Abstract: A method for the simultaneous determination of residues of 21 siloxane compounds in silicone tableware was established by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The analytes were extracted from samples, separated on a ZB-5HT (15 m × 0.25 mm, 0.1 μm) chromatographic column and scanned in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode using an electron ionization source. The results showed that all analytes were separated well and their calibration curves were linear in the concentration range of 0.05–2.50 mg/L. The minimum detection limit was 0.20 mg/kg for trimethyltriphenylcyclotrisiloxane, tetramethyltetraphenylcyclopentasiloxane and pentamethylpentaphenylcyclopentasiloxane, and 0.05 mg/kg for the other 18 compounds. The recoveries of the spiked analytes were 91.3%–107.8%, with relative standard deviations lower than 5.0%. In conclusion, the method is fast, efficient and has a good linear range. It is suitable for the determination of residues of the 21 siloxane compounds in silicone tableware.

Key words: food contact silicone materials; siloxane compounds; gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry