Lieve Geerts

Analysis of phthalates in food products and packaging materials sold on the Belgian market

Phthalates are organic lipophilic compounds that are principally used as plasticiser to increase the flexibility of plastic polymers. Other applications are a.o. the use of phthalates in printing inks and lacquers. Human exposure to phthalates mainly occurs via food ingestion and can induce adverse health effects. In this study, the presence of eight phthalate compounds--dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), benzylbutyl phthalate (BBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP)--was investigated in 400 food products, divided over eleven groups, and packages sold on the Belgian market. For this purpose, suitable extraction techniques were developed and validated for four different matrices, namely high-fat foods, low-fat food products, aqueous-based beverages and packaging materials. The instrumental analysis was performed by means of gas chromatography-low resolution-mass spectrometry with electron impact ionisation (GC-EI-MS). A wide variety of phthalate concentrations was observed in the different groups. DEHP was found in the highest concentration in almost every group. Moreover, DEHP was the most abundant phthalate compound, followed by DiBP, DnBP and BBP. This survey is part of the PHTAL project, which is the first project that discusses phthalate contamination on the Belgian food market.

Determination of contamination pathways of phthalates in food products sold on the Belgian market

As numerous studies have indicated that food ingestion is the most important exposure pathway to several phthalates, this study aimed to determine possible contamination pathways of phthalates in food products sold on the Belgian market. To do this, concentrations of eight phthalates (dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), benzylbutyl phthalate (BBP), dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP)) were determined in 591 foods and 30 packaging materials. In general, the four most prominent phthalates in Belgian food products were DEHP, DiBP, DnBP and BBP. Special attention was given to the origin of these phthalates in bread, since high phthalate concentrations (especially DEHP) were determined in this frequently consumed food product. Phthalates seemed to occur in Belgian bread samples due to the use of contaminated ingredients (i.e. use of contaminated flour) as well as due to migration from phthalate containing contact materials used during production (e.g. coated baking trays). Also the results of the conducted concentration profiles of apple, bread, salami and two cheese types revealed the important role of processing - and not packaging - on phthalate contents in foods.

Experimental estimation of migration and transfer of organic substances from consumer articles to cotton wipes: Evaluation of underlying mechanisms

The aim of this work was to identify the key mechanisms governing transport of organic chemical substances from consumer articles to cotton wipes. The results were used to establish a mechanistic model to improve assessment of dermal contact exposure. Four types of PVC flooring, 10 types of textiles and one type of inkjet printed paper were used to establish the mechanisms and model. Kinetic extraction studies in methanol demonstrated existence of matrix diffusion and indicated the presence of a substance surface layer on some articles. Consequently, the proposed substance transfer model considers mechanical transport from a surface film and matrix diffusion in an article with a known initial total substance concentration. The estimated chemical substance transfer values to cotton wipes were comparable to the literature data (relative transfer ∼2%), whereas relative transfer efficiencies from spiked substrates were high (∼50%). For consumer articles, high correlation (r2=0.92) was observed between predicted and measured transfer efficiencies, but concentrations were overpredicted by a factor of 10. Adjusting the relative transfer from about 50% used in the model to about 2.5% removed overprediction. Further studies are required to confirm the model for generic use.

Phthalates in food on the Belgian market: occurrence and possible contamination pathways

Phthalates are organic lipophilic compounds which are mainly used as plasticizer in plastic polymers. Human exposure occurs mainly via food intake and can cause a wide range of negative health effects. Phthalates are not only present in food because of environmental contamination, but also as a result of migration from contact materials. This study investigated phthalates in cow milk in order to determine the contamination pathways at farm level. The levels of eight phthalates were determined in raw milk samples collected during summer and winter at five farms located in ‘The Kempen’ (Belgium). Both manually obtained milk samples as milk samples milked by machine were collected. Analysis was performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The analysis of the milk samples milked by machine revealed a difference in average total phthalate level between the summer and the winter sampling period (572 versus 379 µg/kg fat). While the total phthalate levels of the different farms during winter were nearly of similar magnitude (291-587 µg/kg fat), a wide range could be observed during summer (95-1550 µg/kg fat). Comparing milk samples within a farm, lower total phthalate levels were found in the milk samples milked by hand than those by machine (100 versus 179 µg/kg fat). Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate which is the most commonly used plasticizer worldwide, was the most dominating one (79 % of the total concentration in milk from the central collecting tank). The results indicate that the contamination pathways for phthalates in cow milk vary across seasons. An explanation therefore is that the feed composition is different during summer than during winter. In summer, cows are grazing in the fields where an extra phthalate contamination can occur via soil ingestion. Comparing the milk samples milked by hand with those by machine reveals that the milking equipment is another important contamination pathway.The International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE) is an international organization with almost 1000 members from more than 60 countries. The annual international conference brings together many members and non-members and provides an excellent forum for the discussion of problems and benefits related to the environment and human health. Specific themes for the 23rd Annual Conference include: Sustainable transport and health: Impact of transport on health and approaches to reduce health impacts, Impact of climate change: from water scarcity to Saharan dust episodes, Early exposure - later life: in utero and early life exposures and effects in later life, New methods and technologies.Background and Aims: Phthalates are used in many industrial and consumer products. High-molecular-weight phthalates are primarily used as plasticizers to soften PVC products, while low-molecular-weight phthalates are widely used as solvents to hold colour and scent in products. Phthalates have been detected in food and also measured in humans. This study investigated phthalates in food products on the Belgian market in order to explore possible contamination pathways. Methods: 650 Representative samples of widely consumed foods were purchased in Belgian shops. The levels of eight phthalates were determined and product specific properties were stored in a database. This database was used to explore the contamination pathways by identifying relations between sample properties (e.g. fat content, pH and packaging) and measured phthalate concentrations. Results: The results of the measurement campaign show a wide variety of phthalate concentrations in the food samples. Concentrations are higher in high-fat food products like butter, oil and cheese compared to low-fat food products, like vegetables and juices. Higher phthalate concentrations were also detected in some cardboard packed food, probably due to migration from inks and glues. Aluminium inner package seems to be a good barrier for migration. A wide range of phthalate levels in bread was found and further research is necessary. Conclusions: A wide variety in phthalate concentration was found. The fat content of the food product, the composition of the food as well as the composition and properties of the packaging material have been identified as possible contamination causing conditions. In a next phase of this study, we will use these data to quantify the dietary intake of phthalates for the Belgian population.