Identification of Potential Migrants in Polyethylene Terephthalate Samples of Ecuadorian Market
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the plastic packaging material most widely used to produce bottles intended for contact with food and beverages. However, PET is not inert, and therefore, some chemical compounds present in PET could migrate to food or beverages in contact, leading to safety issue...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Polymers |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/13/21/3769 |
| _version_ | 1797511930077773824 |
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| author | Karina Marín-Morocho Sandra Domenek Rómulo Salazar |
| author_facet | Karina Marín-Morocho Sandra Domenek Rómulo Salazar |
| author_sort | Karina Marín-Morocho |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the plastic packaging material most widely used to produce bottles intended for contact with food and beverages. However, PET is not inert, and therefore, some chemical compounds present in PET could migrate to food or beverages in contact, leading to safety issues. To evaluate the safety of PET samples, the identification of potential migrants is required. In this work, eight PET samples obtained from the Ecuadorian market at different phases of processing were studied using a well-known methodology based on a solvent extraction followed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis and overall migration test. Several chemical compounds were identified and categorized as lubricants (carboxylic acids with chain length of C12 to C18), plasticizers (triethyl phosphate, diethyl phthalate), thermal degradation products (p-xylene, benzaldehyde, benzoic acid), antioxidant degradation products (from Irgafos 168 and Irganox), and recycling indicator compounds (limonene, benzophenone, alkanes, and aldehydes). Additionally, overall migration experiments were performed in PET bottles, resulting in values lower than the overall migration limit (10 mg/dm<sup>2</sup>); however, the presence of some compounds identified in the samples could be related to contamination during manufacturing or to the use of recycled PET-contaminated flakes. In this context, the results obtained in this study could be of great significance to the safety evaluation of PET samples in Ecuador and would allow analyzing the PET recycling processes and avoiding contamination by PET flakes from nonfood containers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:54:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-790aba089eea42a1a78140abca7ba478 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4360 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:54:54Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Polymers |
| spelling | doaj.art-790aba089eea42a1a78140abca7ba4782023-11-22T21:28:27ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602021-10-011321376910.3390/polym13213769Identification of Potential Migrants in Polyethylene Terephthalate Samples of Ecuadorian MarketKarina Marín-Morocho0Sandra Domenek1Rómulo Salazar2Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Facultad de Ingeniería en Mecánica y Ciencias de la Producción, Carrera de Ingeniería en Alimentos, Campus Gustavo Galindo, Km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, Guayaquil P.O. Box 09-01-5863, EcuadorUMR Ingénierie Procédés Aliments, AgroParisTech, INRA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91300 Massy, FranceEscuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Facultad de Ingeniería en Mecánica y Ciencias de la Producción, Carrera de Ingeniería en Alimentos, Campus Gustavo Galindo, Km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, Guayaquil P.O. Box 09-01-5863, EcuadorPolyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the plastic packaging material most widely used to produce bottles intended for contact with food and beverages. However, PET is not inert, and therefore, some chemical compounds present in PET could migrate to food or beverages in contact, leading to safety issues. To evaluate the safety of PET samples, the identification of potential migrants is required. In this work, eight PET samples obtained from the Ecuadorian market at different phases of processing were studied using a well-known methodology based on a solvent extraction followed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis and overall migration test. Several chemical compounds were identified and categorized as lubricants (carboxylic acids with chain length of C12 to C18), plasticizers (triethyl phosphate, diethyl phthalate), thermal degradation products (p-xylene, benzaldehyde, benzoic acid), antioxidant degradation products (from Irgafos 168 and Irganox), and recycling indicator compounds (limonene, benzophenone, alkanes, and aldehydes). Additionally, overall migration experiments were performed in PET bottles, resulting in values lower than the overall migration limit (10 mg/dm<sup>2</sup>); however, the presence of some compounds identified in the samples could be related to contamination during manufacturing or to the use of recycled PET-contaminated flakes. In this context, the results obtained in this study could be of great significance to the safety evaluation of PET samples in Ecuador and would allow analyzing the PET recycling processes and avoiding contamination by PET flakes from nonfood containers.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/13/21/3769polyethylene terephthalatePETchemicals compoundsmigrationadditivesbottles |
| spellingShingle | Karina Marín-Morocho Sandra Domenek Rómulo Salazar Identification of Potential Migrants in Polyethylene Terephthalate Samples of Ecuadorian Market Polymers polyethylene terephthalate PET chemicals compounds migration additives bottles |
| title | Identification of Potential Migrants in Polyethylene Terephthalate Samples of Ecuadorian Market |
| title_full | Identification of Potential Migrants in Polyethylene Terephthalate Samples of Ecuadorian Market |
| title_fullStr | Identification of Potential Migrants in Polyethylene Terephthalate Samples of Ecuadorian Market |
| title_full_unstemmed | Identification of Potential Migrants in Polyethylene Terephthalate Samples of Ecuadorian Market |
| title_short | Identification of Potential Migrants in Polyethylene Terephthalate Samples of Ecuadorian Market |
| title_sort | identification of potential migrants in polyethylene terephthalate samples of ecuadorian market |
| topic | polyethylene terephthalate PET chemicals compounds migration additives bottles |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/13/21/3769 |
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