Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: This study monitored the contamination of 32 plasticizers in olive oil throughout the production and storage process. Samples were collected at different stages of production from three olive oil production lines in distinct regions of Portugal and analyzed for 23 phthalates and 9 phthalates substitutes to identify contamination sources. The developed analytical method employed liquid–liquid extraction with hexane/methanol (1:4, v/v), followed by centrifugation, extract removal, and freezing as a clean-up step. Analysis was conducted using gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS), with detection limits ranging from 0.001 to 0.103 mg/kg. The results revealed that plasticizer concentrations progressively increased at each stage of the production process, although unprocessed olives also contained contaminants. Di-isononyl phthalate (DINP) was the most prevalent compound, but all phthalates regulated by the European Union for food contact materials were detected, as well as some unregulated plasticizers. In a few packaged olive oils, DINP concentrations exceeded the specific migration limits established by European regulations. Samples stored in glass and plastic bottles showed no significant differences in plasticizer concentrations after six months of storage. However, higher concentrations were observed in plastic-packaged samples after 18 months of storage. Our findings indicate that the primary source of plasticizer contamination in olive oil originates from the production process itself, except for prolonged storage in plastic bottles, which should be avoided.
Source: Molecules
Language: English
Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,069
Awards: G1240268737, G138060719, G1509028180, G1849852385, Instituto Mediterrâneo para a Agricultura, Ambiente e Desenvolvimento, G1977608718, G2012127377, Pesticide soil pollution: electrokinetic remediation, advanced monitoring tools and degradation mechanisms, G2346795057, Laboratório Associado para a Química Verde - Tecnologias e Processos Limpos, G2756637201, G2783038177, Phthalates, a danger in food: new analytical approaches for risk assessment, G332082475, G3347150163, G3506506539, G4046065984, G5868090805, G6463117426, CHANGE - Instituto para as Alterações Globais e Sustentabilidade, G6997658380, G7506750616, G7767704473, G7829484392, Study of adaptive evolution events associated with the rise of pathogenic potential in Aspergillii colonising polluted soils, G8213652065, G824076568, Laboratório Associado para a Química Verde - Tecnologias e Processos Limpos
OpenAlex ID: W4405644655