Simplified Unified BARGE Method to Assess Migration of Phthalate Esters in Ingested PVC Consumer Products

Dana Fahad M. S. Mohamed, Du Yung Kim, Jinsung An, Minhye Kim, Sa-Ho Chun and Jung-Hwan Kwon ()
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Dana Fahad M. S. Mohamed: Division of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
Du Yung Kim: Division of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
Jinsung An: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, 55 Hanyangdeahak-ro, Sangnok-gu, Ansan 15588, Republic of Korea
Minhye Kim: Chemical Products Team, FITI Testing and Research Institute, 21 Yangcheong 3-gil, Cheongju-si 28115, Republic of Korea
Sa-Ho Chun: Chemical Products Team, FITI Testing and Research Institute, 21 Yangcheong 3-gil, Cheongju-si 28115, Republic of Korea
Jung-Hwan Kwon: Division of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 3, 1-12

Abstract: The unified bioaccessibility research group of Europe (BARGE) method (UBM) suggests using in vitro experimental conditions for simulating the release of chemicals from confined matrices, such as soils and sediments, in the human gastrointestinal tract. It contains comprehensive steps that simulate human digestion pathways and has good potential for application in the leaching of plastic additives from accidentally ingested plastic particles. However, its complexity could be a challenge for routine screening assessments of the migration of chemicals from consumer plastic products. In this study, the UBM was modified to assess the migration of plastic additives from consumer products with five model phthalate esters (i.e., dibutyl phthalate (DBP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and di- n -octyl phthalate (DNOP)) from polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The migration of phthalate esters was observed in four digestive phases (saliva, gastric, duodenal, and bile). Three separate experiments were conducted with the addition of (1) inorganic constituents only, (2) inorganic and organic constituents, and (3) inorganic and organic constituents in combination with digestive enzymes. While using enzymes with the UBM solution, the migrated mass for leached compounds was comparatively low (0.226 ± 0.04 μg) in most digestion phases, likely due to a self-generated coating of enzymes on the plastic materials. However, higher mass migration (0.301 ± 0.05) was observed when phthalate esters were analyzed in the UBM solution, excluding the enzymes. A ring test among six independent laboratories confirmed the robustness of the modified method. Therefore, we propose a simplified version of the original UBM designed mainly for the migration of inorganic elements using only the inorganic and organic components of the solution throughout all phases of digestion.

Keywords: bioaccessibility; migration; polyvinyl chloride; phthalate esters; unified BARGE method; microplastics; consumer exposure (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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