Work

Determination of chlorinated paraffins and olefins in plastic consumer products of the Swiss market

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are plastic additives, which are targeted by international regulatory entities due to their persistence, bioaccumulation, potential for long-range environmental transport and adverse effects. In this work, CPs were analyzed in plastic consumer products of the Swiss market collected in 2021. Up to 144 plastic samples were pre-screened with a GC-ECD method. Plastic samples containing CPs (32, 22%) were further analyzed at homologue level by an LC-APCI-Orbitrap-HRMS method. Respective mass spectrometric data were extracted and evaluated with the CP-Hunter program at the rate of seconds per sample. Qualitative analysis of the LC-HRMS method revealed distinctive C n Cl x -homologue distributions of both chlorinated paraffins and olefins (COs), highlighting the diversity of CP-mixtures present in the Swiss market. The presence of C 21 - to C 31 -homologues in plastic consumer products is reported herein for the first time. Based on the specific fingerprints and the parameters deduced, these samples were grouped with a principal component analysis (PCA). Three industrial strategies were identified in the manufacturing of CP-containing plastics to either comply with or circumvent regulations. These strategies included the avoidance of the SCCP-fraction (type-A), the indiscriminate use of complex technical CP-mixtures (type-B) and the combination of technical CP-mixtures of different carbon-chain lengths and chlorination degrees (type-C). Results showed that the most used strategy was type-B and a partial substitution of SCCPs by MCCPs and LCCPs. Quantitative analysis exhibited that the SCCP content of 20 (14%) out of 144 plastic samples exceeded the Swiss legal limit of 1.5 mg SCCPs per g of plastic. The C n Cl x -homologue distribution of these plastic samples were type-B and type-C. Therefore, regular monitoring should be conducted to ensure that the composition of plastic products adheres to current regulations. • CPs and COs were found by an LC-HRMS method in 32 (22%) plastic consumer products. • SCCP content exceeded the Swiss legal limit in 20 (14%) plastic samples. • MCCP fraction was the most predominant in the plastic consumer products. • Three strategies to manufacture CP-containing plastics were identified. • C 21 - to C 31 -homologues were found in plastics of the Swiss market.

Source: Chemosphere

DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2025.144239