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Migration of di-(2-ethylhexyl)adipate (DEHA) into a diverse range of foods arising from the domestic use of plasticized PVC films has been determined using a stable isotope dilution GC/MS procedure. Aspects of home use reported in this study include the wrapping and covering of foods such as cheese, cooked meats, sandwiches, cakes, fresh fruit and vegetables; the use of films during food preparation such as marinading; covering during microwave reheating of previously prepared foods, and covering during microwave cooking. Contact between film and foods was for differing temperatures and times, representative of the range of conditions likely to be experienced in practice in the home. Migration increased with both the length of contact time and temperature of exposure, with the highest levels observed where there was a direct contact between the film and food, and where the latter had a high fat content on the contact surface. Highest levels of migration were observed for cheese, cooked meats, cakes and for microwave-cooked foods, whilst lower levels were observed for wrapping of unfilled sandwiches, fruit and vegetables (except avocado), and for food preparation including microwave reheating where there was covering of the food in a container but little or no direct contact.

The extent of migration of plasticizer from haemodialysis lines into saline and plasma has been examined and a number of different types of tubing have been compared. A model system designed to simulate in vivo haemodialysis was evolved. The method uses a continuous cyclohexane extraction in order to mimic uptake of plasticizer by body tissues. Although not an ideal system, the results obtained are indicative of the extent to which the plasticizers are leached.

A UK survey of di-(2-ethylhexyl)adipate (DEHA) levels in retail foods (83 samples) wrapped in plasticized PVC film has been carried out, examining a wide range of different food types obtained from retail and take-away outlets. Foodstuffs analysed included fresh meat and poultry, ready-cooked poultry, cheese, fruit, vegetables and baked goods such as cakes, bread rolls and sandwiches. Analysis by stable isotope dilution GC/MS showed DEHA levels ranging from 1.0 to 72.8 mg/kg in uncooked meat and poultry, 9.4 to 48.6 mg/kg in cooked chicken portions, 27.8 to 135.0 mg/kg in cheese, less than 2.0 mg/kg in fruit and vegetables and 11 to 212 mg/kg in baked goods and sandwiches. The level of DEHA migration correlated with the extent of contact between the film and exposed fatty portions of the food, whether that was the mayonnaise filling of a sandwich or the surface fat from a joint of uncooked meat. The level of DEHA in meat exposed to plasticized film was not reduced significantly by volatilization or chemical transformation on subsequent cooking by grilling or frying.