Determination of 48 fragrance allergens in plastic toys by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A method of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was developed for the determination of 48 fragrance allergens in plastic toys. The analytes were dissolved from crushed samples using tetrahydrofuran. The matrix in plastic toys was precipitated by methanol, and the supernatant was injected into GC/MS after high speed centrifugation. The result shows that the linear ranges are from 1 mg/L to 8 mg/L for farnesol and hydroxy-methylpentylcyclohexenecarboxaldehyde, from 0.2 mg/L to 8 mg/L for trans-2-heptenal, citronello, methyl heptine carbonate, geraniol, citral, anisyl alcohol, cinnamyl alcohol, amylcinnamyl alcohol and 6, 10-dimethyl-3, 5, 9-undecatrien-2-one, from 0.1 mg/L to 8 mg/L for other 37 fragrance allergens with good correlation coefficients (r≥0.996 2). The recoveries of ABS, PVC and PC plastic positive samples added fragrance allergens are 60.5%-112.3%, the relative standard deviations (RSDs) are 3.2%-4.6%. The recoveries of added 48 fragrance allergens to ABS plastic negative samples are 83.8%-112.2%. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) are 2.9%-9.3%. The limits of detection are from 0.21 mg/kg to 13.48 mg/kg, and the limits of quantification are from 0.71 mg/kg to 44.94 mg/kg. This method is simple, rapid, reliable, which is suitable for the determination of 48 fragrance allergens in plastic toys. © 2016, Editorial Board of Journal of Chinese Mass Spectrometry Society. All right reserved.