Quantitation of suspected allergens in fragrances (Part I): evaluation of comprehensive two‐dimensional gas chromatography for quality control

Abstract

Abstract An evaluation of comprehensive two‐dimensional (2D) gas chromatography (GC×GC) was performed to assess its suitability for the analysis of volatile fragrance components, recognized by the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Cosmetics and other Non‐food Products (SCCNFP) as possible skin sensitizers. The 24 volatile components listed by the SCCNFP were baseline‐resolved or better within one 30 min analysis. High‐quality calibration data for standard mixtures were obtained, with R 2 > 0.998 over the concentration range 2–1000 mg/l. However, the analysis of small spiked amounts of target compounds in truly complex fragrances was problematic, due to uncertainty in component assignment. The benefits and limitations of GC×GC are reported, and a discussion of the proposed directions for the solution of this analysis is provided. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.