High Throughput Screening for Phthalates in Toys and Childcare Articles Using the Agilent 6140 Single Quadrupole LC/MS System and Analytical Studio Browser Software

The European Commission has prohibited commercialisation of toys or child care articles containing more than 0.1% by weight of any of the following six phthalates: di-isononyl phthalate (DINP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate
(DEHP), di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP), di-isodecyl phthalate (DIDP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP). In addition, various other regulatory agencies throughout the world have banned the excessive use of these phthalates in toys[1].

In this Application Note, we show highthroughput analyses with less than 1 minute run times for separating phthalates in toys or child care articles on sub-2 μm columns. The use of the Agilent 6140 single quadrupole LC/MS system and Agilent Analytical Studio Browser software allows quick visual identification of samples that exceed regulatory requirements. Fast analysis methods reduce analysis time for
consumer product testing agencies or QC departments of toy manufacturers. The method presented here saves time and money, while quickly identifying toys that fail legislation requirements.

INTRODUCTION
Phthalate esters (plasticisers) are used in polymeric materials, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics to increase their flexibility. These noncovalently-bound phthalates can leach out of the product, and potentially cause environmental and health hazards. Six phthalates (DINP, DEHP, DNOP, DIDP, BBP and DBP) are classified as posing a health risk. Children can ingest these leachable phthalates from toys by way of mouth.

The Agilent 1200 Series Rapid Resolution LC system coupled to an Agilent 6140 single quadrupole LC/MS system referred to as mass selective detector (MSD) along with Agilent Analytical Studio Browser (ASB) provide versatile tools for high-throughput screening of phthalates such as these. Highthroughput analysis is demonstrated with a simple extraction procedure, a run time of less than 1 minute, a short overall sequence time, and quick identification of samples containing excessive phthalates. The autotune feature of the MSD allows instrument tuning without significant user intervention. Agilent ZORBAX Eclipse Plus RRHT 1.8μm columns facilitate
fast chromatographic separations. A short overall analysis time is the result of the overlapped injection option of the Agilent 1200 Series SL Plus Autosampler.

Analytical Studio Browser (ASB) is a visual tool that allows rapid identification of samples exceeding threshold levels set by the analyst. The ASB allows the user to:

• Browse very large amounts of LC/MS data very quickly
• Make an assessment of the quality of data taken from a variety of detectors
• Edit data and override data processing decisions made by automated systems
• Report the data in a format that fits the particular needs of their work environment.

The applicability of this methodology can be extended to other analyses that require high-throughput screening of many samples to meet pass or fail criteria.