Re: [greenyes] Leaching water bottles

["Van Calvez" <vcalvez@no.address>]

I stand corrected
DEHA is one of the chemicals that has been a concern leaching from water
bottles (please see the article below)
http://www.riskworld.com/Abstract/2001/SRAam01/ab01aa189.htm
I guess DEHA is not a phthalate but it is a toxin.
Best,
Van

Van Calvez, MSE, CPE
Human Nature Solutions
1240 Wing Point Way #2
Bainbridge, Washington 98110

phone: (206) 855-9271
fax: (206) 855-9272

e-mail: vcalvez@no.address
website: www.humannaturesol.com


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Abstract of Meeting Paper

Society for Risk Analysis 2001 Annual Meeting

Environmental Engineering Program. D. Lilya, University of Idaho

This study identified and quantified migration compounds from reused PET
bottles and evaluated both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks. A
preliminary survey of the university community found that 88% of the
participants reused polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles used
for bottled water, some for as long as six months. These bottles are not
made or regulated for reuse and may not possess the physical characteristics
necessary to be safely reused. Bottles are only approved for a single use
and the long-term safety of bottle reuse has not been investigated. For this
study, 1 liter PET bottles were exposed to realistic but extreme reuse
parameters, such as sunlight, heat, storage time, and physical degradation,
which are known to increase chemical migration into the water being
consumed. Water samples were then extracted using a solid phase extraction,
followed by GC-MS. Migration compounds were tentatively identified by GC-MS
analysis using Wiley and NIST libraries and were verified and quantified
when possible using known standards. Measured concentrations and toxicity
data were obtained for the identified compounds and were used to evaluate
the noncarcinogenic and carcinogenics risks. Four compounds,
1,4-benzenedicarboxaldehyde, benzoic acid butyl ester, 4-ethoxy-benzoic acid
ethyl ester, di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA), were found to migrate from PET
bottles exposed to conditions of reuse. It was found that PET bottle reuse
increased organic chemical migration and concentrations increased with
length of reuse. Original and reused PET bottles were found to have
different migration potentials based on the color or brand of bottle. A
preliminary screening of other types of non-PET reusable water bottles found
that migration was not limited to PET alone and might also pose a health
concern. The analytical procedure used was better than current FDA testing
procedures because it allowed a detailed risk assessment to be conducted.
PET bottles may exceed acceptable carcinogenic risk levels, especially for
di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA), under different reuse exposure scenarios,
however little is known about the toxicity of most PET migration compounds.
More research is needed on the toxicity of the migration compounds from both
PET and non-PET bottles before a risk assessment can adequately predict the
human health risks associated with prolonged bottle reuse.
Reuse of PET bottles may be increasing organic chemical migration into the
water being consumed and consumers may be exposing themselves to elevated
levels of migration compounds for which few toxicity data exist.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Amy Perlmutter" <amyperl@no.address>
To: "greenyes" <greenyes@no.address>
Sent: Friday, August 01, 2003 9:09 AM
Subject: [greenyes] Leaching water bottles


This is a response to the two messages below.

First, I don¹t believe pthalates are in PET, the common package for water
bottles.  Pthalates are a plasticizer that gives flexibility to rigid
plastics, such as PVC.  PET is already a flexible resin and so pthalates are
not needed.

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