Application Preface

With the increasingly strict regulation of the cosmetics industry, the trace detection of heavy metal elements (such as arsenic, cadmium, and lead) has become a core link to ensure product safety and compliance. These elements may cause chronic poisoning, nervous system damage, and even carcinogenic risks through long-term skin contact. The combination of microwave digestion technology and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), with its advantages of fully automated sample pretreatment and ultra-low detection limits, provides an efficient solution for trace heavy metal detection in cosmetics. Microwave digestion robots use closed-programmed digestion (such as optimized temperature gradients and reagent ratios), which can significantly reduce human errors and improve the decomposition efficiency of complex matrices (such as oils and emulsifiers). Cream cosmetics, due to their complex matrix characteristics such as high oil content and emulsifiers, pose higher challenges for the precise detection of trace heavy metals (such as arsenic, cadmium, and lead). Long-term skin penetration of these harmful elements may lead to chronic poisoning, nerve damage, and even carcinogenic risks. Although traditional techniques such as atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) are still used in heavy metal detection, their shortcomings such as insufficient sensitivity (detection limits typically at the ppb level) and low efficiency in multi-element analysis make them difficult to meet the high-throughput and high-precision detection requirements for cream cosmetics. The combined technology of microwave digestion and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), relying on fully automated pretreatment and ultra-low detection limits, has become the key to solving the detection challenges of cream cosmetics. Aiming at the characteristics of cream matrices, microwave digestion robots use closed gradient temperature control (such as programmed heating from 120-190°C) and optimization of the nitric acid-hydrogen peroxide system. This study focuses on quality control experiments for As, Cd, and Pb in cream cosmetics based on a domestic microwave digestion-ICP-MS combined system. By optimizing digestion parameters and instrument conditions, it was verified that the accuracy of the method in complex matrices meets the compliance requirements of China’s *Cosmetic Safety Technical Standards* (As ≤ 2 ppm, Cd ≤ 5 ppm, Pb ≤ 10 ppm). [1] This experiment not only provides empirical data for the performance of domestic instruments but also offers an efficient analytical solution for refined industry regulation.

Conclusions of the Article

This work demonstrates that the Hengsheng iQuad 2300P ICP-MS, as an automated elemental analyzer, is fully suitable for elemental analysis of cream cosmetics, providing a reference for the automated operation of laboratory instruments.

Highlights of the Solution

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