combinations from a relevant selection of diols and diacids, enabled highlighting the presence of 14 and 17 cyclic predicted polyester oligomers in the two lacquers, including three mutual combinations explained by common known monomers. Combination hypotheses were strengthened by chromatographic considerations and by the investigation of fragmentation patterns. Regarding unpredicted migrating substances, four monomers were hypothesised to explain several polyester or caprolactam oligomer series. Finally, considering both predicted and tentatively elucidated unpredicted oligomers, it was possible to assign hypotheses to features representing up to 82% and 90% of the cumulated intensities in the two lacquers, plus 9% and 3% (respectively) originating from the procedural blank.

Elucidation of non-intentionally added substances

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the two lacquer suppliers, Metlac (Bosco Marengo, Italy) and Valspar Corporation (Chipping Norton, UK), for the information provided on formulations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. LABERCA, Oniris, INRA, Université Bretagne-Loire, Route de Gachet, 44307, Nantes, France

    Elsa Omer, Ronan Cariou, Yann Guitton, Gaud Dervilly-Pinel & Bruno Le Bizec

  2. CEISAM, Université de Nantes, UMR CNRS 6230, 2 rue de la Houssinière, 44322, Nantes, France

    Elsa Omer & Gérald Remaud

  3. ARDAGH MP WEST France SAS, La Ratière, 72200, Crosmières, France

    Elsa Omer, Hélène Germon & Paul Hill

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  1. Elsa Omer
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  2. Ronan Cariou
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  3. Gérald Remaud
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Correspondence to Ronan Cariou.

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Published in the topical collection Food Safety Analysis with guest editor Steven J. Lehotay.

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Omer, E., Cariou, R., Remaud, G. et al. Elucidation of non-intentionally added substances migrating from polyester-polyurethane lacquers using automated LC-HRMS data processing. Anal Bioanal Chem 410, 5391–5403 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-018-0968-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-018-0968-z

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