Determination of free formaldehyde in cosmetics containing formaldehyde-releasing preservatives by reversed-phase dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and liquid chromatography with post-column derivatization.

Abstract An analytical method for the determination of traces of formaldehyde in cosmetic products containing formaldehyde-releasing preservatives has been developed. The method is based on reversed-phase dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (RP-DLLME), that allows the extraction of highly polar compounds, followed by liquid chromatography–ultraviolet/visible (LC–UV/vis) determination with post-column derivatization. The variables involved in the RP-DLLME process were studied to provide the best enrichment factors. Under the selected conditions, a mixture of 500 μL of acetonitrile (disperser solvent) and 50 μL of water (extraction solvent) was rapidly injected into 5 mL of toluene sampl…