Analysis of benzothiazole in Italian wines using headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Benzothiazoles are a part of the molecular structure of a large number of n atural products, biocides, drugs, food flavors, and industrial chemicals. T hey also appear in the environment mainly as a result of their production a nd use as rubber vulcanization accelerators. A new headspace solid-phase mi croextraction (HS-SPME) method for analysis of benzothiazole (BTH) in wine is described. This method is fast, inexpensive, and does not require solven ts. The detection limit of BTH in wine was 45 ppt with linearity up to 100 ppb. The quantification of BTH is performed by the standard additions metho d and does not require the use of an internal standard. We have analyzed 12 wines from different grape varieties grown in several regions, using SPME extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) detection. Unde r these experimental conditions, benzothiazole was found in all wines analy zed. Concentration levels in samples varied from 0.24 mu g/L (Vermentino) t o 1.09 mu g/L (Franciacorta).