Issue 4, 2022

Use of single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the study of zinc oxide nanoparticles released from fabric face masks

Abstract

An analytical method based on single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS) was developed to study the release of ZnO nanoparticles from fabric face mask samples upon washing. Before application, the method was tested with commercial ZnO nanoparticle powders suspended in various types of dispersing media, including deionized water, detergent, 20% ethanol, and pure ethanol. These dispersing media were representative simulants normally used in migration studies of nanoparticles. The commercial ZnO nanoparticle suspensions were subjected to size analysis by SP-ICP-MS, and the results were in good agreement with those analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Therefore, a method based on SP-ICP-MS was applied to examine the release of ZnO nanoparticles from four commercial fabric face mask samples upon washing in deionized water and 4% detergent for five washing cycles. The total content of Zn in fabric face mask samples was found to be approximately 60–100 μg g−1, as determined by conventional ICP-MS after acid dissolution of samples. With SP-ICP-MS, the released ZnO nanoparticles from fabric face mask samples upon washing in deionized water and 4% detergent were in the range of 100–200 nm. The released percentage of Zn from mask samples was approximately 0.25–1.17% in the first washing cycle in deionized water. However, higher percentages ranging around 1.97–3.12% were found for the release of Zn from mask samples in 4% detergent. This work illustrates the capability of SP-ICP-MS for providing information that can be useful for quality control of fabric face mask products.

Graphical abstract: Use of single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the study of zinc oxide nanoparticles released from fabric face masks

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
17 N’w 2021
Accepted
08 Kul 2022
First published
09 Kul 2022

J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2022,37, 759-767

Use of single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the study of zinc oxide nanoparticles released from fabric face masks

W. Suwanroek, J. Sumranjit, T. Wutikhun and A. Siripinyanond, J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2022, 37, 759 DOI: 10.1039/D1JA00447F

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements