Quantification of Tetramethylenedisulfotetramine (TETS) in Various Food Matrices by Solid Phase Extraction Liquid ChromatographyIon Trap Mass Spectrometry

Tetramethylenedisulfotetramine TETS, commonly known as tetramine, is a highly neurotoxic rodenticide the LD50, or lethal dose for 50 of test subjects, is 0.1 mgkg. TETS has been used in hundreds of deliberate and accidental food poisoning events in China. In this report, we describe an extraction method for the quantitation of TETS as spiked into various food matrices, including fruit juices, egg, hot dog, chicken nuggets, turkey deli meat, and ground beef. Quantitation by liquid chromatographyion trap mass spectrometry was based upon selected reaction monitoring of mass-to-charge ratio mz 347 268 and consecutive reaction monitoring of mz 347268175. An 5 mg TETS concentration was spiked into each food sample. The linear range of quantitation for TETS was 0.520 gmL. Total recoveries and percent relative standard deviations for TETS in various food samples are reported.