Identification of Potential Migrants in Polyethylene Terephthalate Samples of Ecuadorian Market.

Karina Marín-Morocho,Sandra Domenek,Rómulo Salazar

doi:10.3390/polym13213769

Abstract

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/dm2); 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.

Highlights

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a plastic packaging material commonly used to produce bottles for drinking water, mineral water, carbonated beverages, and edible oils [1].This semicrystalline polyester is an excellent packaging material due mainly to its good gas barrier properties, good thermal and mechanical properties, light weight, transparency, strength, good processability, and good recyclability [2]
With the purpose of identifying the potential migrants in PET samples, a methodology based on solvent extraction followed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry detection (GC-MS) analysis was used
The compounds were categorized according to their use and application in plastic packaging, such as lubricants, plasticizers, products of thermal degradation, degradation products of antioxidants, and recycling indicators

Summary

Introduction

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a plastic packaging material commonly used to produce bottles for drinking water, mineral water, carbonated beverages, and edible oils [1]. This semicrystalline polyester is an excellent packaging material due mainly to its good gas barrier properties, good thermal and mechanical properties, light weight, transparency, strength, good processability, and good recyclability [2]. Some substances can be added to PET to improve the performance during the processing of bottles and to enhance their functional properties. These additives could migrate to food in contact. The bottle manufacturing processes can lead to polymer and additive degradation, generating compounds that could be potential migrants from

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