144948 20260217205529.0 doi 10.1016/j.chroma.2024.465348 sideral 139832 ART-2024-139832 eng Pérez-Bondía, Estela Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0009-0003-6592-6306 Evaluation of new safety decontamination approaches at lab scale for recycled highdensity polyethylene (rHDPE) intended for food contact 2024 Access copy available to the general public Unrestricted Background The increasing use of plastic packaging materials generates concerns related to the environmental problem generated by their waste. As a result, the search for new recycling methodologies to extend the lifecycle of plastic packaging is becoming more important, without forgetting to ensure the safety of these materials. Currently, the use of recycled polyolefins as food contact materials is not widespread yet. This is because the decontamination processes currently available are insufficient to produce clean, safe materials suitable for such applications. This work is focused on the evaluation of the safety of recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE), and the search for strategies to achieve its decontamination. Results To this end, three batches of flakes and three batches of pellets of rHDPE coming from the mechanical recycling of post-consumer milk bottles were analyzed. The analysis of the volatile and semi-volatile compounds present in the samples was carried out using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS), finding a total of 67 compounds. The strategy to achieve the decontamination of flakes and pellets of this material has been based on the application of high temperature and vacuum at lab scale, obtaining a clear decrease in volatile compounds, below 50% of the initial value in most cases when applying 120 °C during 5 h. The migration test performed in the samples (treated and untreated) to different food simulants (10 % ethanol and 3 % acetic acid, 95 % ethanol) revealed also a clear decrease of concentrations of volatiles. Significance The findings are highly encouraging, demonstrating substantial progress toward the safe and effective use of rHDPE in specific food packaging applications. This indicates a significant step forward in the potential uses of rHDPE. Nevertheless, the lack of toxicity data for many migrants necessitates additional toxicological testing to obtain a more precise risk assessment. info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA-FSE/T53-20R info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN/PID2021-128089OB-I00 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess by https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.es 4.0 2024 BIOCHEMICAL RESEARCH METHODS 17 / 86 = 0.198 2024 Q1 T1 CHEMISTRY, ANALYTICAL 28 / 111 = 0.252 2024 Q2 T1 0.731 2024 Analytical Chemistry 2024 Q1 Medicine (miscellaneous) 2024 Q2 Organic Chemistry 2024 Q2 Biochemistry 2024 Q2 7.3 2024 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Domeño, Celia Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0001-8893-0963 Nerín, Cristina Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0003-2685-5739 Aznar, Margarita Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0002-0759-9170 2009 750 Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Química Analítica Área Química Analítica 1736 (2024), 465348 [13 pp.] J. chromatogr. A Journal of Chromatography A 0021-9673 2819241 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/144948/files/texto_completo.pdf Versión publicada 2491484 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/144948/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon icon Versión publicada oai:zaguan.unizar.es:144948 articulos driver 2026-02-17-20:31:38 ARTICLE