Simultaneous determination of p-phenylenediamines and aminophenols in hair dye products: interlaboratory study.

An isocratic HPLC method routinely used in the National Laboratory for Food and Drug Analysis of Taiwan was validated for the simultaneous determination of six aminophenols and phenylenediamines in commercial hair dyes. After extraction of the commercial hair dye product, the dye intermediates were determined by HPLC. Recoveries from the extraction were between 91.6 and 96.5%. The method was then evaluated in an interlaboratory collaborative study according to AOAC guidelines. Five laboratories in Taiwan participated in the study that analyzed the test product, which was preanalyzed by two laboratories to ensure acceptable homogeneity. The RSD(r) and RSD(R) values of the measurements obtained for the dye intermediates in the product were < or = 3.75 and < or = 5.95%, respectively. The method demonstrated acceptable reproducibility, as evidenced by HorRat values of 0.82- 0.97. The applicability of the method to the determination of oxidative hair dye components was further demonstrated in analyses of two different products. The method is thus proposed to be used by manufacturers and laboratories to evaluate the quality of commercial hair dyes containing the six aminophenols and phenylenediamines.

Methodology for sample preparation and size measurement of commercial ZnO nanoparticles.

This study discusses the strategies on sample preparation to acquire images with sufficient quality for size characterization by scanning electron microscope (SEM) using two commercial ZnO nanoparticles of different surface properties as a demonstration. The central idea is that micrometer sized aggregates of ZnO in powdered forms need to firstly be broken down to nanosized particles through an appropriate process to generate nanoparticle dispersion before being deposited on a flat surface for SEM observation. Analytical tools such as contact angle, dynamic light scattering and zeta potential have been utilized to optimize the procedure for sample preparation and to check the quality of the results. Meanwhile, measurements of zeta potential values on flat surfaces also provide critical information and save lots of time and efforts in selection of suitable substrate for particles of different properties to be attracted and kept on the surface without further aggregation. This simple, low-cost methodology can be generally applied on size characterization of commercial ZnO nanoparticles with limited information from vendors.

Determination of Synthetic Cathinones in Urine Using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Techniques.

In recent years, the abuse of synthetic cathinones has increased considerably. This study proposes a method, based on gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS), to analyze and quantify six synthetic cathinones in urine samples: mephedrone (4-MMC), methylone (bk-MDMA), butylone, ethylone, pentylone and methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV). In our procedure, the urine samples undergo solid-phase extraction (SPE) and derivatization prior to injection into the GC-MS device. Separation is performed using a HP-5MS capillary column. The use of selective ion monitoring (SIM mode) makes it is good sensitivity in this method, and the entire analysis process is within 18 min. In addition, the proposed method maintains linearity in the calibration curve from 50 to 2,000 ng/mL (r(2) > 0.995). The limit of detection of this method is 5 ng/mL, with the exception of MDPV (20 ng/mL); the limit of quantification is 20 ng/mL, with the exception of MDPV (50 ng/mL). In testing, the extraction performance of SPE was between 82.34 and 104.46%. Precision and accuracy results were satisfactory <15%. The proposed method was applied to six real urine samples, one of which was found to contain 4-MMC and bk-MDMA. Our results demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method in the identification of synthetic cathinones in urine, with regard to the limits of detection and quantification. This method is highly repeatable and accurate.

Analysis of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles in cosmetics.

There have been rapid increases in consumer products containing nanomaterials, raising concerns over the impact of nanoparticles (NPs) to humankind and the environment, but little information has been published about mineral filters in commercial sunscreens. It is urgent to develop methods to characterize the nanomaterials in products. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs in unmodified commercial sunscreens were characterized by laser scanning confocal microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that laser scanning confocal microscopy evaluated primary particle aggregates and dispersions but could not size NPs because of the diffraction limited resolution of optical microscopy (200 nm). Atomic force microscopy measurements required a pretreatment of the sunscreens or further calibration in phase analysis, but could not provide their elemental composition of commercial sunscreens. While XRD gave particle size and crystal information without a pretreatment of sunscreen, TEM analysis required dilution and dispersion of the commercial sunscreens before imaging. When coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, TEM afforded particle size information and compositional analysis. XRD characterization of six commercial sunscreens labeled as nanoparticles revealed that three samples contained TiO2 NPs, among which two listed ZnO and TiO2, and displayed average particle sizes of 15 nm, 21 nm, and 78 nm. However, no nanosized ZnO particles were found in any of the samples by XRD. In general, TEM can resolve nanomaterials that exhibit one or more dimensions between 1 nm and 100 nm, allowing the identification of ZnO and TiO2 NPs in all six sunscreens and ZnO/TiO2 mixtures in two of the samples. Overall, the combination of XRD and TEM was suitable for analyzing ZnO and TiO2 NPs in commercial sunscreens.

A review of quality surveillance projects on cosmetics in Taiwan.

The Food and Drug Administration in Taiwan is responsible for the quality regulation and control of cosmetics. In order to have a clear understanding of the trends in the product quality monitoring outcomes and the regulatory control measures over the past years, this study has put together the reports of nine cosmetic surveillance projects conducted between 1982 and 2012. The findings can be used as a reference in developing a more solid quality monitoring plan and management system for cosmetic products. Results show that permanent wave products, hair dye products, and phthalate esters in cosmetic products have the highest average noncompliance rates at 39.2%, 14.2%, and 11.2%, respectively. These are followed by the average noncompliance rates of mercury in products, sunscreen products, and microorganisms in products, at 8.5%, 7.1%, and 5.5%, respectively, and the remaining three projects averaging below 4.1%. Since 1997, when new standards were announced and assistance to manufacturers was reinforced, the noncompliance rates of permanent wave products decreased annually, until 2007, when it was fully qualified for the standards. Overall, the study showed that the noncompliance rates of permanent wave products and for levels of phthalate esters, mercury, and hydroquinone in cosmetic products have all decreased in the previous years. The results of surveillance projects conducted after 2005 revealed only one noncompliance sample with lead, arsenic, and cadmium, whereas the surveillance projects on permanent wave products and chloroform- and 1,4-dioxane-containing products revealed full compliance with regulation standards. However, the noncompliance rates for microorganisms in cosmetics and the ingredients in hair dye products and sunscreen products were still high. These high-risk products must be monitored. These surveillance projects are conducted to ensure the safety of cosmetics in the market.