Qualitative Analysis of Chlorinated Paraffins in Recycled Plastics

Abstract: Described in many studies as dangerous for the environment and potentially carcinogenic for humans, Chlorinated Paraffins (CPs) are easily widespread due to their substantial production and use in different products. Previous studies reported the presence of CPs in different plastic polymers. However, the impact of recycled content in plastic materials on the CPs levels hasn’t particularly been considered. Recycling plastics is becoming essential but the accumulative potential of pollutants, such as CPs, need investigations. The presence of CPs in both virgin and mixed recycled and virgin plastics was studied. Plastic pellets and plastic pieces from products made of three polymer types:Poly(methyl 2-methylpropenoate) (PMMA), Thermoplastic Rubber (TPR) and Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) were analysed. A solid-liquid extraction assisted by ultrasonication was performed, followed by cleanup using silica. CPs in plastic extracts were analysed by Gas Chromatography Orbitrap High Resolution Mass Spectroscopy (GC-Orbitrap-HRMS). Because of the high volatility characteristic of long chain Chlorinated Paraffins (LCCPs), only short chain and medium chain Chlorinated Paraffins (SCCPs and MCCPs ) have been studied in this project. Interesting variations in the presence of SCCPs and MCCPs have been observed from one polymer type to another. In the results, we show that MCCPs were less frequently detected compared to SCCPs. A higher detection frequency of CPs was observed for samples containing recycled plastics. The results indicate that CPs are present in plastic polymers (TPU, PMMA and TPR) and that the content of recycled material has a direct impact on the levels of SCCPs and MCCPs.