A systematic evidence map published on March 4, 2022, in the Journal of Hazardous Materials shows that out of 193 chemicals investigated, 150 have been measured to migrate from polyethylene terephthalate (PET, CAS 25038-59-9) bottles into drinks. Spyridoula Gerassimidou of Brunel University, London, and co-authors, including scientists from the Food Packaging Forum, reviewed 91 studies that analyzed migration of chemicals from PET bottles into water, soda, juice, milk, and other drinks. Migration levels were found to vary depending on the geographic location of bottle production, length of storage time, number of reuses, and content. Of the 150 chemicals found in drinks, 18 were measured at levels exceeding EU regulatory limits. These include several phthalates and nickel (Ni, CAS 7440-02-0). Most of the samples exceeding regulatory limits were in fatty foods or food simulants.
Only 41 of the 150 detected chemicals are included in the European Union’s regulation on plastic food contact materials (FCMs) “positive list.” In addition, 102 out of 150 are included in the Food Packaging Forum’s food contact chemicals database (FCCdb) which provides an overview of chemicals intentionally used to produce FCMs. According to Gerassimidou and co-authors, many of the chemicals that migrate from PET, especially those not included on regulatory lists, may be non-intentionally added substances (NIAS), for which risk assessors lack official guidance (FPF reported).
The presence of NIAS in the original PET bottles plus additional contaminants entering the plastic during the recycling process can over time concentrate potentially hazardous chemicals in bottles made from recycled PET (rPET, FPF reported, also here). Gerassimidou et al. made seven recommendations that can help increase the use of recycled PET in drinks bottles while still ensuring chemical safety. Recommendations include: (i) monitoring chemical contamination at every stage of production, including bottling, to find sources of NIAS, (ii) “reaching bilateral agreement on what constitutes good quality rPET between the industry and the regulator and putting in place a compliance mechanism,” and (iii) revising chemical risk assessment approaches. Overall, the authors concluded that “greater transparency and improved communication in the entire production-consumption-management system is needed.”
Reference
Gerassimidou, S. et al. (2022) “Unpacking the complexity of the PET drink bottles value chain: A chemicals perspective.” Journal of Hazardous Materials. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128410
Read more
Damien Gayle (March 18, 2022) “Recycled plastic bottles leach more chemicals into drinks, review finds.” The Guardian
