Abstract
Styrene dimer, styrene trimers and other related compounds migrated from disposable lunch boxes were analyzed by GC/MS. Samples were disposable lunch boxes on the market, and boxes containing convenience foods and lunches. Vegetable oil was used as a food-simulating solvent in this study. Heating in a microwave oven induced migration of the above compounds from lids and containers made of polystyrene to vegetable oil. When containers were left for 10 minutes after having been heated for 180 seconds, the levels of styrene, linear dimer and total trimers were <0.1∼10.5 ng/cm2, 0.3∼8.8 ng/cm2, 0.2∼1,070 ng/cm2, respectively. 2,6-Di-tert-butyl-p-cresol (BHT) migrated from all containers made of polypropylene and polystyrene, and the level was 4.7∼973 ng/cm2, under the same conditions. These compounds also migrated to vegetable oil after storage for 24 hours at 20°C, and the levels of styrene, linear dimer, total trimers and BHT ranged from undetectable to 9.9 ng/cm2, undetectable to 1.6 ng/cm2, 88.1 to 1,290 ng/cm2 and 2.2 to 71.8 ng/cm2, respectively.
