Assessment of estrogenic compounds in paperboard for dry food packaging with the ERE-CALUX bioassay. (April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Vandermarken, T.; Boonen, I.; Gryspeirt, C.; Croes, K.; Van Den Houwe, K.; Denison, M.S.; Gao, Y.; Van Hoeck, E.; Elskens, M.
• Is Part Of: Chemosphere. Volume 221(2019)
• Page Start: 99
• Page End: 106
• Publication Date: 2019-04
• Subjects: Estrogens -- Phthalates -- ERE-CALUX -- Food packaging -- Paperboard -- FCM; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Physiological effect -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Periodicals; Atmospheric chemistry -- Periodicals; 551.511
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.12.192
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0045-6535

Abstract

Abstract: Paperboard used as packaging, a non-inert material, can transfer chemicals into food. Over the years, endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), such as NonylPhenols (NPs), BisPhenol A (BPA) and phthalates have been shown to migrate from packaging materials into food. Due to chronic exposure and mixture effects of these EDCs, they could cause health effects even at very low doses. Many EDCs are still unknown and many more are still unregulated. The ERE-CALUX bioassay was used as a bioanalytical tool to investigate estrogenic activities of paperboard food packaging and its characteristics, including recycling rate and printing ink. A "worst case" scenario with full extraction is compared to a dry food migration experiment. By measuring an overall estrogenic activity, known and unknown estrogenic chemicals and mixture effects are taken into account and the data are compared to molecule specific analysis. Estrogenic activities ranged from 682 ± 66 pg E2 eq./dm2 to 3250 ± 400 pg E2 eq./dm2 for "worst case" extraction and from 347 ± 30 pg E2 eq./dm2 to 1350 ± 70 pg E2 eq./dm2 for migration experiments. A two-factor ANOVA revealed a relationship between estrogenic activity and the recycling rate of the paperboard, but no significant difference with printing ink was observed for these paperboard samples. Bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) and 1, 2-cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester (DINCH) were determined in all extraction and migrations experiment samples. A Spearman rank correlation analysis showed a relationship between the estrogenic activity and the total phthalates as well as with each compound individually. Highlights: Estrogenic activities of paperboard in "worst case" extractions and in migrations. Activities have relative standard deviations below 18% with a median value of 9.7%. Recycling rate of paperboard food packaging highly related to estrogenic activity. Estrogenic activities are compared to molecule specific analysis of plasticizers. A relationship was shown between the estrogenic activity and the phthalates.