Determination of hexabromocyclododecane diastereoisomers in Sargassum fusiforme and comparison of the extraction efficiency of ultrasonication, microwave‐assisted extraction, Soxhlet extraction and pressurised liquid extraction

The concentrations of hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCD) in Sargassum fusiforme, the common Chinese edible seaweed, were investigated by LC-MS/MS. For the recovery of HBCD, the efficiency levels of ultrasonic-assisted extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, Soxhlet extraction and pressurised liquid extraction were compared under different conditions. Pressurised liquid extraction and ultrasonic-assisted extraction resulted in complete extraction of HBCD (92.7-102.5% recovery). Microwave-assisted extraction and Soxhlet extraction, on the other hand, offered relatively low extraction recoveries (82.1-90.6%). The instrumental LODs on columns in this study were 1.0, 0.3 and 0.7 ng/g for α-HBCD, β-HBCD and γ-HBCD, respectively. Because of its accuracy, this straightforward method is particularly suitable for routine HBCD analysis.