Polyethylene terephthalate bottles (PRBs): a health and safety assessment

As part of a multi-client project, the potential public health risks of the reuse of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) refillable bottles (PRBs) following possible misuse has been investigated. Participants in the project provided data and information from previous studies conducted independently at contract laboratories. These studies were sponsored by the clients in order to provide further research data on PET containers and their safety. In this report, the results of five of these studies along with the results of a recent study carried out at TNO are compiled and reported. PET refillable bottles were exposed to 62 contaminants, including pesticides, that a consumer could potentially store in bottles. After storage with a contaminant under well defined conditions, the bottles were washed, filled with a simulated beverage, and stored for various lengths of time. The beverage and in some cases the bottle wall were then analysed for the presence of the contaminants. Toxicological evaluation of the analytical results from these tests on contaminant residue remigration showed that even under exaggerated exposure conditions, there was no public health concern. Only one compound, parathion, remigrated to a level that required a more in-depth risk evaluation, and under the most conservative assumptions, it too presented no real health hazard. Additionally, current detection systems employed to ensure product quality detect a wide variety of contaminants, including commercial formulations of parathion. Data developed in this paper are consistent with the finding that PRBs can be safely reused. For preventing negative effects on product quality (e.g. taste), however, good manufacturing procedures including visual and electronic inspection systems are required to eliminate abused bottles.