Detection of Tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)phosphite (Irgafos 168, Antioxidant in Plastics) and Its Oxide in Commercial Frozen Vegetables

Abstract

Two peaks, A and B, detected in chromatograms of commercial frozen vegetable extracts during analysis of organophosphorus pesticide residues by GC-FPD, were identified as tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)phosphite (Irgafos 168) and Irgafos 168 oxide, respectively, from their mass spectra. Irgafos 168 is used as an antioxidant in plastics, and there has been no report of its detection in foods. We analyzed Irgafos 168 and its oxide in 38 samples of commercial frozen vegetables, and they were detected from 4 samples (0.02∼0.80 μg/g as total amount of Irgafos 168 and its oxide).