Development and evaluation of headspace gas chromatography method for the analysis of carbonyl compounds in spirits and vodkas

The objective of this study was to develop and assess a method for the determination of aldehydes in alcoholic beverages using o-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)-hydroxylamine derivatization followed by headspace analysis (HS) coupled with electron capture detection (ECD). Suitable operating conditions for headspace sampling (volume of headspace phase, time and temperature of sample thermostating, ethanol concentration in sample and addition of salt) were determined. The new method is reproducible, for nearly all compounds at ppb and sub-ppb levels the relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) was in the range between 2 and 11%. The method limits of detection (MDL) for the individual aldehydes varied from 0.016 to ca. 4.3 μg l−1. The procedure was applied for the determination of aldehydes in real alcoholic beverages (vodkas).