Infant Teethers Tested for Hazardous Substances Using GC–MS/MS

Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine in Beijing, China recently used gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS) to create a new detection method for screening hazardous substances in teethers. Their findings were later published in the Journal of Chromatography A (1).

Cute close-up of baby lying in cradle and holding teething ring, adorable baby 5 month old baby | Image Credit: © Katrin_Primak - stock.adobe.com

Teethers are special toys used by infants, being mainly composed of silicone or thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), which can effectively relieve the dental discomfort, stimulate the growth of baby teeth, and exercise gripping and biting abilities. With oral contact being inherent to the use of teethers, the chemical safety of these products is of great concern. However, the chemical risks in products are hidden, and the potential chemicals may come from the raw materials (impurities and degradation products) or may be introduced during production (chemical additives, reaction byproducts, and unintentionally added substances), packaging, and storage. These chemicals may migrate into the infants’ body through saliva, resulting in cumulative chemical harm.

Infants and children are notably vulnerable and prone to harm from unsafe toys. For example, the European Union (EU) invests a large amount of manpower and material resources every year to regulate toys. This coincides with researchers conducting various studies in recent years about the chemical safety of toys, primarily including the targeted detection of chemicals, migration regularity, and risk assessment. Targeted detection focuses on target substances specified in product regulations. Migration regularity typically focuses on the influence of internal and external factors on the migration behavior and migration number of substances from the product to the human body, and migration models are constructed on the basis of Fick diffusion law.

Chemicals in teether toys as one of the sources of exposure, because many infants use teethers intermittently and frequently throughout the day. Therefore, conducting further exposure assessment of the above migratory substances is necessary. In this study, gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS) was used to develop a residual and migration detection method for screening 20 hazardous substances in teethers. Fifteen substances were detected in 59 samples, with residual amounts and detection rates ranging from 0.01 mg/kg to 106.15 mg/kg and from 3.39% to 84.7%, respectively. The residual levels of the 15 detected substances ranged from 0.01 mg/kg to 106.15 mg/kg, and the migration levels of the 12 substances ranged from 0.0143 mg/kg to 20.03 mg/kg, with some substances having high detection rates. Overall, as a value reflecting substances’ migration ability, the average migration rate of the substances ranged from 8.18% to 53.28%.

According to the scientists, this method has shown itself to be vital for promoting the quality and safety of toys and protecting the health of infants and children. Further, the scientists intend to further integrate high-resolution MS (HRMS) nontargeted screening with migration characteristics and risk assessment, and carry out more extensive work in the field of toys and other products.

Reference

(1) Shao, Y.; Wang, Z.; Shi, H.; Lv, Q.; et al. Migration Characteristics and Risk Assessment of Chemical Hazardous Substances in Infant Teether Toys. J. Chromatogr. A 2024, 1730, 465085. DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2024.465085