TESTING FOR COMPLIANCE WITH MIGRATION LIMITS - DETERMINATION OF 1,2-DIHYDROXYBENZENES, 1,3-DIHYDROXYBENZENES, AND 1,4-DIHYDROXYBENZENES IN FOOD-SIMULATING SOLVENTS BY LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY

A method, intended for regulatory purposes, for quantitative determina tion of the plastics monomers 1,2-, 1,3-, and 1,4-dihydroxybenzene in food-simulating solvents is described, Liquid chromatography is used w ith UV detection and 5-methyl-1,3-dihydroxybenzene as internal standar d, Repeatability, stability, and migration tests were conducted, The l imits of detection were in the range 0.03-0.40 mg/kg for the 3 phenols in aqueous and fatty food simulants, Relative repeatability standard deviations at migration limits of 6, 2.4, and 0.6 mg/kg for 1,2-, 1,3- , and 1,4-dihydroxybenzene, respectively, ranged from 0.8 to 4.8% for the food simulants tested, A commercial sample of polyetherketone made from 1,4-dihydroxybenzene was tested with the method, No polymer-deri ved interferences were found, The method is thus suitable for testing against migration limits for the 3 monomers.