Advances in analytical techniques for the determination of genotoxic impurities in pharmaceuticals

Genotoxic or potentially genotoxic impurities seriously threaten people′s health, therefore, it is necessary to identify and quantify these impurities in pharmaceutical materials even at trace levels. Due to the special requirements on the sensitivity, selectivity, analyte stability and matrix effect, development of analytical methods is a challenge for the determination of genotoxic impurities. This paper reviews the recent advances in analytical methods for trace levels of commonly encountered genotoxic or potentially genotoxic impurities, including alkyl halides, alkyl sulfonates, hydrazines, epoxides and acyl halides, which would be helpful to control these impurities.