Migration of Plasticizers from Polyethylene Terephthalate Bottles to Vinegar and Water via different Temperature and Storage Periods

lasticizers (diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-butyl phthalate (DBP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), and diethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP) are widely used in the manufacture of plastics. Phthalates are not covalently bound to the plastic matrix and can leach into food during packaging. This study investigated the migration of phthalate derivatives from Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles into their water and vinegar under different storage conditions. Gas chromatography (GC) with a mass spectrometry (MS) system is used. The results showed that the highest migration level was DEHP levels after 4 months at 40ºC reached 62.5 and 51.9 µg/L in bottled water and vinegar these values were 10.4 and 8.65 times higher than the upper limit for maximum contamination level (MCL) in drinking water as regulated by U.S.EPA, which equal 6.0 µg/L for DEHP.