title: Characterization of odorants in inflatable aquatic toys and swimming learning devices-which substances are causative for the characteristic odor and potentially harmful?
abstract: Based on the observation of intense and offensive smells in the product group of aquatic toys, four representative products were exemplarily chosen and sensorially characterized by an expert panel. Panellists reported mostly almond- and rubber-like notes for three of the four samples, whereas the smell of the fourth sample was dominated by organic solvent-associated notes such as "nail polish-like." To elucidate the molecular reasons of these smells, we isolated the volatile fraction of the product by solvent extraction and high vacuum distillation, and identified the main odorants by aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA), followed by one- and two-dimensional gas chromatography, with parallel mass spectrometric and olfactometric detection. Additionally, the materials of the samples were identified by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy (ATR-spectroscopy), and Beilstein halogen test. Between 32 and 46 odors could be detected in each sample by means of AEDA, whereby five to 13 of these compounds were detectable with by far the highest dilution factors, and were found to primarily correlate with the smells of the respective products. Focussing the subsequent identification on these causative substances led to the successful identification of the majority of these odorants. Among them were several mono- or di-unsaturated carbonyl compounds and their epoxidized derivatives, which are typical odorous artefacts from fatty acid oxidation, but also odor-active organic solvents such as cyclohexanone, isophorone, and phenol.
authors.affiliation: Professorship for Aroma Research, Emil Fischer Center, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Henkestrasse 9, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.|Department Sensory Analytics, Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Giggenhauser Straße 35, 85354, Freising, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wiedmer
authors.affiliation: Bayerisches Landesamt für Gesundheit und Lebensmittelsicherheit, Sachgebiet Bedarfsgegenstände (Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Department of Articles of Daily Use), Eggenreuther Weg 43, 91058, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Velasco-Schön
authors.affiliation: Professorship for Aroma Research, Emil Fischer Center, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Henkestrasse 9, 91054, Erlangen, Germany. andrea.buettner@ivv.fraunhofer.de.|Department Sensory Analytics, Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Giggenhauser Straße 35, 85354, Freising, Germany. andrea.buettner@ivv.fraunhofer.de.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buettner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002849:Chromatography, Gas / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009812:Odorants / Q000032:analysis*; D064367:Olfactometry / Q000379:methods; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012903:Smell; D013550:Swimming; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015386:Hazardous Substances; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds
keywords: Aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA); Cyclohexanone; Gas chromatography olfactometry (GC-O); Isophorone; Plastic; Products of daily use