Evaluation of new safety decontamination approaches at lab scale for recycled highdensity polyethylene (rHDPE) intended for food contact
Pérez-Bondía, Estela (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Domeño, Celia (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Nerín, Cristina (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Aznar, Margarita (Universidad de Zaragoza)
Resumen: 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.
Idioma: Inglés
DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2024.465348
Año: 2024
Publicado en: Journal of Chromatography A 1736 (2024), 465348 [13 pp.]
ISSN: 0021-9673
Factor impacto JCR: 4.0 (2024)
Categ. JCR: BIOCHEMICAL RESEARCH METHODS rank: 17 / 86 = 0.198 (2024) - Q1 - T1
Categ. JCR: CHEMISTRY, ANALYTICAL rank: 28 / 111 = 0.252 (2024) - Q2 - T1
Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.731 - Analytical Chemistry (Q1) - Medicine (miscellaneous) (Q2) - Organic Chemistry (Q2) - Biochemistry (Q2)
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA-FSE/T53-20R
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN/PID2021-128089OB-I00
Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)
Área (Departamento): Área Química Analítica (Dpto. Química Analítica)
You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
Exportado de SIDERAL (2025-09-22-14:50:12)
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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.
Idioma: Inglés
DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2024.465348
Año: 2024
Publicado en: Journal of Chromatography A 1736 (2024), 465348 [13 pp.]
ISSN: 0021-9673
Factor impacto JCR: 4.0 (2024)
Categ. JCR: BIOCHEMICAL RESEARCH METHODS rank: 17 / 86 = 0.198 (2024) - Q1 - T1
Categ. JCR: CHEMISTRY, ANALYTICAL rank: 28 / 111 = 0.252 (2024) - Q2 - T1
Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.731 - Analytical Chemistry (Q1) - Medicine (miscellaneous) (Q2) - Organic Chemistry (Q2) - Biochemistry (Q2)
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA-FSE/T53-20R
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN/PID2021-128089OB-I00
Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)
Área (Departamento): Área Química Analítica (Dpto. Química Analítica)
You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. Exportado de SIDERAL (2025-09-22-14:50:12)
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Record created 2024-09-20, last modified 2025-09-23