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China Surfactant Detergent & Cosmetics ›› 2026, Vol. 56 ›› Issue (8): 1118-1124.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.2097-2806.2026.08.016

• Analytical methods and testing • Previous Articles    

Simultaneous determination of 52 elements in shampoo by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Limin Li*(),Zhongxia Hua,Yufan Xue,Xinfeng Dong   

  1. Shijiazhuang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050011, China
  • Received:2025-11-08 Revised:2026-08-07 Online:2026-08-22 Published:2026-09-02
  • Contact: *E-mail: lilimin1124@163.com.

Abstract:

To investigate the elemental contents in shampoo, an analytical method for the simultaneous determination of 52 elements in shampoo was established using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Through the optimization of microwave digestion and ICP-MS operational parameters, 6 mL of nitric acid and 2 mL of hydrogen peroxide were adopted to digest the samples; the No gas analysis mode and He mode were selected as instrumental analysis modes; and Ge and Re were used as online internal standards. The concentrations of 52 elements (namely Li, Be, B, Al, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Y, Ru, Pd, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Te, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Hf, Ir, Pt, Au, Hg, Tl, Pb, Bi, and U) in 57 shampoo samples were determined and quantified by ICP-MS under the opimal experimental conditions. The results indicate that under the optimized conditions, the linearity of all 52 elements is good in the range of 1-100 μg/L (1~1 000 μg/L for Se, Zn, Fe, and Al; 0.1~4 μg/L for Hg), with the correlation coefficients exceeding 0.999 0. The limits of detection of the method are no higher than 75 μg/kg. The spiked recoveries at low, medium and high concentrations (n=6) range from 81.3% to 114.1%, with relative standard deviations of no more than 6%. This method is simple, accurate, sensitive and reproducible, making it suitable for the rapid, high-throughput determination of 52 elements in shampoo. The determination results show that the concentrations of Pb, Cd, Hg, and As in all samples conform to the standard. The contents of prohibited cosmetic ingredients, including Ni, Cr, Sb, Te, Be, Tl and 16 rare earth elements, are low. In contrast, the concentrations of Se, Zn, Fe, and Al are higher in certain types or brands of shampoo samples than in others.

Key words: shampoo, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), element, microwave digestion

CLC Number: 

  • TQ658