Summary
Primary migration study measuring total antimony and speciated antimony (Sb(III) and Sb(V)) in commercial fruit juices and mineral waters stored in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, plus controlled migration experiments varying temperature and storage time. The key finding is that migration into fruit-juice matrices is higher than into water, that Sb(III) predominates at elevated temperatures, and that acidic juice matrices produce Sb(V)-citrate complexes not captured by standard food simulants.
Key numbers
Analytical limits:
- LOD for Sb(V): 0.01 microg/L; LOQ: 0.03 microg/L
- LOD for Sb(III): 0.03 microg/L; LOQ: 0.09 microg/L
Migration at 60 degrees C for 30 days (worst-case storage, four PET container types):
- Peach juice: approximately 3-5 microg/L (PET-WA, WB, WC containers); less than 2 microg/L in juice-specific PET container
- Pineapple juice: approximately 7-15 microg/L (PET-WA, WB, WC containers); less than 5 microg/L in juice-specific PET container
Migration at 20 degrees C: minimal increase over 30 days for all matrices
Speciation findings:
- Initial state: only Sb(V) present in all samples
- After elevated-temperature storage in PET water bottles: Sb(III) appears and can become the dominant species in juice matrices
- Sb(V)-citrate complexes appear in pineapple juice at approximately 1-1.5 microg/L at day 30, 60 degrees C
- Juice-specific PET containers (PET-J): Sb(III) did not appear in water samples stored in PET-J; only Sb(V) observed
Regulatory context cited:
- EU drinking water limit: 5 microg/L (Directive 2003/40/EC)
- US EPA MCL: 6 microg/L
- WHO drinking water guideline: 20 microg/L (1993)
Evidence Fitness
Strong occurrence evidence for PET migration into beverages under controlled conditions. Arrhenius modeling applied; temperature is the dominant migration driver. The finding that standard acetic-acid food simulants underestimate actual migration into acidic juice matrices is methodologically important for risk assessment.
Methods (brief)
Commercial juices (apple, grape, pear, pineapple, peach, orange, tomato) and mineral waters (three brands) in PET bottles from Spanish retail. Peach and pineapple juice selected for detailed migration experiments. Temperature: 20, 40, and 60 degrees C; storage up to 30 days; triplicate analyses. Sb species measured by HPLC-ICP-MS. PET containers tested: three water bottle types (PET-WA, WB, WC) and one juice-specific bottle (PET-J).
Implications
- Certification: fruit juice in PET packaging carries a temperature- and matrix-dependent Sb migration risk not captured by water-based migration tests alone.
- Courses: illustrates why food simulants can underestimate real-world migration in acidic matrices.
- App: relevant to PET-packaged juice ingredients in a food-contact pathway context.
- Microbiome: not addressed.
Provenance notes
Open access, CC BY. File from PMC OA S3 (PMC10609323). No retraction flag.
Update history
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