Abstract
Identification and determination of diethylene glycol (DEG) in glycerin-based products was successfully achieved using FT-IR spectroscopy. Studied samples included 0.5% to 20% by mass DEGspiked into cough syrup, two paracetamol syrup formulations, and two food supplements. The characteristic DEGwavenumbers at 881 cm-1 and 1083 cm-1 were used for its quantitative determination in the studied samples. A very good accuracy in determining the DEG fraction was achieved with a mean error% of ±2.02% to ±7.69% upon using the corrected absorbance at 881 cm-1. The corrected absorbance at 1083 cm-1 band was used in the case of paracetamol formulations and resulted in a mean error% ranging from ±2.50% to ±10.28%. The values of limit of detection of the current method ranged from 0.051% to 0.068% DEG for all studied samples.
Highlights
Glycerin is a popular alcohol with a wide range of applications in pharmaceutical, food, and personal care products industries
The IR spectrum of diethylene glycol (DEG) is rich in bands, but only those below 1200 cm–1 are useful in the quantification of DEG in glycerin-containing systems.[16]
A DEG characteristic band is observed at 1085 cm–1 which is attributed to the asymmetric C-O-C stretch mode, whereas the DEG bands at 881 cm–1 and 860 cm–1 are attributed to the CH2 rocking mode.[16]
Summary
Glycerin (or glycerol) is a popular alcohol with a wide range of applications in pharmaceutical, food, and personal care products industries. Glycerin acts as a humectant, preservative, and lubricant; it can be found in more than 2,000 products, including toothpaste, mouthwash, and pain relief medications.[1,2] Usually, it is prepared from fats and oils and may be obtained as a by-product from some biofuel production reactions.[3] The global demand for glycerin is continuously increasing. This encouraged greedy sellers to adulterate glycerin with diethylene glycol (DEG) that is less expensive and has similar physical properties.
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