Determination of nitrosamines in skin care cosmetics using Ce-SBA-15 based stir bar-supported micro-solid-phase extraction coupled with gas chromatography mass spectrometry

Improvement for nitrosamine detections, particularly in consumables and products applied to skin is a growing area of research due to implications of nitrosamines on human health. In this study, mesoporous silica, SBA-15 was doped with various ceria loadings and used in the stir bar-supported micro-solid-phase extraction (SB-µ-SPE) of nitrosamines in cosmetic samples. The synthesized sorbents were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. The effects of extraction variables (sorbent type and amount; desorption time, solvent, and volume; extraction time; and ionic strength) were determined. This newly improved method provides good linear range (R² value up to 0.9985) and trace detection (2.7–3.4 ng mL⁻¹). Relative standard deviation (RSD) values determined at different concentration levels ranged between 2.3 and 8.0%, and the screened sorbent shows excellent regeneration ability for four cycles. With this developed Ce-SBA-15 based stir bar-supported micro-solid-phase extraction, trace levels of nitrosamines can be detected in matrices that are commonly encountered by humans.