A rapid on-site analytical method is developed for screening lidocaine and four other types of prohibited ingredients in cosmetics using thermal desorption-corona discharge ionization together with ion mobility spectrometry. Performing no pretreatment, we dropped or sprayed cosmetic samples onto a Nomex sampling swab. The sampler was placed into a compartment for thermal desorption and corona discharge ionization; then, ion mobility spectrometry analysis was performed. The limits of detection (LODs) for the five analytes ranged from 10 to 50 ng. The instrumental analysis time for a single run was less than 20 ms, and the total sample analysis period was within 1 min. The proposed method is simple, fast, and has low cost, and could be used as an analytical tool for rapid on-site screening of prohibited ingredients in cosmetics.
Keywords: cosmetics; ion mobility spectrometry; rapid on-site screening; thermal desorption.