UV filters are a group of cosmetic ingredients commonly used in a wide variety of cosmetic products to protect users from UV solar radiation. They belong to different chemical families, such as benzophenones, p-aminobenzoates, salicylates, cinnamates, benzotriazoles, benzimidazoles, camphor derivatives, triazines, etc. These cosmetic ingredients are considered as emerging contaminants since they easily reach the aquatic environment, where they are accumulated causing harmful effects in the flora and fauna despite being present at the ng L⁻¹ level. Therefore, the development of sensitive and selective analytical methods for their environmental surveillance monitoring is of high interest. In this sense, the so-called microextractiontechniques play an important role in the sample preparation of environmental water samples.

The aim of this review is to compile and discuss the published papers concerning analytical methods for the determination of organic UV filters in environmental water samples based on the use of both sorbent-based and solvent-based microextraction techniques. A special emphasis has been placed on the current trends, i.e., the use of novel (nano)materials and solvents, and the application of the most advanced approaches. The increase in the number of published articles related to the use of these miniaturized techniques reflects their high potential in the determination of organic UV filters in environmental water samples.

Keywords: Environmental waters, Microextraction techniques, Sample preparation, Trace analysis, UV filters

Full reference:
Current trends on the determination of organic UV filters in environmental water samples based on microextraction techniques – A review , A. Chisvert, J.L. Benedé, A. Salvador, Analytica Chimica Acta 1034 (2018) 22-38