Extraction and identification of a plasticizer, di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, from a plastic bag containing contaminated corn

Residues of the plasticizer di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) were extracted along with deoxynivalenol from plastic bags containing corn contaminated by the fungus Fusarium graminearum. Residue concentration/extraction entailed a series of silica gel-400 chromatography columns followed by purification by semi-preparative column chromatography. Identification was facilitated by nuclear magnetic response and mass spectrometry, and quantification of DEHP was also performed by high performance liquid chromatography. Leaching can introduce DEHP into corn whether the latter is contaminated with fungi or not.