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Quantification of organic solvents in aquatic toys and swimming learning devices and evaluation of their influence on the smell properties of the corresponding products

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Abstract

Based on the observation that the characteristic odour of inflatable aquatic toys for children is predominantly caused by residues of hazardous organic solvents, the concentrations of cyclohexanone, isophorone and phenol were determined in a selection of 20 products obtained from online suppliers located in Germany. Analytes were extracted with dichloromethane after the addition of non-labelled internal standards, and the volatile fraction was isolated using solvent-assisted flavour evaporation (SAFE). Extracts were then concentrated by Vigreux distillation and analysed by means of gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC-MS). Furthermore, each sample was evaluated regarding its specific olfactory properties by an expert sensory panel. While some samples did not contain significant amounts of solvents, cyclohexanone concentrations above the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) were determined in nine samples with six samples containing high concentrations ranging from about 1 to 7 g/kg cyclohexanone. Isophorone concentrations above the LLOQ were observed in eight samples. Thereby, six products contained between 0.3 and 1.6 g/kg isophorone and the remaining two samples contained even about 5 g/kg isophorone, each. Likewise, phenol concentrations exceeded the LLOQ in 14 cases, with four samples containing elevated amounts ranging from about 140 to 280 mg/kg phenol.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Cristina Velasco-Schön, PhD, and Herbert Wächter, PhD, for their support regarding the evaluation of legal and product safety aspects. We also thank Reinhilde Albrecht and Robin Maier for their skilled help during method development.

Funding sources

This study was funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Environment and Consumer Safety (StMUV).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chair of Aroma and Smell Research, Emil Fischer Center, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Henkestrasse 9, 91054, Erlangen, Germany

    Christoph Wiedmer & Andrea Buettner

  2. Department Sensory Analytics, Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Giggenhauser Straße 35, 85354, Freising, Germany

    Christoph Wiedmer & Andrea Buettner

Authors
  1. Christoph Wiedmer
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  2. Andrea Buettner
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Correspondence to Andrea Buettner.

Ethics declarations

The study was conducted in agreement with the Declaration of Helsinki. The study (registration number 180_16B) was approved by the Ethical Committee of the Medical Faculty, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects participating in the study.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Wiedmer, C., Buettner, A. Quantification of organic solvents in aquatic toys and swimming learning devices and evaluation of their influence on the smell properties of the corresponding products. Anal Bioanal Chem 410, 2585–2595 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-018-0929-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-018-0929-6

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