Analysis of regulated suspected allergens in waters

Fragrance suspected allergens including those regulated by the EU Directive 76/768/EEC have been determined in different types of waters using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The procedure was based on headspace sampling (HS-SPME) using polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB) fibers and has been optimized by an experimental design approach. The method performance has been studied showing good linearity (R ≥ 0.994) as well as good intra-day and inter-day precision (RSD ≤ 12%). Detection limits (S/N = 3) ranged from 0.001 to 0.3 ng mL−1. Reliability was demonstrated through the quantitative recoveries of the compounds in real water samples, including baby bathwaters, swimming pool waters, and wastewaters. The absence of matrix effects allowed quantification of the compounds by external aqueous calibration. The analysis of 35 samples of different types of waters showed the presence of suspected allergens in all the analyzed samples. All targets were found in the samples, with the exception of methyl eugenol and amyl cinnamic alcohol. Highest concentrations of suspected allergens were present in baby bathwaters, containing from 5 to 15 of the compounds at concentrations ranging from few pg mL−1 to several hundreds of ng mL−1.