Journal article

Publication year: 2018

Pages: 780-787

Journal: Talanta: The International Journal of Pure and Applied Analytical Chemistry

Volume number: 178

ISSN: 0039-9140

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2017.10.021

Publisher: Elsevier

Abstract: 
Organic UV filters in personal care products (PCPs) have been persistently reported as a potential threat to human health. In order to guarantee consumers' safety, the dose of these compounds in PCPs needs to be monitored. Here, a methodology based on reactive low temperature plasma ionization (LTP) mass spectrometry (MS) has been developed for the determination of common organic UV filters in PCPs including benzophenone-3, ethylhexyl dimethyl p-aminobenzoic acid, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, octocrylene, and ethylhexyl salicylate. The experiments were carried out in transmission geometry where the LTP ion source, samples loaded on a stainless steel mesh, and the MS inlet were aligned coaxially. Four chemicals, ammonia, ammonium formate, aniline, and methylamine were considered as reactive additives allowing reactions with the UV filters through different mechanisms. Methylamine-induced reactive LTP-MS showed the most prominent improvement on the detection of UV filter compounds. Compared to direct LTP-MS, the developed method improved the detection limits of UV filters more than 10 fold. Moreover, the method enabled fast semi quantitative screening of UV filters in authentic PCPs. Concentrations of active ingredients in eight authentic PCPs as determined with reactive LTP-MS were found comparable to values offered by the cosmetic companies and corresponding HPLC data. The methodology provides high throughput analysis (70 s per sample) and sensitive identification of organic UV filters. Lowest detectable concentrations ranged from 0.131 mu g/g for 4-methylbenzylidene camphor to 7.67 mu g/g for octocrylene in spiked cream. In addition, it shows the potential to be used as a screening tool for legal authentications of these chemicals in the future due to its semi-quantitative determination of UV filters in PCPs without tedious sample preparation and time-consuming chromatographic separation.

Harvard Citation style: Ding, X., Gerbig, S., Spengler, B. and Schulz, S. (2018) Reactive low temperature plasma ionization mass spectrometry for the determination of organic UV filters in personal care products, Talanta: The International Journal of Pure and Applied Analytical Chemistry, 178, pp. 780-787. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2017.10.021

APA Citation style: Ding, X., Gerbig, S., Spengler, B., & Schulz, S. (2018). Reactive low temperature plasma ionization mass spectrometry for the determination of organic UV filters in personal care products. Talanta: The International Journal of Pure and Applied Analytical Chemistry. 178, 780-787. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2017.10.021