Determination of Preservatives in Water-Based Adhesives by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

This study establishes an analytical method for the determination of eighteen preservatives in water-based adhesives. The method was based on liquid–liquid extraction by methyl tertiary-butyl ether and subsequent determination by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Experimental conditions (instrumental parameters, extraction solvent, extraction mode, dispersant volume, and extraction time) were optimized and validated. When the method was applied to water-based adhesives, the limits of detection and recovery were 2.29–17.59 milligrams per kilogram and 85.7 − 93.9 percent, respectively, and the repeatability was below 5 percent for all analytes. None of the analytes were found in five cigarette adhesives.