A study on the radiometric method for evaluating element migration from plastic packagings to its contents

Over the past few years, problems related to food contamination by substances or elements that can be a risk to human health have became a concern, not only to government authorities, but to the general population as well. Within this context, plastic packaging can constitute a source of food contamination since plastic manufacturing processes involve the use of catalysts and different types of additives that may contain toxic elements. When food comes into contact with this packaging, components of the package may migrate to the food. In order to control the material used as food packaging, the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) in Brazil, has established boundary values of migrant substances and procedures to determine migration from plastic packagings to food. In this study the radiometric method was evaluated for element migration determination from plastic packaging to food simulating or to the food itself. This radiometric method consisted in irradiating plastic packaging samples with a thermal neutron flux from the IEA-R1 nuclear research reactor in order to produce radionuclides of elements present in the packagings. The irradiated plastic was then exposed to food simulant or food for element migration. Gamma ray spectrometry was used to measure radioactivity in the simulant or food in order to quantify the migration. The food simulating types and experimental conditions were established according to the ANVISA regulations. Element migration was studied for plastic packaging used for soft drinks, drinking water, milk, dairy products, juices and fatty foods. In the instrumental neutron activation analysis of these packagings the presence of As, Cd, Cr, Co and Sb II was verified. Results obtained from the migration experiments by the radiometric method indicated that Cd, Co, Cr and Sb present in these plastics migrated to the simulant or to the food. In some packagings, the migration of only some of these elements was observed. In these cases the migration detection limits were determined. Results from the analyses of the neutron irradiated plastic packagings by differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that in high density polyethylene packagings oxidative degradation can occur. Among the main advantages of the radiometric method application for element migration evaluation are its simplicity, no need of blank analysis and the possibility to obtain element migration to the food itself. The results obtained indicated the potentiality of using this method in the element migration evaluation from the plastic packagings to their contents. (author)