Identification and health risk assessment of volatile and semi-volatile migrants along with chemical elements in food contact water-borne coating paper

Water-borne coating paper, with its food contact potential, raises concerns due to unknown contaminants. Herein, the presence and migration of volatile and semi-volatile compounds, along with chemical elements from two water-borne coating paperboards were investigated using 4 % acetic acid, 50 % ethanol, and 95 % ethanol, while also evaluating associated health risks. The results showed that the overall migration to 95 % ethanol from both papers indicated the non-compliance with the reference limit of 10 mg/dm². Utilizing an optimized direct immersion-solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method, a total of 66 migrants were identified, among which 16 and 7 were classified as Cramer Ⅲ and Cramer Ⅱ, respectively, linked to coating and paper raw materials. Additionally, 28 chemical elements released from papers were analysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, where higher levels of elements (i.e., Na, K) were observed in the migration of 4 % acetic acid, potentially from additives or raw materials used in papermaking processes. More importantly, health risk assessment based on the Threshold of Toxicological Concern approach or worst-case dietary intake assumption indicated that, the estimated daily intake of most migrants and chemical elements through human exposure fell below toxicological reference values. However, certain migrants (e.g., 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, methyl benzoate, phenanthrene, and longifolene) exhibited concerning migration levels in 50 % ethanol and 95 % ethanol that exceed their safety thresholds and may pose health risks. Overall, understanding the migration and potential risk of migrants are imperative for ensuring the safety of using commercially available water-borne coating paper in food contact applications.