Suspect screening of 200 hazardous substances in plastic toys using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

There is an urgent need for the development of efficient and comprehensive analytical methods for organic chemical compounds due to their increasing number and diversity in children's toy products. The presence of these chemicals in toys poses an extreme risk for the health and development of children. In this study, an analytical methodology has been developed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS). This hybrid instrumentation together with an in-house accurate-mass database and a mass spectral library, allows for wide-scope screening and identification of hazardous substances in plastic toys. A total number of 200 compounds belonging to eight chemical families were investigated, such as coloring agents, plasticizers, fragrance allergens, nitrosamines, primary aromatic amines, flame retardants, perfluorinated compounds, and endocrine disruptors. Following a straightforward and efficient dissolution/precipitation method for sample preparation, chemical screening and confirmation were conducted by comparing the experimentally measured exact mass, retention time, and isotopic pattern with the accurate-mass database and by matching the acquired MS/MS spectra against the mass spectral library. The matrix effect, linearity, sensitivity, precision, and recovery of the proposed method were properly evaluated. The obtained limits of detection (LODs) and quantitation (LOQs) were in the range of 0.01–0.98 mg kg⁻¹ and 0.03–2.99 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. The applicability of the developed protocol was verified through the analysis of 55 real plastic toy products.