Case Study: BPA Testing

PROBLEM: A consumer product supplier needed to determine if Bisphenol-A (BPA) was present in their final products: polymer containers, lids, and storage bags.

SOLUTION: Impact Analytical performed an analysis of the polymer materials to determine if BPA was present with levels of detection down to the part per billion (ppb) level.

TECHNIQUES: Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)

A consumer product supplier contacted Impact Analytical’s to perform testing to determine if BPA was present in their final product.   For quality assurance purposes, they needed an independent lab to perform the analysis. 

BPA has been found to cause adverse reproductive affects at concentrations as low as 0.5 parts per billion (ppb), thus the customer wanted to perform due diligence in ensuring their products were BPA free.  Impact Analytical employed a product specific method for BPA testing using GC-MS to determine if BPA was present in their materials.

GC-MS ANALYSIS
Containers, lids and storage bags were analyzed using an Impact Analytical product specific GC-MS method.  GC-MS analysis is an excellent technique for separating and identifying Bisphenol-A compounds in any sample matrix and was the method of choice for the polymer samples.  Each sample was cut, ground, and extracted for BPA.  The extracts were analyzed by GC-MS using selected ion monitoring (SIM) made for maximum sensitivity for the detection of BPA.  BPA was found in only one sample above a detection limit of 7.5 ppb.  

For the polymer sample containing a BPA peak in the chromatogram, an external BPA standard was used to prepare a 4-point calibration curve for accurate quantitation of BPA.  

SOLUTION: Impact Analytical’s problem solving expertise was utilized to accurately measure the amount of SLS in each detergent so the label claims could be verified.

TECHNIQUES: Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS)

LC-MS ANALYSIS: LC-MS is an excellent method for characterizing and quantifying components of complex mixtures. Impact analytical prepared solutions of SLS reference material and compared each detergent sample to a calibration plot to determine the level of lauryl sulfate present in each detergent.

SOLUTIONS AND RESULTS: The levels of SLS in each detergent were quantified at Impact Analytical using LC-MS. SLS was observed in all the samples, with levels varying from 0.5 wt% to 1.9 wt%. The results were used in an article in the Wall Street Journal, read it  here: http://archive.is/BUGGs