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

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 R2 > 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.