Determination of Capsaicinoids in Air Using Colorimetric Detectors

Abstract

The significant physiological effect of capsaicinoids on the human body is utilized in the fields of food industry, medicine, and internal state security (riot control agents, RCAs). Detection and determination of capsaicinoids in solutions and extracts are fairly well developed, but only marginal attention is given to their detection in the form of aerosols and vapors, which are the primary form of their use as RCAs. In the article, three variants of a simple tube detector for direct detection of capsaicinoids in air (using pelargonic acid vanillylamide – PAVA, as the standard) are presented, utilizing classical color reactions with Turnbull’s blue, Gibbs reagent, and Marquis reagent. The use of these reactions for these purposes is innovative. Each reaction has been optimized and the proposed detectors have been compared, emphasizing their sensitivity, selectivity, and stability. PAVA in the air at a concentration of 0.1 mg/m3 can be detected with the naked eye. The stability of the proposed detectors allows for their commercial use.