QFashion
NEW ANALYTICAL METHODS FOR REGULATORY CONTROL OF COSMETIC AND TEXTILE PRODUCTS
Project developed by a consortium of Galician SMEs (AMSLAB, MESTRELAB, BIOMIG and XENOTECHS) with the German G.A.S GmbH in close collaboration with two research groups (LIDSA) in Mestrelab’s hometown University, the USC.
The project run for 33 months until November 2018, although collaborations between the consortium partners have flourished since then. The partners were successful in most of the main objectives initially planned, as well as achieving a myriad of extra results derived from the research conducted.
Mestrelab’s role in the project was to develop a prototype software for the databasing, analysis and reporting of results obtained with the new hybrid technique: Gas Chromatography – Ion Mobility Spectrometry, GC-IMS. Our prototype was able to:
- Provide basic processing tools, like baseline correction and smoothing
- Plot data in accessible, fast-to-analyse formats
- Archive data of reference samples, both single and multi-component ones
- Cross-reference archived results to identify compounds present in new samples
Other objectives achieved during the project by the joint efforts of all partners are:
- A new portfolio of validated analytical services for the cosmetic sector, covering most regulated substances
- Part of the developed methods are currently being audited to obtained the ISO 17025
- Technically viable method to identify dozens of prohibited substances using high resolution mass spectrometry.
- New arylamine extraction and reduction method that is safer and simpler than current alternatives. This improves arylamine detection results by both GC-IMS and thin layer chromatography.
- New method for microbial control in cosmetic products that could reduce testing time from days to hours. Based on PCR technique, but adapted during the project for cosmetic formulations, the new method can quickly detect the presence of bacteria, yeast or fungi at low concentration levels.
- Developed, tested and optimised prototype hardware equipment of hybrid technique GC-IMS
- Further results derived by testing the GC-IMS hardware/software prototypes:
- Identification of solvents compatible with GC-IMS analysis of arylamines, which was a major hurdle in the past
- Method for indirect measurements with GC-IMS of formaldehyde in textiles
- Method to detect VOCs that indicate microbial contamination in cosmetics using GC-IMS
The total budget of the project amounts to 983,549.04 euros.
This project was funded by the Galician Innovation Agency (GAIN) via the CONECTA PEME Program and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) within the Thematic Objective I, “Strengthening research, technological development and innovation”, included in the framework of programme FEDER Galicia 2014-2020. It also has the support of the Consellería de Economía, Emprego e Industria.
