Innovative Spectroscopic Approaches for On-Site Quality Control of Hand Sanitizers

Ensuring the ethanol (EtOH) content in hand gel sanitizers meets regulatory standards is critical for effective viral inactivation, particularly in preventing the spread of coronavirus disease ۲۰۱۹ (COVID-۱۹) variants. This study aimed to develop a rapid quality control method to verify a minimum EtOH concentration of ۵۲% (w/w) in hand sanitizers available in Vietnam. Near-infrared (NIR) and Raman spectroscopy, combined with chemometric modeling, were employed to enable fast and accurate EtOH quantification. More than ۲۰۰ real-sample matrix standards with validated EtOH concentrations were used to construct partial least squares (PLS) models, achieving root mean square errors of prediction (RMSEP) of ۴.۴۶% and ۰.۷۶% (w/w) for NIR and Raman methods, respectively. A self-built headspace gas chromatography (HS-GC) system was developed for comparison, yielding a linear EtOH calibration range of ۰.۲۵%–۲.۵% (w/w) (R² > ۰.۹۹۸), a relative standard deviation <۳%, and recoveries from ۱۰۴.۱% to ۱۰۸.۳%. Eleven commercial hand sanitizer samples were analyzed, with one failing to meet the required EtOH content. The relative errors between the NIR and Raman spectroscopy methods compared to HS-GC were ۲.۰% and ۰.۹%, respectively, demonstrating strong agreement. These results suggest that spectroscopy-based approaches offer a reliable, rapid, and cost-effective alternative for routine quality control of ethanol concentration in hand sanitizers, ensuring compliance with public health regulations.

کلیدواژه ها:

Least-Squares analysis ، spectrum analysis ، NIR ، Raman ، COVID-۱۹