Abstract
A modified analytical procedure has been developed to test for 5 organic pollutants [benzophenone, 2 diisopropylnaphthalenes (DIPNs) {2,6- and 2,7-diisopropylnapthalene} and 2 hydrogenated terphenyls (HTPs) {m-terphenyl and o-terphenyl}] that can be found as residues in recycled cardboards intended for use as food packaging materials and to test for migration levels of these compounds in a food simulant (Tenax). A main objective was to develop a modified rapid and reliable method for the identification and quantification of these compounds at low concentrations. The method was based on ultrasound-assisted solvent extraction (UAE) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The developed method was applied to analyze 3 commercially available recycled carton board food-packaging materials and also to study the potential migration of the 5 organic pollutants from these materials into Tenax to check if these recycled cardboards can be considered as suitable for use in direct contact with foodstuffs. The limits of detection (LODs) of standard solutions of the 5 compounds were determined at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The LODs and the limits of quantification (LOQs) of examined pollutants ranged between 0.005 to 0.5 mg/kg, and 0.1 to 1 mg/kg, respectively. The extremely low amounts of most contaminants that migrate from packaging materials to Tenax indicate that the recycled cardboards tested can be safely used for direct food contact applications.
Highlights
The demand to preserve earth’s natural sources and limit the wastes and the environmental pollution boosted the interest on recycling
Among these compounds 5 of them were detected in higher concentrations and had been the subjects of the present study: 1) Benzophenone, which could readily migrate to foods packaged in cardboard even during frozen storage [4], 2) 2,6and 2,7-di-isopropyl-naphthanes (DIPNs) (a substitute for the toxicologically harmful polychlorinated benzenes in carbonless copy paper (CLCP)), which were detected in many samples of board prepared from recycled fibers, they were identified as food contaminants and their source attributed to paper and board packages [5]-[7], 3) 2 hydrogenated terphenyls (HTPs) (m- and o-terphenyl), [8]
The investigated organic pollutants, which are usually present in recycled fiber material, are all low molecular weight, relatively non-polar, aromatic substances
Summary
The demand to preserve earth’s natural sources and limit the wastes and the environmental pollution boosted the interest on recycling. In a previously conducted research in our laboratory 21 harmful organic pollutants were indentified in commercially available recycled cardboards used for food packaging applications (Benzophenone, Naphtalene, Acenapthylene, Acenaphtene, Fluorene, Phenarene, Anthracene, Fluoranthene, Pyrene, Benzo[b]fluoranthene, Benzo[a]pyrene, 2,6- and 2,7-diisopropylnapthalene, m-Terphenyl, Dioctylphthalate, Di-N-butyl phthalate, Dimethyl phthalate, Diethyl phthalate, Bis(2-ethylhexyl) adipate, Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and Benzyl butyl phthalate) [3]. Among these compounds 5 of them were detected in higher concentrations and had been the subjects of the present study: 1) Benzophenone, (residue from UV-cured inks and lacquers used to print on the packaging and if cardboard was made from recycled fibers recovered from printed materials) which could readily migrate to foods packaged in cardboard even during frozen storage [4], 2) 2,6and 2,7-di-isopropyl-naphthanes (DIPNs) (a substitute for the toxicologically harmful polychlorinated benzenes in carbonless copy paper (CLCP)), which were detected in many samples of board prepared from recycled fibers, they were identified as food contaminants and their source attributed to paper and board packages [5]-[7], 3) 2 hydrogenated terphenyls (HTPs) (m- and o-terphenyl), (residues in cardboard packages made from recycled material containing CLCP) [8]
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