ac detective
Next on the list were carbohydraterich foods. Very high levels of acrylamide were found, particularly in potato chips, which had levels up to 4 mg/kg. The results were a little bit shocking, remembers Törnqvist. “We were afraid to publish the results because of the worries associated with the word acrylamide after the Hallandsås incident,” she says. “We really had to present incontestable proof that it was acrylamide and nothing else.” On the other end of the spectrum, boiled and raw foods had no detectable acrylamide. The results suggested that high temperatures (>120 °C) are needed to form acrylamide in foods. The Swedish group’s results were eventually published in 2002, sparking a flurry of media attention and prompting analytical chemists to develop new methods for detecting acrylamide in a wide range of foods. Today, hundreds of foods have been tested for acrylamide. Most analyses are
now performed using LC/MS or LC/ MS/MS, says Törnqvist. Initially, researchers used GC/MS with bromination of the acrylamide, which is a harsher method. “When we used GC/MS, we were afraid that acrylamide or the derivative of acrylamide was formed as an artifact,” she says. LC/MS is milder method and doesn’t involve heat, she adds. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (www.cfsan.fda.gov), the Swedish National Food Administration (www.slv.se), and a host of other government agencies have now compiled lists of the acrylamide content in commonly consumed foods. The data are freely accessible on the Web. As expected, carbohydraterich foods, including crackers, cookies, potato chips and other snack foods, french fries, breakfast cereals, and even infant teething biscuits, have the highest levels of acrylamide. Surprisingly, prune juice and black olives also contain high amounts. In Sweden, coffee turns out
to be a significant source of acrylamide in the diet, contributing about 30%. “It is not that the level in coffee is particularly high. I think in Sweden we drink rather much coffee and rather strong coffee,” says Törnqvist. Meanwhile, researchers are trying to calculate the cancer risk associated with acrylamide in food. Preliminary estimates suggest that the risk is higher than for any other chemical in food. Currently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working to obtain acrylamide exposure data for the general population using an automated, highthroughput LC/MS/MS Hb-adduct method. Experts believe that it is probably not possible to reduce acrylamide in the diet to low levels because of the wide range of foods that are affected. The results, they say, call for new views on cancer risks from natural chemical compounds. a —Britt E. Erickson
books and software Organometallic speciation
Hyphenated Techniques in Speciation Analysis Edited by J. Szpunar and R. L⁄ obin´ski Royal Society of Chemistry, 2004 220 pp, $79.95
W
hen it comes to determining the speciation of organometallic compounds by using hyphenated techniques, 248 A
we can all learn a lot from Szpunar and L⁄ obin´ski’s 12 years of research experience. The authors share those experiences in their new book, Hyphenated Techniques in Speciation Analysis. The first section briefly introduces sample preparation approaches, such as derivatization, purge and trap, and solidphase microextraction; separation techniques, such as GC, LC, and CE; and detection methods, such as MS and inductively coupled plasma MS. The introductory chapters are followed by a long list of concise chapters dedicated to several important elements and complex natural matrices. The focus of the chapters reflects the maturity of various research areas. Methods for analyzing methylated species of lead, tin, and mercury are well developed; the dedicated chapters emphasize validated methods that are being implemented for routine determinations.
A N A LY T I C A L C H E M I S T R Y / J U LY 1 , 2 0 0 4
The chapters focusing on naturally occurring metallospecies detection emphasize characterization and identification approaches that facilitate exploration of the field. A chapter is also dedicated to the discussion of the importance of quality control and assurance in speciation analysis. The strength of the book is its examples, such as environmental, clinical, natural products, and pharmaceutical areas that involve both liquids and solids, including plant material, animal tissue, and other matrices. The examples also highlight the advantages of the hyphenated techniques for these applications. The book would be a helpful resource for investigators entering the speciation area of research and as a reference for graduate students exploring this topic. Reviewed by Janusz Pawliszyn, University of Waterloo (Canada) © 2004 AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
