Diethylhexyl plasticizer (DEHP) is a common component in PVC plastic manufacturing. DEHP is known to be addictive and cause widespread health problems if it is ingested. In 2011, the Taiwanese government became aware of two Tawianese manufacturing companies that were improperly using DEHP as a clouding agent and a replacement for palm oil in food products and perfumes. For the health and safety of consumers, products containing DEHP were removed from store shelves and certain products are now banned from being sold in the surrounding countries. To prevent future incidents of DEHP contamination, researchers have been looking to develop more efficient analysis and less costly methods of detecting DEHP. According to a recent publication from Chinese researchers, the most promising candidate to detect DEHP is colorimetric solid phase extraction (C-SPE) with diffuse reflectance UV-Visible (DRUV) spectroscopy.1 To simulate real-life conditions, and test their proposed method of testing, Chen et al. obtained a solution of DEHP and added it to 3 types of drinks purchased from local markets. The researchers then applied UV (DRUV) spectroscopy to their simulated samples. A nylon membrane extracted the DEHP molecules from the drinks, and an UVeVisible spectrophotometer, (Evolution 220, Thermo Scientific) equipped with an integrating sphere accessory was used to collect all of the spectral data from the membranes. Using their optimized experimental conditions of sample volume, vacuum degree, absorption efficiency, and pH of the samples, Chen et al. rapidly and successfully detected DEHP at concentrations of 0.03 mg/L to 5 mg/L. Their positive results also remained consistent for different types of drinks. Chen and colleagues also suggest that UV (DRUV) spectroscopy also has the potential to be used in detecting contamination from trace metallic ions. Reference
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