DETERMINATION OF PENTACHLOROPHENOL RESIDUES IN WINE AND CORKS BY SOLVENT-EXTRACTION METHODOLOGY AND SPECIFIC GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY DETECTION

A gas chromatographic methodology with selective detection is presented for the analysis in wines and corks of pentachlorophenol residues, which are suspected to be the most likely precursors of some off-flavours described in several wine samples. After derivatisation, pentachlorophenol acetate residues were monitored by electrolytic conductivity detection and/or mass spectrometric detection in the selective ion mode at m/z 264 and 266. Recoveries varied from 80 to 96 % for wine samples fortified with 5 to 100 mu g l(-1) and from 83 to 91 % for corks (fortified at 25 to 100 mu g kg(-1)). The proposed methodology allowed for a determination limit of mu g l(-1) for wine and 10 mu g kg(-1) for corks.