OLIGOMERS IN PLASTICS PACKAGING .1. MIGRATION TESTS FOR VINYL-CHLORIDE TETRAMER

Vinyl chloride (VC) tetramer has been studied as a representative olig omer that has the potential for migration from plastics packaging. Pol y(vinyl chloride) (PVC) bottles for retail beverages were analysed by a process of dissolution followed by gas chromatography. Tetramer leve ls ranged from 70 to 190 mg/kg in the plastic. When these bottles were tested for migration into the simulants distilled water, 3% acetic ac id, 15% ethanol and olive oil, no tetramer migration was detected at a limit of 5-10 mu g/kg. Since, of the low molecular weight oligomers, the tetramer had the highest concentration in the PVC plastics, it is concluded that the other VC oligomers of higher molecular weight, woul d not migrate above this limit of detection either.