Human Health Risk Assessment of Phthalate Esters and Antimony Levels in Beverages Packaged in Polyethylene Terephthalate under Different Storage Conditions

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to examine how common storage conditions affect the migration of phthalate esters (PAEs) and antimony (Sb) from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles into bottled drinks. The drinks were collected from local supermarkets in Turkey, including different types such as bottled drinking water (DW), mineral water (MW), cola (C), orange flavored carbonated drink (OFCD), fermented turnip drink (FTD), and lemonade (L). Additionally, a deterministic model was utilized to evaluate the potential risk to human health associated with this migration process. The performance and optimization of the LC-MS/MS and ICP-MS instruments for the analysis of PAEs and Sb were also evaluated. The limits of detection (LODs) for PAEs and Sb ranged from 0.004 to 1.88ng/mL, while the limits of quantification (LOQs) ranged from 0.013 to 6.27ng/mL. The analysis results revealed the presence of PAEs at varying concentrations. Di-isodecyl phthalate (DIDP) and di-isononyl phthalate (DINP) exhibited the highest level of migration to drink samples. The type of beverage also affected the migration of PAEs and Sb. The highest migration levels were detected in MWs. Storage temperature (4 °C, 25 °C, and 40 °C) and storage duration (365 days) had an impact on the release of PAEs and Sb into beverages from PET bottles. The Hazard Quotients (HQs) calculated for PAEs and Sb were significantly lower than 1 in all scenarios, indicating that no adverse health effects are anticipated due to exposure to PAEs and Sb through beverage consumption.