A regional approach for health risk assessment of toxicants in plastic food containers

Abstract

Plastic food containers are being used popularly, generating a waste of about 115 million tons in Vietnam. Such waste is causing environmental and health issues. This study conducted a field survey with 250 local people and selected 59 samples out of 135 plastic food containers collected in Go Vap district, Vietnam. Collected plastic samples identified compositions were PET 13.6%, PP 28.8%, PS 16.9%, and 40.7% undefined plastics. Collected plastic samples were classified based on the plastic type using recycling code and quantitatively analyzed with X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy method to assess concentrations of Cd, Sb, Pb, Hg, Sn, Cr, Br, Cl, and S. Most of these collected plastic samples (91.5%) were found to contain 8/9 hazardous substances and most elements contained in these plastics were below their standard thresholds. These elements in plastic samples could be divided as the result into three hazard groups: (1) high hazard group (Sb, Cl, and S); (2) medium hazard group (Cr, Br and Hg); and (3) low hazard groups (Cd, Pb and Sn). Among substances in the high hazard group, element Sb was assessed for its migration because only Sb is regulated in Vietnam in QCVN 12-1: 2011/BYT. Substances of Cl, S, Cr, Br, and Hg (group 1, 2) do not have regulations related to the method of decontamination. Thus, additional health risks need to be assessed using the USEtox model. Finally, this study proposed a screening process to assess the risk of toxicity of elements contained in plastic food containers through ISO 31000:2018.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43188-023-00194-0.

Keywords: Hazardous substances; Health risk assessment; LCIA; Plastic food containers; Toxicity.

Fig. 1

Survey of using food container materials by gender and age group (a), percentage of food containers according to plastic type (b), and reason of choosing plastic food container by gender and age (c, d)

Fig. 2

Survey on the level of reuse of plastic food containers by gender (a) and by age group (b)

Fig. 3

Consumer attitudes and perceptions about the use of these products (a) and requirements for developing laws/regulations about the use of single-use plastic containers (b)

Fig. 4

Distribution of toxic elements in collected plastic samples of food containers

Fig. 5

Antimony (Sb) concentrations detected in some obtained plastic samples by EDX (a) and by migration test (b)

Fig. 6

Results of USEtox LCIA model showing average impacts of Hg, Cr, and Sb identified in food plastic containers—related to emission concentrations in air, water and soil with a ecotoxicological impacts, b Human cancer and, c non-cancerous diseases

Fig. 7

Summary of the risk assessment screening process of plastic food containers according to ISO 31000:2018