Keywords
cleaning products
hygiene
health
GC-MS
Abstract
Objective: The extensive use of wet wipes for personal hygiene, household cleaning, and food service applications results in frequent dermal exposure to chemical preservatives such as 2-phenoxyethanol (PhE). Although PhE is permitted for use within established regulatory limits, data on its occurrence and concentration levels in consumer products remain limited, and recent systematic data are scarce. This study aimed to quantify PhE levels in commercially available wet wipes across different usage categories using a validated gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method.
Methods: Due to substantial differences in wipe dimensions among products, a standardized subsampling approach (2×2 cm) was applied to enable comparable quantification and to characterize variability in preservative content. A total of 30 wet wipe products representing six usage categories were analyzed. The method demonstrated a linear range of 5–30 μg/mL (R² = 0.99), with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.49 μg/mL and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 5 μg/mL.
Results: In the study, PhE was detected in 17 of the 30 samples (56%), with concentrations ranging from 5.00 to 23.80 µg/mL in 2×2 cm wipe extracts and calculated full-size wipe concentrations ranging from 916.3 to 6246.4 µg/mL. The highest PhE levels were observed in products intended for sensitive use, such as baby wipes and feminine hygiene wipes, as well as in sachet wipes from small-scale food service venues.
Conclusion: The findings indicate considerable variability in PhE content among commercially available wet wipes, underscoring the importance of systematic analytical monitoring of preservative levels in frequently used skin-contact products.
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