Development and validation of a new analytical method for the determination of plasticizers in bee pollen

[Display omitted] •A new GC–MS method was proposed for determining nine plasticizers in bee pollen.•Sample treatment consists of a modified QuEChERS (acetonitrile and EMR-lipid).•Good recovery percentages have been achieved for all the compounds (77 %–104 %).•The LOQs were lower than the SMLs established by current legislation.•Residues of five plasticizers were detected in some of the analyzed samples. The determination of plasticizers in bee pollen may be important not only to evaluate the contamination of the hive environment, but also to verify the safety for consumers of this food supplement, since to date it has not been studied. Therefore, a new analytical methodology for the determination of nine plasticizers (phthalate esters: di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, benzyl butyl phthalate, and di-n-octyl phthalate; diphenyl ethers: 4-bromodiphenyl ether and 4-chlorodiphenyl ether; adipate: bis(2-ethylhexyl) adipate) in bee pollen using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was developed. An efficient sample treatment (modified QuEChERS, quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged & safe) is proposed (with average analyte recoveries between 77 % and 104 %) involving extraction with acetonitrile followed by a dispersive solid phase extraction (enhanced matrix removal lipid sorbent). Chromatographic analysis (