Determination of bisphenol A in drinking water bottled in plastic containers (PET) using gas chromatography GC/MS

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disruptor used in plastics industries such as food cans, drinking water containers and baby bottles.

This study investigated the content of bisphenol A (BPA) in drinking water samples (brand), packaged in local manufactured polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic containers through two factors, time and exposure to direct sunlight, This is to determine the effect of exposure to sunlight on the migration of bisphenol A into the contents of the container.

The samples were stored under direct sunlight for 5 months. one sample was analyzed every month. The samples were prepared by solid phase extraction (SPE) to extract bisphenol A using C₁₈ cartridges as solid phase, and (methanol;high purity water) (50:50 v/v) as mobile phase. The samples were analyzed using gas chromatography-masse (GC-MS), where helium gas was used as mobile phase and a capillary column with dimensions: (30 m x 0.25 mm, 0.25 µm). The results showed that the BPA value in the first three months (May, June, July) were all below the detection limit of the GC-MS., where (LOD = 0.512 µg/ml), while during the fourth and fifth months (August, September) were: (3.11) µg/ml and (3.38) µg/ml respectively.