Fast Food Wrapper Chemicals Likely Migrating to Humans

(DigitalVision/NIEHS.gov)

Scientists at University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada have found that chemicals used to line fast food wrappers and microwave popcorn bags are probably migrating into food and being ingested by people where they are contributing to chemical contamination observed in blood.

The chemicals, called perfluorinated carboxylic acids or PFCAs are the breakdown products of chemicals used to make non-stick and water- and stain-repellant products ranging from kitchen pans to clothing to food packaging.  The researchers say that PFCAs, the best known of which is perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), are found in humans all around the world.

The team investigated how a major source of human PFCA exposure may be the consumption and metabolism of polyfluoroalkyl phosphate esters (PAPs) used as greaseproofing agents to paper food contact packaging such as fast food wrappers and microwave popcorn bags. They knew from a previous study that humans were already being exposed to PAPs.

In the study, rats were exposed to PAPs either orally or by injection and monitored for a three-week period to track the concentrations of the PAPs and PFCA metabolites, including PFOA, in their blood. Researchers used the PAP concentrations observed in human blood together with the PAP and PFCA concentrations observed in the rats to calculate potential human PFOA exposure from PAP metabolism.

Scott Mabury, the lead researcher and chemistry professor at University of Toronto says in a statement, “We found the concentrations of PFOA from PAP metabolism to be significant and concluded that the metabolism of PAPs could be a major source of human exposure to PFOA, as well as other PFCAs.”

Evidence revealed by Mabury and his team indicates that while PAPs may not be the sole source of human PFOA exposure or even the most important, current use of PAPs in food contact applications does result in human exposure to PFCAs, including PFOA. The team’s results also do not support arguments that pin the blame for human exposure to PFCAs on environmental contamination that resulted from past chemical use rather than the chemicals that are currently in production.

The findings are published today (8 November) online in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

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