Plastic Products Leach Chemicals That Induce In Vitro Toxicity under Realistic Use Conditions.

Lisa Zimmermann,Zdenka Bartosova,Carolin Völker,Martin Wagner,Jörg Oehlmann,Katharina Braun

doi:10.1021/acs.est.1c01103

Abstract

Plastic products contain complex mixtures of extractable chemicals that can be toxic. However, humans and wildlife will only be exposed to plastic chemicals that are released under realistic conditions. Thus, we investigated the toxicological and chemical profiles leaching into water from 24 everyday plastic products covering eight polymer types. We performed migration experiments over 10 days at 40 °C and analyzed the migrates using four in vitro bioassays and nontarget high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MSE). All migrates induced baseline toxicity, 22 an oxidative stress response, 13 antiandrogenicity, and one estrogenicity. Overall, between 17 and 8681 relevant chemical features were present in the migrates. In other words, between 1 and 88% of the plastic chemicals associated with one product were migrating. Further, we tentatively identified ∼8% of all detected features implying that most plastic chemicals remain unknown. While low-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polyurethane induced most toxicological endpoints, a generalization for other materials is not possible. Our results demonstrate that plastic products readily leach many more chemicals than previously known, some of which are toxic in vitro. This highlights that humans are exposed to many more plastic chemicals than currently considered in public health science and policies.

Highlights

Individual plastic chemicals, such as bisphenol A and phthalates, have received much scientific and public attention
Emerging research using nontarget analysis has expanded this spectrum greatly, especially with respect to nonintentionally added substances (NIAS).[9−12] concerns have been raised regarding the lack of hazard information for chemicals known to be present in food contact materials (FCMs), including plastics, as well as the challenge of unknown compounds migrating from such materials.[13]
Since exposure only occurs if these extractable compounds leach under realistic conditions, we performed migration experiments with water using the conditions set out by the European Union regulation on FCMs.[20]

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Individual plastic chemicals, such as bisphenol A and phthalates, have received much scientific and public attention. We extracted everyday plastics with methanol in our previous study and demonstrated that they contain complex chemical mixtures that induce in vitro toxicity.[4]. Previous studies have demonstrated that the chemicals migrating into aqueous media include organic compounds and metals,[5] phenols and phthalates,[6,7] as well as known estrogenic chemicals.[8] Emerging research using nontarget analysis has expanded this spectrum greatly, especially with respect to NIAS.[9−12] concerns have been raised regarding the lack of hazard information for chemicals known to be present in FCMs, including plastics, as well as the challenge of unknown compounds migrating from such materials.[13]. Our results shed light on the fraction of plastic chemicals and their toxicity available for human and wildlife exposure

MATERIAL AND METHODS

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

■ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

■ REFERENCES