US EPA

3491064 

Journal Article 

Migration of styrene and ethylbenzene from virgin and recycled expanded polystyrene containers and discrimination of these two kinds of polystyrene by principal component analysis 

Lin, QB; Song, XC; Fang, H; Wu, YM; Wang, ZW 

2017 

1 

Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A, Chemistry, Analysis, Control, Exposure & Risk Assessment
ISSN: 1944-0049
EISSN: 1944-0057 

34 

1 

126-132 

English 

27801633 

10.1080/19440049.2016.1253875 

WOS:000392608100005 

https://www.proquest.com/docview/2000198909?accountid=171501&bdid=65280&_bd=rs8hwiOR%2Fd6qVkYUOoahMaWW0Mo%3D
Exit
 

The migration of styrene and ethylbenzene from virgin and recycled expanded polystyrene (EPS) containers into isooctane was investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). EPS containers were in two-sided contact with isooctane at temperatures of 25 and 40°C. It was shown that recycled EPS gave greater migration ratios compared with virgin EPS, which indicated that styrene and ethylbenzene migrated more easily from recycled EPS. In addition, an analytical method to distinguish between virgin and recycled EPS containers was established by GC-MS followed by principal component analysis (PCA). The relative peak area of the identified compounds was used as input data for PCA. Distinct separation between virgin and recycled EPS was achieved on a score plot. Extension of this method to other plastics may be of great interest for recycled plastics identification.