Article GC-MS and E-Nose Analysis of Office Paper: Discriminating
Paper Origin Using Multivariate Analysis Marta I. S. Veríssimo 1 , Elvira Gaspar 2 and Maria Teresa S. R. Gomes 3, *
1 Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; mverissimo@ua.pt 2 LAQV-REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, New University of Lisbon, Quinta da Torre, 2825-114 Caparica, Portugal; elvira.gaspar@fct.unl.pt 3 Centre of Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal * Correspondence: mtgomes@ua.pt Highlights What are the main findings? • An e-nose based on coated piezoelectric quartz crystals was used to detect VOCs emitted from office paper. • The papers could be grouped based on the wood species used as the fiber source. What are the implications of the main findings? • VOCs emitted from paper can be used to identify the wood used in its manufacture, distinguish recycled paper, and infer its geographic origin based on differences in the manufacturing process. • A new inexpensive and non-destructive analytical system is able to distinguish papers. Abstract Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from hardwood papers are associated with cellulose fibers, paper fillers, and the manufacturing process used. Volatiles emitted from samples of office (printing and writing) papers from various brands and countries were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and an electronic nose (e- nose) based on piezoelectric quartz crystals. Dodecanoic acid 1-methylethyl ester (isopropyl dodecanoate) and nonanal have shown to be the dominant compounds in most of the samples analyzed, regardless of the pulpwood used in paper manufacturing: Eucalyptus globulus, acacia, and birch. 3-Hydroxybutanone was detected only in Spanish papers, suggesting it as a potential marker. Additionally, the content in acetic acid enables the identification of recycled paper.
Keywords: GC-TOF-MS; electronic nose; piezoelectric quartz crystal; volatile organic compounds; office paper; wood fibers; paper wood; wood pulp
Academic Editor: Weiying Lu
Received: 11 February 2026 Revised: 20 March 2026 Accepted: 23 March 2026 Published: 25 March 2026
1. Introduction Paper has been the material used for written communication and the dissemination of information. Paper (and paperboard) is also used for many other purposes, such as wrapping, packaging, toweling, and photography. Some papers, such as those used in banknotes, have strict manufacturing specifications, not only to ensure long durability but also to address security issues. Those include, for instance, watermarks, fluorescence fibers, and metallic fillets. Due to these specifications, paper traceability to its origin is assured.
Copyright: © 2026 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.
Sensors 2026 , 26 , 2049
https://doi.org/10.3390/s26072049
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