title: Migration of antimony from PET trays into food simulant and food: determination of Arrhenius parameters and comparison of predicted and measured migration data.
abstract: Migration experiments with small sheets cut out from ovenable PET trays were performed in two-sided contact with 3% acetic acid as food simulant at various temperatures. The fraction of diffusible antimony (Sb) was estimated to be 62% in the PET sample under study. Apparent diffusion coefficients of Sb in PET trays were determined experimentally. Measurement of migration between 20 and 150°C yielded a linear Arrhenius plot over a wide temperature range from which the activation energy (E(a)) of 188 ± 36 kJ mol(-1) and the pre-exponential factor (D(0)) of 3.6 × 10(14) cm(2) s(-1) were determined for diffusing Sb species. E (a) was similar to previously reported values for PET bottles obtained with a different experimental approach. E (a) and D (0) were applied as model parameters in migration modelling software for predicting the Sb transfer in real food. Ready meals intended for preparation in a baking oven were heated in the PET trays under study and the actual Sb migration into the food phase was measured by isotope dilution ICP-MS. It was shown that the predictive modelling reproduces correctly experimental data.
authors.affiliation: Federal Office of Public Health, Chemical Risks Section, Bern, Switzerland. max.haldimann@bag.admin.ch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haldimann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alt
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blanc
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brunner
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sager
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dudler
mesh_terms: D000965:Antimony / Q000737:chemistry*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates / Q000737:chemistry*; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates; D000965:Antimony