Optimized Method for Quantifying Bisphenols in Bottled Water and PET/rPET Matrices

Area of Science:

• Food Safety
• Analytical Chemistry
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Plastic food packaging raises concerns about chemical migration into consumables.
• Ensuring the safety of packaging materials is a critical public health priority.
• Bisphenols (BPs) are chemicals of concern in food contact materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• Validate an analytical method for determining bisphenols (BPs) in bottled water.
• Evaluate the presence of BPs in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and recycled PET (rPET) matrices.
• Assess the safety of food packaging materials regarding bisphenol contamination.

Main Methods:

• Method validation using recovery tests for eight bisphenols.
• Analysis of bottled water, PET, and rPET samples.
• Determination of limits of detection (LODs) and quantification (LOQs).

Main Results:

• The validated method demonstrated high linearity (R² ≥ 0.990) and recovery rates (89-118%).
• Bisphenol A (BPA) was quantifiable in all tested matrices (bottled water, PET, rPET).
• Other bisphenols were detected below the limit of quantification.

Conclusions:

• The validated method is a reliable tool for assessing bisphenol contamination in food packaging.
• Findings support efforts to enhance food safety and inform regulations for sustainable PET recycling.
• Ongoing monitoring of bisphenol migration from packaging is essential for public health.