Development of dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction technique based on magnetic adsorbent used for extraction of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pollutants in eye cosmetics and their determination by gas chromatography

Abstract

Introduction: PAHs are one of the most important biological pollutants, which are classified as possible human carcinogens. PAHs accumulate on the surfaces of materials such as carbon black, which act as pigments, through the process of incomplete combustion.Objectives: The aim of this study is to develop a dispersive solid phase extraction method and combine it with the DLLME method in order to extract PAHs from eye cosmetic samples and determine them with GC-FID.Method: In this research, iron nanoparticles modified with deep eutectic solvents have been used. In this regard, 0.5 g of the cosmetic sample was transferred into a test tube and its PAH content was extracted with a mixture of methanol and water. Then the analytes presented in the separated upper phase were absorbed using a few milligrams of synthesized adsorbents. In the following, the analytes were eluted from sorbent surface with a water-miscible organic solvent. This phase was used in the following DLLME step.Results: The limits of detection and quantification obtained with the proposed methods were between 0.33 to 0.57 and 1.1 to 1.9 ng/g and 0.25 to 0.54 and 0.85 to 1.8 ng/g.Discussion and conclusion: According to the results, this method can be used as an applicable method for the extraction, preconcentration, and determination of PAHs in cosmetic samples. The use of magnetic adsorbents has made the process of separating the adsorbent from aqueous solution easy. Modification of adsorbents with eutectic solvents has increased selectivity and extraction efficiency. Low LODs and good repeatabilities are other main features of the proposed method.