Occurrence of brominated flame retardants in black thermo cups and selected kitchen utensils purchased on the European market

Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess. 2013;30(11):1976-86. doi: 10.1080/19440049.2013.829246. Epub 2013 Sep 16.

Abstract

In order to screen for the presence of a recycled polymer waste stream from waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE), a market survey was conducted on black plastic food-contact articles (FCA). An analytical method was applied combining X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) with thermal desorption gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (thermal desorption GC-MS). Firstly, XRF spectrometry was applied to distinguish bromine-positive samples. Secondly, bromine-positive samples were submitted for identification by thermal desorption GC-MS. Generally, the bromine-positive samples contained mainly technical decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE). Newer types of BFRs such as tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), tetrabromobisphenol A bis(2,3-dibromopropyl), ether (TBBPA-BDBPE) and decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE), replacing the polybrominated diphenyleters (PBDEs) and polybrominated diphenyls (PBBs), were also identified. In none of the tested samples were PBBs or hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) found. Polymer identification was carried out using Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy measurement (FTIR) on all samples. The results indicate that polypropylene-polyethylene copolymers (PP-PE) and mainly styrene-based food-contact materials, such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) have the highest risk of containing BFRs.

MeSH terms

  • Acrylic Resins / chemistry
  • Bromine / analysis
  • Bromine Compounds / analysis*
  • Butadienes / chemistry
  • Cooking and Eating Utensils*
  • Europe
  • Flame Retardants / analysis*
  • Food Contamination / analysis
  • Food Packaging / instrumentation*
  • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
  • Polybrominated Biphenyls / analysis
  • Polyethylenes / chemistry
  • Polymers / analysis
  • Polypropylenes / chemistry
  • Polystyrenes / chemistry
  • Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared

Substances

  • Acrylic Resins
  • Bromine Compounds
  • Butadienes
  • Flame Retardants
  • Polybrominated Biphenyls
  • Polyethylenes
  • Polymers
  • Polypropylenes
  • Polystyrenes
  • ABS resin
  • Bromine