DETERMINATION OF THE EFFECTS OF VARIOUS FACTORS ON BISPHENOL-A MIGRATION FROM POLYCARBONATE WATER CARBOYS
Project no. 691 · Status: Kapanmış · 2015
Summary
Polycarbonate (PC) water carboys are widely used in water packaging. However, Bisphenol-A (BPA)–the monomer used in production of PC cannot be completely polymerized in polymerization reaction of PC production and some amount of BPA can retain as free monomer in the structure of PC material, and the residue BPA can migrate in to the food/water in which PC is in contact. As a result of numerous studies on the adverse effects of BPA on human health, studies on BPA migration into food that PC materials are in contact with have been gaining importance, especially in recent years. PC water carboys are generally used at ambient temperature for storage of water but can be exposed to higher temperatures and sunlight, especially in the summertime by suppliers and markets. Moreover, PC water carboys are reusable and filled again and again after the washing process by filling companies. With this project, new and end-of-life samples were supplied from the PC water carboy producing companies and suppliers, and residual BPA contents determined to evaluate their quality in terms of residual BPA amount and to determine whether the quality of the residual BPA was affected by usage period. In addition, samples were taken from the upper, middle body and base parts of the water carboys and it was investigated whether there was a difference in the amount of residual BPA content according to the different parts. Moreover, it was aimed to determine whether storage temperature and storage time and sunlight had an effect on BPA migration amount. For this purpose, the samples were in contact with water simulant at 5 °C, 20°C, 40°C/ 1,5,10,20,30,45 and 60 days contact conditions. In addition, the amount of BPA migration was determined in the same period in the water carboy samples exposed to sunlight at ambient temperature and it was determined whether sunlight had an effect on BPA migration. According to the results of the project; It was determined that PC water carboys produced in our country were standard quality in terms of residual BPA quantities and they were low in comparison with residual BPA values in the literature and it was determined that there was no significant difference in terms of residual BPA amounts of different parts of water carboys. In general, the amount of BPA migration was found to be very low compared to the residual BPA amounts. BPA migration amount increased as storage temperature and storage time increased. The amount of water that can be consumed daily was calculated as 121 l at a storage temperature of 5°C and 7.28 l at a storage temperature of 40°C for 60 days storage in order to reach the TDI value determined for the BPA. The amount of water to reach TDI value for BPA for 40°C storage temperature is a relatively accessible value in terms of daily water consumption, so it is important to keep the water carboys at low temperatures as much as possible and that the water inside the carboy should be consumed as quickly as possible without waiting too long in the carboy.