Migration of endocrine and metabolism disrupting chemicals from plastic food packaging

ABSTRACT Plastics constitute a vast array of substances, with over 16 000 known plastic chemicals, including intentionally and non-intentionally added substances. Toxicity and thousands of chemicals are extractable from plastics; however, the extent to which toxicity and chemicals migrate from everyday plastic products remains poorly understood. This study aims to characterize the endocrine and metabolism disrupting activity, as well as chemical composition of migrates from plastic food contact articles (FCAs) from four countries as significant sources of human exposure. Additionally, strategies for prioritization of chemicals were explored. Fourteen plastic FCAs covering seven polymer types with high global market shares were migrated into water and a water-ethanol mixture as food simulants according to European regulations. The migrates were analyzed using reporter gene assays for nuclear receptors relevant to human health and non-target chemical analysis to characterize the chemical composition of the migrates. All FCA migrates interfered with at least two nuclear receptors, predominantly targeting pregnane X receptor. Moreover, peroxisome proliferator receptor gamma was broadly activated by the migrates, though mostly with lower potencies, while estrogenic and antiandrogenic activities were more selectively induced by specific FCAs. Fewer chemicals and less toxicity migrated into water compared to the water-ethanol mixture. The latter exhibited similar toxicity and number of chemicals as methanol extracts of the same FCAs. Novel strategies were employed to address the chemical complexity of FCAs and narrow down the list of potential active chemicals. By comparing the composition of multiple leachates of one sample and using stepwise partial least squares regressions, we successfully reduced the chemical complexity, pinpointed potential endocrine disruptors such as triphenyl phosphate and prioritized chemicals for further identification efforts. This study demonstrates the migration of endocrine and metabolism disrupting chemicals from plastic FCAs into food simulants, rendering a migration of these compounds into food and beverages probable.