Training on analytical techniques for plastic additive analysis at DTU Food

The main aim of this training was to improve knowledge on analytical techniques for the analysis of plastic additives (inorganic and organic) in mulching films. This involved the training of MSc. Aikaterini Spanoudaki (AUA), Dr. Stefan Marković and Dr. Majda Nikezić (JSI) at DTU Food under the supervision of Dr. Bina Bhattarai and Dr. Katrin Löschner, with support from laboratory staff.  A scientist from IMR, Dr. Are Sæle Bruvold, with special expertise in data handling, joined the training to support the mass-spectrometric data analysis. The training provided a complete overview of the analytical process for the trainee, which is a part of the capacity building for future analytical work. The short-term staff exchange equipped the trainees with specialized knowledge and hands-on skills in the analysis of plastic additives using techniques based on gas and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS and LC-MS) for organic additives and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for inorganic additives. Further, it led to the development of a sample preparation protocol for extracting plastic additives from the strawberry matrix.