Rapid LC‐MS method for the detection of common fragrances in personal care products without sample preparation

Abstract

An LC-MS method for the analysis of personal care and household products without sample preparation is presented. The method takes advantage of the Direct-electron ionization (EI) LC-MS interface for the quantitation of principal components, as well as for the identification of unknown or undeclared ingredients. The technique has proven its inertness toward matrix effects and the electron ionization allows quantitation and library identification. Commercially available products (shower gel, perfume, and hand cream) were diluted with methanol and injected directly into a nano-LC column. Limonene, linalool, and citral were selected as target compounds because of their use as fragrances in toiletry and detergent products. These and all other fragrances are commonly determined with GC-MS analysis, prior to sample cleanup, a procedure that can lead to analytes loss. The selected compounds are not detected with ESI because of their poor or very low response. Figures of merit and validation studies were executed and special attention was devoted to matrix-effects evaluation, because a sample preparation procedure is not involved. No matrix effects were observed, and the repeatability was excellent even after several weeks of operation. Products composition was investigated in full scan mode to determine the presence of unknown or not listed ingredients.

Rapid analysis of fragrance allergens by dielectric barrier discharge ionization mass spectrometry

“…Currently, compounds of fragrances are mainly analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) or liquid chromatography (LC) separation before being subjected to mass spectrometric analysis using ionization by electron ionization (EI), electrospray ionization (ESI) or atmosphere pressure chemical ionization (APCI) 5–8 . However, EI usually produces many fragment ions, and the molecular ion is often absent or of very low intensity, which renders quantification of compounds with non‐specific fragmentation more difficult and less sensitive 9 .…”

Optimization of headspace for GC‐MS analysis of fragrance allergens in wooden children's products using response surface methodology

“…Using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) as an instrument method, they have developed many new pretreatment techniques, such as the matrix solid dispersion , solid dispersion‐pressure liquid extraction , and so on . Niederer, Villa, Desmedt, and Famiglini, respectively, used size exclusion chromatography coupled with GC‐MS , reversed‐phase liquid chromatography , liquid extraction combined with headspace (HS) GC‐MS , and methanol dilution LC‐MS to determine 24 fragrances in cosmetics. Tsiallou, Godayol, and Vallecillos, respectively, used liquid‐liquid microextraction with GC‐MS , headspace‐solid phase microextraction (HS‐SPME) with GC‐MS , and ionic liquid headspace single drop microextraction combined with GC‐Ion trap mass spectrometry analysis of fragrances (≤21 species) in water samples.…”

Rapid and green determination of 58 fragrance allergens in plush toys

“…In view of the fact that 26 fragrance allergens were restricted early (2003) in cosmetics and detergent products, several methods, mainly based on GC-MS [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17], have been available to analyze them in cosmetics [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21], perfumes [6,22,23], indoor air [1,7], and water [8,9]. Comprehensive GC x GC [19,22,24], LC-MS [20], LC-MS/MS [23], MEKC [21] are also reported. Innovative extraction methods have been developed [8,15,17,25,26] mostly for cosmetics and perfumes, but are difficult to apply to plush, plastic, wooden and other materials of toy samples.…”