Non-targeted high-throughput screening, risk assessment, and migration regularity of semi-volatile organic compounds from plant-fiber/PLA composites
摘要
As popular food packaging materials in the biodegradable plastic market, plant-fiber/PLA composites (PFPCs) require comprehensive evaluation to ensure their safety. In this work, semi-volatile organic compounds migrated from three batches of PFPC were characterized via gas chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A total of 44 compounds were identified in the 4% (v/v) acetic acid food simulant and 95% (v/v) ethanol food simulant. Ten of them were authorized, but the eugenol migration exceeded the limit of detection in GB 9685–2016. The risk of the other 34 compounds were assessed according to the threshold of toxicological concern. Among them, 21 compounds were assessed as Cramer rule I, and the rest were assessed as Cramer rule III. Ethyl 5,6-dimethoxyindole-2-carboxylate, furfural, tributyl citrate, and caffeine have the greatest potential risks among Cramer class III substances. To systematically investigate the cumulative migration patterns of potentially hazardous compounds, 20 migration tests were conducted to evaluate the risk associated with repeated use of PFPC. As a result, the concentrations of Cramer class III substances in 95% (v/v) ethanol were greater than those in 4% (v/v) acetic acid after repeated migration tests, indicating that the samples presented greater health risks when they were in contact with food containing alcohol or grease than when they were in contact with acidic food.