Investigation of possible allergens and cross-contaminants in fragrances is routinely performed in cosmetic quality control laboratories. Conventionally, analysis of perfumes with high content of water can require tricky procedures and/or large volume of organic solvents. In this work, innovative and more environmentally friendly extraction methods for the analysis of volatile compounds in challenging fragrance samples have been carried out, with a particular focus on perfumes with high water content. Direct injection in gas chromatography of aqueous fragrances can lead to interferences and require more frequent maintenance of the chromatographic system, while conventional extraction method may necessitate a high number of steps, large volume of samples and/or the use of toxic solvents. Hence, the environmental impact of analytical methodologies has been reduced taking into account the amount and toxicity of the solvents and the materials used, the amount of sample, and the simplicity of the procedure. In the dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction, the use of large volume of organic solvent is avoided and replaced with natural compounds, characterized by simplicity of synthesis or preparation, low cost and environmentally friendliness. In alternative, a microextraction strategy based on the use of diatomaceous earth material, a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock used to absorb water and additives from samples, followed by the elution of the target analytes with water-immiscible and not toxic solvents, have been explored. Moreover, taking into account that, beside the increasing attention to environmental sustainability, quality control laboratories have to face also to aspects related to productivity and cost, without negatively affecting the analytical performance, the goal of this study was also to quantitatively measure the overall impact of the methods developed employing appropriate metric tools, such as the RGB (Red-Green-Blue) color model where energy and chemicals’ consumption, greenness of the method, analytical performance, and laboratory productivity are evaluated.
New strategies to improve the greenness and the overall performance of analytical safety controls for challenging fragrance samples
Gaia Bechis
First
;Arianna Marengo;Barbara Sgorbini;Patrizia Rubiolo;Cecilia Cagliero
2024-01-01
Abstract
Investigation of possible allergens and cross-contaminants in fragrances is routinely performed in cosmetic quality control laboratories. Conventionally, analysis of perfumes with high content of water can require tricky procedures and/or large volume of organic solvents. In this work, innovative and more environmentally friendly extraction methods for the analysis of volatile compounds in challenging fragrance samples have been carried out, with a particular focus on perfumes with high water content. Direct injection in gas chromatography of aqueous fragrances can lead to interferences and require more frequent maintenance of the chromatographic system, while conventional extraction method may necessitate a high number of steps, large volume of samples and/or the use of toxic solvents. Hence, the environmental impact of analytical methodologies has been reduced taking into account the amount and toxicity of the solvents and the materials used, the amount of sample, and the simplicity of the procedure. In the dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction, the use of large volume of organic solvent is avoided and replaced with natural compounds, characterized by simplicity of synthesis or preparation, low cost and environmentally friendliness. In alternative, a microextraction strategy based on the use of diatomaceous earth material, a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock used to absorb water and additives from samples, followed by the elution of the target analytes with water-immiscible and not toxic solvents, have been explored. Moreover, taking into account that, beside the increasing attention to environmental sustainability, quality control laboratories have to face also to aspects related to productivity and cost, without negatively affecting the analytical performance, the goal of this study was also to quantitatively measure the overall impact of the methods developed employing appropriate metric tools, such as the RGB (Red-Green-Blue) color model where energy and chemicals’ consumption, greenness of the method, analytical performance, and laboratory productivity are evaluated.
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