Department for Chemical Safety of Products

Phone: +420 267 082 568

Email: adam.vavrous@szu.gov.cz

 

Deputy Head of Department: Karel Vrbík, M.Sc.

Phone: +420 267 082 554

Email: karel.vrbik@szu.gov.cz

 

Deputy Head of Department: Alena Moulisová, M.Sc.

Phone: +420 267 082 568

Email: alena.moulisova@szu.gov.cz

 

The Department for Chemical Safety of Products specializes in assessing the health safety of a wide range of materials and products. Our activities include laboratory testing, reference activities, and scientific research.

 

Testing and Evaluation

The department operates as a part of Testing Laboratory No. 1206, accredited by the Czech Accreditation Institute. We offer testing and evaluation of materials intended for contact with food and products for children under 14 years of age. We determine selected chemical parameters of construction products and toy materials. Additionally, we participate in the testing of cosmetic products and materials intended for contact with drinking water. Our laboratories are equipped with advanced instruments, including gas and liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence, atomic absorption spectrometry, and VOC emission chambers. If you are interested in product evaluation or laboratory testing, do not hesitate to contact us.

More information on testing:

• Food contact materials and products
• Articles for children under three years of age
• Toy materials
• Construction products

 

Reference Activities

Our department hosts the following national reference laboratories and centers:

• NRL for Food Contact Materials and for Articles for Children under 3 Years
• NRC for Emissions from Construction Products

 

Research

The department focuses on researching the chemical safety of products that may contain hazardous substances, such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), carcinogens, reproductive toxins, and others. These substances pose risks by directly exposing humans or transferring into food, indoor environments, and other materials. Therefore our research not only examines the presence of toxic substances in various types of products but also explores their potential transfer into the food chain. Advanced instrumental methods, capable of detecting trace concentrations of toxic substances, play a key role in this process. Consequently, the development and refinement of analytical procedures are an integral part of our work.

Selected Research Outcomes:

• Ševčík V, Andraščíková M, Vavrouš A, Moulisová A, Vrbík K, Bendová H, Jírová D, Kejlová K, Hložek T (2022) Market surveillance: analysis of perfuming products for presence of allergens and prohibited substances. Chemical Papers 76 (8), 4989-5000.
• Vavrouš A, Ševčík V, Dvořáková M, Čabala R, Moulisová A, Vrbík K (2019) Easy and inexpensive method for multiclass analysis of 41 food contact-related contaminants in fatty food by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 67, 10968−10976.
• Vavrouš A, Pavloušková J, Ševčík V, Vrbík K, Čabala R (2016) Solution for blank and matrix difficulties encountered during phthalate analysis of edible oils by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Journal of Chromatography A 1456: 196–204.
• Vavrouš A, Vápenka, L., Sosnovcová J, Kejlová K, Vrbík K, Jírová D (2016) Method for analysis of 68 organic contaminants in food contact paper using gas and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Food Control 60: 221–229.
• Vápenka L, Vavrouš A, Votavová L, Kejlová K, Dobiáš J, Sosnovcová J (2016) Contaminants in the paper-based food packaging materials used in the Czech Republic. Journal of Food and Nutrition Research 55(4): 361–373.