An Ultrafast LC/MS/MS Method for Characterization and Quantitation of Triton X-100 Extracted From Palm Oil

Triton X-100, oligomers of octylphenol ethoxylate (OPEOn), is predominantly used as detergent in laboratory, industry and household [1]. The chain lengths of ethoxy units (n) of the oligomers ranged from 0 to 20. Analysis of octylphenol ethoxylates by GC, HPLC and LC/MS methods were reported previously for monitoring the residues in river and wastewater due to their potential toxicity towards aquatic ecosystem. In the last decade, oil-bearing crops has gained much attention for use as a raw material for biofuel. Palm oil (Elais guineensis) is one of the commercialized and most profitable oil-bearing crops to date. It has been widely used as a traditional cooking oil in Southeast Asia and Africa and commonly found in processed food, makeup, toothpaste and cleaning products. There is inquiry recently if Triton X-100 is present in edible palm oil and food products due to its involvement in the extraction process for palm oil production. We describe here an ultrafast LC/MS/MS method for sensitive analysis of Triton X-100 in palm oil samples.