Evaluation of Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in the PET Bottled Mineral Water of Different Brands and Impact of Heat by GC-MS/MS

Abstract Phthalates are one of the ubiquitous contaminants in the environment due to the extensive use in the last few years. They are easily released because they are not chemically bonded to polymers. They migrate into the food during food packing while in water, they migrate during water filling or storage and bottle manufacturing. They are toxic to human health and known as carcinogen/ endocrine disruptors. A total of sixty PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottled mineral water samples of different six brands were purchased from the local market of Noida, India. These bottles were of two different batch numbers of each brand. Two bottles of each brand with a different batch number were analyzed immediately after purchase while the other eight bottles were analyzed after two and six months when they were stored in sunlight (~ 45 o C) and - 20 o C. The aim of the present study was to determine the migration of DEHP and its impact on storage conditions of PET bottled mineral water in retail stores or homes. We used a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) for the estimation of DEHP in these samples. We observed that the migration of DEHP was dependent on high temperature and storage time. DEHP was present only in those samples, which were stored in sunlight for two & six months and at - 20 o C for six months. While found below the detection limit in those samples which were analyzed immediately after purchase and stored at - 20 o C for two months.