Nanoscale Coloristic Pigments: Upper Limits on Releases from Pigmented Plastic during Environmental Aging, In Food Contact, and by Leaching.

Science.gov (United States)

Neubauer, Nicole; Scifo, Lorette; Navratilova, Jana; Gondikas, Andreas; Mackevica, Aiga; Borschneck, Daniel; Chaurand, Perrine; Vidal, Vladimir; Rose, Jerome; von der Kammer, Frank; Wohlleben, Wendel

2017-10-17

The life cycle of nanoscale pigments in plastics may cause environmental or human exposure by various release scenarios. We investigated spontaneous and induced release with mechanical stress during/after simulated sunlight and rain degradation of polyethylene (PE) with organic and inorganic pigments. Additionally, primary leaching in food contact and secondary leaching from nanocomposite fragments with an increased surface into environmental media was examined. Standardized protocols/methods for release sampling, detection, and characterization of release rate and form were applied: Transformation of the bulk material was analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray-tomography and Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR); releases were quantified by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), single-particle-ICP-MS (sp-ICP-MS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Analytical Ultracentrifugation (AUC), and UV/Vis spectroscopy. In all scenarios, the detectable particulate releases were attributed primarily to contaminations from handling and machining of the plastics, and were not identified with the pigments, although the contamination of 4 mg/kg (Fe) was dwarfed by the intentional content of 5800 mg/kg (Fe as Fe 2 O 3 pigment). We observed modulations (which were at least partially preventable by UV stabilizers) when comparing as-produced and aged nanocomposites, but no significant increase of releases. Release of pigments was negligible within the experimental error for all investigated scenarios, with upper limits of 10 mg/m 2 or 1600 particles/mL. This is the first holistic confirmation that pigment nanomaterials remain strongly contained in a plastic that has low diffusion and high persistence such as the polyolefin High Density Polyethylene (HDPE).

Asperity interaction in elastic-plastic contact of rough surfaces in presence of adhesion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sahoo, Prasanta; Banerjee, Atanu

2005-01-01

This paper presents an analysis of the effect of asperity interaction in elastic-plastic contact of rough surfaces in the presence of adhesion. The micro-contact model of asperity interactions, developed by Zhao and Chang (2001 Trans. ASME: J. Tribol. 123 857-64), is integrated into the elastic-plastic contact model developed by Roy Chowdhury and Ghosh (1994 Wear 174 9-19) to allow the asperity interaction and elastic-plastic deformation in the presence of surface forces to be considered simultaneously. The well-established elastic and plastic adhesion indices are used to consider the different conditions that arise as a result of varying load and material parameters. Results show that asperity interaction influences the loading-unloading behaviour in elastic-plastic adhesive contact of rough surfaces and in general asperity interactions reduce the effect of surface forces

Evaluation of chemical elements migration from food packaging plastics into food

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamiya, Adriana M.; Fulfaro, Roberto; Saiki, Mitiko

2000-01-01

This work presents results of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Sb, Se, Sn, and Zn obtained in the analysis of plastics from food packing materials by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The radiometric method was also applied to evaluate the migration of Co and Sb from the plastic into the food simulant. The possible sources of the toxic elements in plastic materials and the advantages of radiometric method in the migration evaluation are discussed. (author)

Uterotrophic and Hershberger assays for endocrine disruption properties of plastic food contact materials polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Bu Young; Kyung, Minji; Lim, Seong Kwang; Choi, Seul Min; Lim, Duck Soo; Kwack, Seung Jun; Kim, Hyung Sik; Lee, Byung-Mu

2013-01-01

Plasticizers or plastic materials such as phthalates, bisphenol-A (BPA), and styrene are widely used in the plastic industry and are suspected endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC). Although plastic materials such as polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are not EDC and are considered to be safe, their potential properties as EDC have not been fully investigated. In this study, plastic samples eluted from plastic food containers (PP or PET) were investigated in Sprague-Dawley rats using Hershberger and uterotrophic assays. In the Hershberger assay, 6-wk-old castrated male rats were orally treated for 10 consecutive days with plastic effluent at 3 different doses (5 ml/kg) or vehicle control (corn oil, 1 ml/100 g) to determine the presence of both anti-androgenic and androgenic effects. Testosterone (0.4 mg/ml/kg) was subcutaneously administered for androgenic evaluation as a positive control, whereas testosterone (0.4 mg/ml/kg) and flutamide (3 mg/kg/day) were administered to a positive control group for anti-androgenic evaluation. The presence of any anti-androgenic or androgenic activities of plastic effluent was not detected. Sex accessory tissues such as ventral prostate or seminal vesicle showed no significant differences in weight between treated and control groups. For the uterotrophic assay, immature female rats were treated with plastic effluent at three different doses (5 ml/kg), with vehicle control (corn oil, 1 ml/100 g), or with ethinyl estradiol (3 μg/kg/d) for 3 d. There were no significant differences between test and control groups in vagina or uterine weight. Data suggest that effluents from plastic food containers do not appear to produce significant adverse effects according to Hershberger and uterotrophic assays.

Contact and non-contact ultrasonic measurement in the food industry: a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohd Khairi, Mohd Taufiq; Ibrahim, Sallehuddin; Md Yunus, Mohd Amri; Faramarzi, Mahdi

2016-01-01

The monitoring of the food manufacturing process is vital since it determines the safety and quality level of foods which directly affect the consumers’ health. Companies which produce high quality products will gain trust from consumers. This factor helps the companies to make profits. The use of efficient and appropriate sensors for the monitoring process can also reduce cost. The food assessing process based on an ultrasonic sensor has attracted the attention of the food industry due to its excellent capabilities in several applications. The utilization of low or high frequencies for the ultrasonic transducer has provided an enormous benefit for analysing, modifying and guaranteeing the quality of food. The contact and non-contact ultrasonic modes for measurement also contributed significantly to the food processing. This paper presents a review of the application of the contact and non-contact mode of ultrasonic measurement focusing on safety and quality control areas. The results from previous researches are shown and elaborated. (topical review)

Contact and non-contact ultrasonic measurement in the food industry: a review

Science.gov (United States)

Taufiq Mohd Khairi, Mohd; Ibrahim, Sallehuddin; Yunus, Mohd Amri Md; Faramarzi, Mahdi

2016-01-01

The monitoring of the food manufacturing process is vital since it determines the safety and quality level of foods which directly affect the consumers’ health. Companies which produce high quality products will gain trust from consumers. This factor helps the companies to make profits. The use of efficient and appropriate sensors for the monitoring process can also reduce cost. The food assessing process based on an ultrasonic sensor has attracted the attention of the food industry due to its excellent capabilities in several applications. The utilization of low or high frequencies for the ultrasonic transducer has provided an enormous benefit for analysing, modifying and guaranteeing the quality of food. The contact and non-contact ultrasonic modes for measurement also contributed significantly to the food processing. This paper presents a review of the application of the contact and non-contact mode of ultrasonic measurement focusing on safety and quality control areas. The results from previous researches are shown and elaborated.

On a Solvability of Contact Problems with Visco-Plastic Friction in the Thermo-Visco-Plastic Bingham Rheology

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Nedoma, Jiří

2006-01-01

Roč. 22, č. 4 (2006), s. 484-499 ISSN 0167-739X Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10300504 Keywords : unilateral contact problem * local visco- plastic friction * thermo-visco- plastic Bingham rheology * FEM Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.722, year: 2006

Elastic-plastic adhesive contact of rough surfaces using n-point asperity model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sahoo, Prasanta; Mitra, Anirban; Saha, Kashinath

2009-01-01

This study considers an analysis of the elastic-plastic contact of rough surfaces in the presence of adhesion using an n-point asperity model. The multiple-point asperity model, developed by Hariri et al (2006 Trans ASME: J. Tribol. 128 505-14) is integrated into the elastic-plastic adhesive contact model developed by Roy Chowdhury and Ghosh (1994 Wear 174 9-19). This n-point asperity model differs from the conventional Greenwood and Williamson model (1966 Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 295 300-19) in considering the asperities not as fixed entities but as those that change through the contact process, and hence it represents the asperities in a more realistic manner. The newly defined adhesion index and plasticity index defined for the n-point asperity model are used to consider the different conditions that arise because of varying load, surface and material parameters. A comparison between the load-separation behaviour of the new model and the conventional one shows a significant difference between the two depending on combinations of mean separation, adhesion index and plasticity index.

[Determination of photoinitiators in printing inks used in food contact materials].

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Wei; Yu, Yanjun; Li, Ningtao; Wang, Libing

2011-05-01

A new analytical method based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques was developed for the determination of five photoinitiators (PIs), benzophenone (BP), 4-methylbenzophenone (MBP), ethyl-4-dimethylaminobenzoate (EDAB), 2-ethylhexyl-4-dimethylaminobenzoate (EHDAB) and 1-hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone (Irgacure 184), in the printing inks used in food contact materials. The test solutions were extracted from selected food contact materials using Soxhlet extractor with ethyl acetate as the extraction solvent. By adding 50 and 200 microg/L of a standard mixture of photoinitiators into the extracts of the blank packaging materials, the recoveries obtained were in the range of 66.7%-89.4%. The repeatability of the method was assessed by determining the contents of the photoinitiators in five types of food contact materials, and the results were lower than 10%. The instrumental detection limits (IDLs) and method quantification limits (MQLs) were in the range of 2.9-6.0 microg/L and 0.0017-0.0036 mg/dm2, respectively. The method was applied in the analysis of about twenty real samples (yogurt carton, milk carton, fruit juice carton and plastic bags samples). The most significant pollutants were BP and MBP. The concentrations of Irgacure 184, EDAB and EHDAB found in three individual samples were 0.84 mg/dm2, 0.2 mg/dm2 and 1.2 mg/dm2, respectively. The work proposed a new method to analyze the migration level of initiators from the inks.

Optimization of mass spectrometry acquisition parameters for determination of polycarbonate additives, degradation products, and colorants migrating from food contact materials to chocolate.

Science.gov (United States)

Bignardi, Chiara; Cavazza, Antonella; Laganà, Carmen; Salvadeo, Paola; Corradini, Claudio

2018-01-01

The interest towards "substances of emerging concerns" referred to objects intended to come into contact with food is recently growing. Such substances can be found in traces in simulants and in food products put in contact with plastic materials. In this context, it is important to set up analytical systems characterized by high sensitivity and to improve detection parameters to enhance signals. This work was aimed at optimizing a method based on UHPLC coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry to quantify the most common plastic additives, and able to detect the presence of polymers degradation products and coloring agents migrating from plastic re-usable containers. The optimization of mass spectrometric parameter settings for quantitative analysis of additives has been achieved by a chemometric approach, using a full factorial and d-optimal experimental designs, allowing to evaluate possible interactions between the investigated parameters. Results showed that the optimized method was characterized by improved features in terms of sensitivity respect to existing methods and was successfully applied to the analysis of a complex model food system such as chocolate put in contact with 14 polycarbonate tableware samples. A new procedure for sample pre-treatment was carried out and validated, showing high reliability. Results reported, for the first time, the presence of several molecules migrating to chocolate, in particular belonging to plastic additives, such Cyasorb UV5411, Tinuvin 234, Uvitex OB, and oligomers, whose amount was found to be correlated to age and degree of damage of the containers. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to plastic containers for food and drinks.

Science.gov (United States)

Kasemsup, Rachada; Neesanan, Naiyana

2011-08-01

Plastic is widely used in daily life especially as food and drink containers. If these containers are used inappropriately, some chemicals such as bisphenol A, phthalate, and styrene from plastic may accumulate and impair organ function. To assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices relating to plastic containers for food and drinks among parents and health personnel. 100 parents and 100 health personnel from Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health are included in the present study. The questionnaires which contained 6 parts measuring knowledge, attitudes and practices about plastic containers for food and drinks are used to collect the data. There are no differences in knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to plastic containers between parents and health personnel. Even though, 80 percent of participants usually use plastic containers for food and drinks, their knowledge about plastic is inadequate. Parents and health personnel are aware of health effects of plastic containers, but they do not know how to use and purchase plastics properly.

Sensor array for the detection of organic and inorganic contaminants in post-consumer recycled plastics for food contact.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Nathan; Danes, Jeffrey E; Vorst, Keith

2017-10-01

Post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic material is made by collecting used plastic products (e.g., bottles and other plastic packaging materials) and reprocessing them into solid-state pellets or flakes. Plastic recycling has positive environmental benefits, but may also carry potential drawbacks due to unwanted organic and inorganic contaminants. These contaminants can migrate into food packaging made from these recycled plastic materials. The purpose of this research was to identify economically viable real-time monitoring technologies that can be used during the conversion of virgin and recycled resin feedstocks (i.e., various blends of virgin pellets and recycled solid-state pellet or mechanically ground flake) to final articles to ensure the safety, quality and sustainability of packaging feedstocks. Baseline analysis (validation) of real-time technologies was conducted using industry-standard practices for polymer analysis. The data yielded supervised predictive models developed by training sessions completed in a controlled laboratory setting. This technology can be employed to evaluate compliance and aid converters in commodity sourcing of resin without exceeding regulatory thresholds. Furthermore, this technology allowed for real-time decision and diversion strategies during the conversion of resin and flake to final articles or products to minimise the negative impact on human health and environmental exposure.

Primary aromatic amines (PAAs) in black nylon and other food-contact materials, 2004-2009

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Trier, Xenia Thorsager; Okholm, B.; Foverskov, Annie

2010-01-01

Primary aromatic amines (PAAs) were analysed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in migrates from 234 samples of food-contact materials, including black nylon (polyamide) kitchen utensils (n = 136), coloured plastics (28), and clear/printed multilayer film/laminates (41......), from retailers, importers, and food producers. A further 29 utensils in use were obtained from colleagues. Very high PAA migration was found from black nylon kitchen utensils to the food simulant 3% acetic acid: the 'non-detectable' limit (20 mu g aniline equivalents kg-1 food) was exceeded by up...... migration test conditions influenced the final test results. Long-term release of PAAs was fitted by diffusion modelling experiments and long-term release was also seen as expected from used utensils. Toxicologists consider these migration levels of the suspected carcinogenic PAAs as a problem of major...

Evidence of bad recycling practices: BFRs in children's toys and food-contact articles.

Science.gov (United States)

Guzzonato, A; Puype, F; Harrad, S J

2017-07-19

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) have been used intentionally in a wide range of plastics, but are now found in an even wider range of such materials (including children's toys and food contact articles) as a result of recycling practices that mix BFR-containing waste plastics with "virgin" materials. In this study Br was quantified in toy and food contact samples on the assumption that its concentration can be used as a metric for BFR contamination. Subsequently, compound specific determination of BFRs was performed to evaluate the validity of the aforementioned assumption, crucial to render rapid, inexpensive, in situ Br determination in non-laboratory environments (such as waste handling facilities) a viable option for sorting wastes according to their BFR content. We report semi-quantitative compound specific BFR concentrations to give an overview of the distribution of individual BFRs in the analyzed samples. Finally, we evaluated the correlations between waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) related substances (Ca, Sb and rare earth elements (REEs)) and Br as a proxy for identifying poor sorting practices in different waste streams. 26 samples of toys, food-contact articles and WEEE were analyzed with a suite of different techniques in order to obtain comprehensive information about their elemental and molecular composition. The information obtained from principal component analysis about WEEE-related compounds provides new insights into the influence of sorting practices on the extent of products' contamination and bringing out polymer-related trends in the pollutants' signature. 61% of all samples were Br positive: of these samples, 45% had decaBDE concentrations exceeding the concentration limits for PBDEs and their main constituent polymer was - according to the REE signature of such samples - Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), uses of which include copying equipment, laptops and computers. The ability to better track chemicals of concern

Odours from marine plastic debris induce food search behaviours in a forage fish.

Science.gov (United States)

Savoca, Matthew S; Tyson, Chris W; McGill, Michael; Slager, Christina J

2017-08-16

Plastic pollution is an anthropogenic stressor in marine ecosystems globally. Many species of marine fish (more than 50) ingest plastic debris. Ingested plastic has a variety of lethal and sublethal impacts and can be a route for bioaccumulation of toxic compounds throughout the food web. Despite its pervasiveness and severity, our mechanistic understanding of this maladaptive foraging behaviour is incomplete. Recent evidence suggests that the chemical signature of plastic debris may explain why certain species are predisposed to mistaking plastic for food. Anchovy ( Engraulis sp.) are abundant forage fish in coastal upwelling systems and a critical prey resource for top predators. Anchovy ingest plastic in natural conditions, though the mechanism they use to misidentify plastic as prey is unknown. Here, we presented wild-caught schools of northern anchovy ( Engraulis mordax ) with odour solutions made of plastic debris and clean plastic to compare school-wide aggregation and rheotactic responses relative to food and food odour presentations. Anchovy schools responded to plastic debris odour with increased aggregation and reduced rheotaxis. These results were similar to the effects food and food odour presentations had on schools. Conversely, these behavioural responses were absent in clean plastic and control treatments. To our knowledge, this is the first experimental evidence that adult anchovy use odours to forage. We conclude that the chemical signature plastic debris acquires in the photic zone can induce foraging behaviours in anchovy schools. These findings provide further support for a chemosensory mechanism underlying plastic consumption by marine wildlife. Given the trophic position of forage fish, these findings have considerable implications for aquatic food webs and possibly human health. © 2017 The Author(s).

Migration of nonylphenol from food-grade plastic is toxic to the coral reef fish species Pseudochromis fridmani.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamlin, Heather J; Marciano, Kathleen; Downs, Craig A

2015-11-01

Nonylphenol (NP) is a non-ionic surfactant used extensively in industrial applications, personal care products, and many plastics. We exposed marine orchid dottybacks (Pseudochromis fridmani) for 48h to either glass, Teflon, or two bags labeled as FDA food-grade polyethylene (PE1 and PE2) from different manufacturers. The PE2 bags leached high levels of NP into the contact water, which were taken up by the fish, and decreased short and long-term survival. Concentrations of NP that leached from the bags were consistent with 96h LC50 values determined in this study, indicating NP is the likely toxic agent. Despite being similarly labeled, the NP concentrations that leached from the bags and the resultant toxicity to the fish varied dramatically between manufacturers. This study highlights that some plastics, labeled as food-safe, can be highly toxic to aquatic animals, and could pose a greater threat to humans than previously realized. This study also highlights risks for aquatic animals exposed to increasing quantities of plastic waste. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An accurate tangential force-displacement model for granular-flow simulations: Contacting spheres with plastic deformation, force-driven formulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vu-Quoc, L.; Lesburg, L.; Zhang, X.

2004-01-01

An elasto-plastic frictional tangential force-displacement (TFD) model for spheres in contact for accurate and efficient granular-flow simulations is presented in this paper; the present TFD is consistent with the elasto-plastic normal force-displacement (NFD) model presented in [ASME Journal of Applied Mechanics 67 (2) (2000) 363; Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series A 455 (1991) (1999) 4013]. The proposed elasto-plastic frictional TFD model is accurate, and is validated against non-linear finite-element analyses involving plastic flows under both loading and unloading conditions. The novelty of the present TFD model lies in (i) the additive decomposition of the elasto-plastic contact area radius into an elastic part and a plastic part, (ii) the correction of the particles' radii at the contact point, and (iii) the correction of the particles' elastic moduli. The correction of the contact-area radius represents an effect of plastic deformation in colliding particles; the correction of the radius of curvature represents a permanent indentation after impact; the correction of the elastic moduli represents a softening of the material due to plastic flow. The construction of both the present elasto-plastic frictional TFD model and its consistent companion, the elasto-plastic NFD model, parallels the formalism of the continuum theory of elasto-plasticity. Both NFD and TFD models form a coherent set of force-displacement (FD) models not available hitherto for granular-flow simulations, and are consistent with the Hertz, Cattaneo, Mindlin, Deresiewicz contact mechanics theory. Together, these FD models will allow for efficient simulations of granular flows (or granular gases) involving a large number of particles

Sensory methods and electronic nose as innovative tools for the evaluation of the aroma transfer properties of food plastic bags.

Science.gov (United States)

Torri, Luisa; Piochi, Maria

2016-07-01

Despite the key role of the sensory quality for food acceptance, the aroma transfer properties of food packaging materials have not yet been studied using sensory approaches. This research investigated the suitability of sensory and electronic nose methods to evaluate the aroma transfer properties of plastic materials that come in contact with food. Four (W, X, Y, and Z) commercial freezer bags (polyethylene) for domestic uses were compared. The degree of the aroma transfer through the materials was estimated as the sensory contamination of an odor absorber food (bread) by an odor releaser food (onion), separated by the bags and stored under frozen conditions. Bread samples were analyzed by means of an electronic nose, and 42 assessors used three different sensory methods (triangle, scoring, and partial sorted Napping tests). From the triangle test, none of the plastic bags acted as a complete aroma barrier, showing a sensory contamination of bread stored in all four materials. Partial sorting Napping results clearly described the sensory contamination of bread as "onion flavor", due to the aroma transfer from the odor releaser food to the odor absorber food through the plastic bag. Scoring tests showed significant (pbags, revealing the highest aroma permeation for W (3.1±0.1), the lowest aroma transfer for X and Y (2.0±0.1), and intermediate aroma transfer properties for Z (2.6±0.1). Electronic nose data were in good agreement with the sensory responses, and a high correlation with the scoring data was observed (R 2 =0.988). The presented approaches had suitable results to provide meaningful information on the aroma transfer properties of freezer plastic bags, and could advantageously be applied in the future for analyzing other finished food containers (e.g. plastic trays, boxes, etc.) or packaging materials of a different nature (multilayer plastic films, biodegradable materials, composites, etc.). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Siloxanes in silicone products intended for food contact

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cederberg, Tommy Licht; Jensen, Lisbeth Krüger

oligomers which might migrate to the food when the product is being used. DTU has proposed two action limits for low molecular weight siloxanes in food contact materials. For the sum of cyclic siloxanes D3 to D8 the limits are 12 mg/kg food for adults and 2 mg/kg food for children. For the sum of cyclic...... siloxanes D3 to D13 and linear siloxanes L3-L13 the limit is 60 mg/kg food. In 49 samples of silicone products intended for food contact from the Norwegian markets content of siloxanes has been measured. Coated paper for baking constituted 8 of the samples and in none of those samples siloxanes were found......Silicone is used in food contact materials due to its excellent physical and chemical properties. It is thermostable and flexible and is used in bakeware and kitchen utensils. Silicone is also used to coat paper to make it water and fat resistant. There is no specific regulation in EU which covers...

Identification of intentionally and non-intentionally added substances in plastic packaging materials and their migration into food products.

Science.gov (United States)

García Ibarra, Verónica; Rodríguez Bernaldo de Quirós, Ana; Paseiro Losada, Perfecto; Sendón, Raquel

2018-05-07

Plastic materials are widely used in food packaging applications; however, there is increased concern because of the possible release of undesirable components into foodstuffs. Migration of plastic constituents not only has the potential to affect product quality but also constitutes a risk to consumer health. In order to check the safety of food contact materials, analytical methodologies to identify potential migrants are required. In the first part of this work, a GC/MS screening method was developed for the identification of components from plastic packaging materials including intentionally and "non-intentionally added substances" (NIAS) as potential migrants. In the second part of this study, the presence of seven compounds (bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC), benzophenone (BP)) previously identified in packaging materials were investigated in food products (corn and potatoes snacks, cookies, and cakes). For this purpose, a suitable extraction method was developed and quantification was performed using GC-MS. The developed method was validated in terms of linearity, recovery, repeatability, and limits of detection and quantification. The spiked recoveries varied between 82.7 and 116.1%, and relative standard deviation (RSD) was in the range of 2.22-15.9%. The plasticizer ATBC was the most detected compound (94% samples), followed by DEP (65%), DEHP (47%), BP (44%), DBP (35%), DIBP (21%), and BHT (12%). Regarding phthalates, DEP and DEHP were the most frequently detected compounds in concentrations up to 1.44 μg g -1 . In some samples, only DBP exceeded the European SML of 0.3 mg kg -1 established in Regulation 10/2011. Graphical abstract Chemical migration from plastic packaging into food.

Genotoxicity testing approaches for the safety assessment of substances used in food contact materials prior to their authorization in the European Union.

Science.gov (United States)

Bolognesi, Claudia; Castoldi, Anna F; Crebelli, Riccardo; Barthélémy, Eric; Maurici, Daniela; Wölfle, Detlef; Volk, Katharina; Castle, Laurence

2017-06-01

Food contact materials are all materials and articles intended to come directly or indirectly into contact with food. Before being included in the positive European "Union list" of authorized substances (monomers, other starting substances and additives) for plastic food contact materials, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) must assess their safety "in use". If relevant for risk, the safety of the main impurities, reaction and degradation products originating from the manufacturing process is also evaluated. Information on genotoxicity is always required irrespective of the extent of migration and the resulting human exposure, in view of the theoretical lack of threshold for genotoxic events. The 2008 EFSA approach, requiring the testing of food contact materials in three in vitro mutagenicity tests, though still acceptable, is now superseded by the 2011 EFSA Scientific Committee's recommendation for only two complementary tests including a bacterial gene mutation test and an in vitro micronucleus test, to detect two main genetic endpoints (i.e., gene mutations and chromosome aberrations). Follow-up of in vitro positive results depends on the type of genetic effect and on the substance's systemic availability. In this study, we provide an analysis of the data on genotoxicity testing gathered by EFSA on food contact materials for the period 1992-2015. We also illustrate practical examples of the approaches that EFSA took when evaluating "non standard" food contact chemicals (e.g., polymeric additives, oligomer or other reaction mixtures, and nanosubstances). Additionally, EFSA's experience gained from using non testing methods and/or future possibilities in this area are discussed. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 58:361-374, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of gamma irradiation on food contact polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene: additives and other chemicals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawamura, Yoko; Sayama, Kayo; Yamada, Takashi

2000-01-01

The effects of gamma irradiation on additives, oligomers, and other chemicals in food contact polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene were investigated. Polyethylene and polypropylene products contained several antioxidants, lubricants and plasticizers. After gamma irradiation, the contents of all the antioxidants significantly decreased. Irgafos 168 disappeared the fastest. Lubricants and plasticizers decreased to some extent or not at all. 2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol was detected not only after irradiation but also before irradiation, and 1,3-di-tert-butylbenzene and 2,6-di-tert-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone were detected only after irradiation. They were presumed to be degradation products of the irradiation, though the former should be also a degradation product of the manufacturing process. On the other hand, the polystyrene products contained styrene dimers and trimers and their contents did not change after the gamma irradiation. (author)

21 CFR 178.3010 - Adjuvant substances used in the manufacture of foamed plastics.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Adjuvant substances used in the manufacture of... substances used in the manufacture of foamed plastics. The following substances may be safely used as adjuvants in the manufacture of foamed plastics intended for use in contact with food, subject to any...

Non-Contact Laser Based Ultrasound Evaluation of Canned Foods

Science.gov (United States)

Shelton, David

2005-03-01

Laser-Based Ultrasound detection was used to measure the velocity of compression waves transmitted through canned foods. Condensed broth, canned pasta, and non-condensed soup were evaluated in these experiments. Homodyne adaptive optics resulted in measurements that were more accurate than the traditional heterodyne method, as well as yielding a 10 dB gain in signal to noise. A-Scans measured the velocity of ultrasound sent through the center of the can and were able to distinguish the quantity of food stuff in its path, as well as distinguish between meat and potato. B-Scans investigated the heterogeneity of the sample’s contents. The evaluation of canned foods was completely non-contact and would be suitable for continuous monitoring in production. These results were verified by conducting the same experiments with a contact piezo transducer. Although the contact method yields a higher signal to noise ratio than the non-contact method, Laser-Based Ultrasound was able to detect surface waves the contact transducer could not.

Development of plastic scintillator based food radioactivity contamination monitoring system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parihar, A.; Sahani, R.M.; Mahala, V.K.; Vaijapurkar, S.G.

2016-01-01

Radioactivity is naturally present in soil, water and food stuffs. Food can be contaminated after discharge of radioactivity into the environment from industries that concentrate natural radionuclide and from civil or military nuclear operations. The contamination can be in three ways; by direct deposition, through the food chain and induced radioactivity due to exposure of high neutron flux. The health effects on human depend on the type of radionuclide and the length of time people are exposed to it. The studies of fission product behaviour in the food chain have revealed radionuclide Strontium-90, Caesium 137 and Iodine-131 are of major concern. Plastic scintillator is already developed indigenously at Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur. Efforts has been made to develop a portable field instrument using plastic scintillator for assessment of beta ( 90 Sr) and gamma ( 137 Cs and 131 I) radioactivity in food

Inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in biofilm on food-contact surfaces by sequential treatments of aqueous chlorine dioxide and drying.

Science.gov (United States)

Bang, Jihyun; Hong, Ayoung; Kim, Hoikyung; Beuchat, Larry R; Rhee, Min Suk; Kim, Younghoon; Ryu, Jee-Hoon

2014-11-17

We investigated the efficacy of sequential treatments of aqueous chlorine and chlorine dioxide and drying in killing Escherichia coli O157:H7 in biofilms formed on stainless steel, glass, plastic, and wooden surfaces. Cells attached to and formed a biofilm on wooden surfaces at significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher levels compared with other surface types. The lethal activities of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and aqueous chlorine dioxide (ClO₂) against E. coli O157:H7 in a biofilm on various food-contact surfaces were compared. Chlorine dioxide generally showed greater lethal activity than NaOCl against E. coli O157:H7 in a biofilm on the same type of surface. The resistance of E. coli O157:H7 to both sanitizers increased in the order of wood>plastic>glass>stainless steel. The synergistic lethal effects of sequential ClO₂ and drying treatments on E. coli O157:H7 in a biofilm on wooden surfaces were evaluated. When wooden surfaces harboring E. coli O157:H7 biofilm were treated with ClO₂ (200 μg/ml, 10 min), rinsed with water, and subsequently dried at 43% relative humidity and 22 °C, the number of E. coli O157:H7 on the surface decreased by an additional 6.4 CFU/coupon within 6 h of drying. However, when the wooden surface was treated with water or NaOCl and dried under the same conditions, the pathogen decreased by only 0.4 or 1.0 log CFU/coupon, respectively, after 12 h of drying. This indicates that ClO₂ treatment of food-contact surfaces results in residual lethality to E. coli O157:H7 during the drying process. These observations will be useful when selecting an appropriate type of food-contact surfaces, determining a proper sanitizer for decontamination, and designing an effective sanitization program to eliminate E. coli O157:H7 on food-contact surfaces in food processing, distribution, and preparation environments. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bacterial adhesion capacity on food service contact surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Fink, Rok; Okanovič, Denis; Dražič, Goran; Abram, Anže; Oder, Martina; Jevšnik, Mojca; Bohinc, Klemen

2017-06-01

The aim of this study was to analyse the adhesion of E. coli, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus on food contact materials, such as polyethylene terephthalate, silicone, aluminium, Teflon and glass. Surface roughness, streaming potential and contact angle were measured. Bacterial properties by contact angle and specific charge density were characterised. The bacterial adhesion analysis using staining method and scanning electron microscopy showed the lowest adhesion on smooth aluminium and hydrophobic Teflon for most of the bacteria. However, our study indicates that hydrophobic bacteria with high specific charge density attach to those surfaces more intensively. In food services, safety could be increased by selecting material with low adhesion to prevent cross contamination.

Chemical identification of contaminants in paper and board food contact materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bengtström, Linda

Paper and board are used for a variety of food contact materials, such as baking paper, microwave popcorn bags and packaging for cereals as well as fast foods. Despite this extensive use, there are currently large data gaps about the chemical composition of different paper and board food contact...

Evaluating use stage exposure to food contact materials in a LCA framework

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ernstoff, Alexi; Jolliet, Olivier; Fantke, Peter

2015-01-01

We present novel methods to incorporate exposure to chemicals within food contact materials (FCM) (e.g. packaging) into life cycle impact assessment (LCIA). Chemical migration into food is modeled as a function of contact temperature, time, and various chemical, FCM, and food properties. In order...... in a way compatible with intake fraction, iF, a metric traditionally used in LCIA. The model predicts PiF increases with temperature and for compounds with lower octanol-water partition coefficients within more permeable materials which are in contact with foods with high ethanol equivalencies (fatty foods)....

Analysis of phthalate migration to food simulants in plastic containers during microwave operations.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreira, Miriany A; André, Leiliane C; Cardeal, Zenilda L

2013-12-30

Phthalates used as plasticizers in the manufacture of household containers can potentially be transferred to foods that are stored or heated in these plastic containers. Phthalates are endocrine disruptor compounds (EDC) and are found in very low concentrations in foods, thus, highly sensitive analytical techniques are required for their quantification. This study describes the application of a new method developed for analyzing the migration of dibutylphthalate (DBP) and benzylbutylphthalate (BBP) from plastic food containers into liquid food simulants. This new method employs the technique of solid phase microextraction cooled with liquid nitrogen. The analysis was conducted by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) using a polyacrylate fiber. Ultrapure water was used as a simulant for liquids foods, and both new and used plastic containers were placed in a domestic microwave oven for different periods of time at different power levels. The limits of detection for DBP and BBP were 0.08 µg/L and 0.31 µg/L, respectively. BBP was not found in the samples that were analyzed. DBP was found in concentrations ranging from containers that were used for a prolonged time, which correlated with increasing heating time.

Plasticizers in total diet samples, baby food and infant formulae

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Jens Højslev; Breindahl, T.

2000-01-01

The plasticizers di-n-butylphthalate (DBP), butylbenzylphthalate (BBP), di-2-(ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) and di-2-(ethylhexyl)adipate (DEHA) were analysed in 29 total diet samples, in 11 samples of baby food and in 11 samples of infant formulae. In all of the total diet samples the presence of one...... as in infant formulae. The calculated mean maximum intakes of the individual compounds from the total diet samples were below 10% of the restrictions proposed by the EU Scientific Committee for Food (SCF), and the spread in individual intakes was considerable. DEHP was the plasticizer determined most...

Association between Phthalate Exposure and the Use of Plastic Containers in Shanghai Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Rui Hua; Zhang, Han; Zhang, Mei Ru; Chen, Jing Si; Wu, Min; Li, Shu Guang; Chen, Bo

2017-10-01

Consuming phthalates may be due to the presence of food contact materials, such as plastic containers. In this study, we investigated the association between plastic container use and phthalate exposure in 2,140 Shanghai adults. Participants completed a questionnaire on the frequency of using plastic containers in different scenarios in the previous year (e.g., daily, weekly) and on the consumption of plastic-packaged foods in the previous three days (yes or no). Urinary phthalate metabolites were used to assess the association between phthalate exposure and the use of plastic containers. The metabolites of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were the most frequently detected in urine. The results revealed that phthalate exposure was associated with consumption of plastic-packaged breakfast or processed food items in the previous three days. The consumption of these two food items had strong synergistic effects on increasing urinary concentrations of most phthalate metabolites. Our results of plastic-packaged breakfast and processed food may be explained by the use of flexible plastic containers, indicating the importance of risk assessment for the application of flexible plastic containers. Copyright © 2017 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.

Neutron activation analysis of recycled paper and board in contact with food

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parry, S.J.

2001-01-01

Recycling of wastepaper has been shown to increase the concentration of metals in the product. Although it is generally assumed that there is no risk of migration of chemical contaminants from recycled paper and board into food, the UK Food Standards Agency has identified limited evidence of such migration. Therefore, it is important to carry out research to establish the concentration of metals in recycled paper and board in contact with food. A previous study at Imperial College had resulted in the development of a neutron activation analysis method to determine trace metals in plastic packaging. An initial study is described to establish whether the same methodology could be applied to paper and board and to carry out a preliminary investigation into a small range of recycled paper and board products. The study was made on 22 elements in 17 products including pizza boxes, fries boxes, kitchen towel, table napkins, greaseproof paper, tea bags and cake cases. Elevated levels of some elements including barium (69 mg/kg in pizza bases) and chromium (5 mg/kg in napkins, 50 mg/kg in greaseproof paper, 2 mg/kg in cake cases, 90 mg/kg in baking parchment, 5 mg/kg in fries boxes and 5 mg/kg in pizza bases) have been shown. (author)

Analysis of Phthalate Migration to Food Simulants in Plastic Containers during Microwave Operations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miriany A. Moreira

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Phthalates used as plasticizers in the manufacture of household containers can potentially be transferred to foods that are stored or heated in these plastic containers. Phthalates are endocrine disruptor compounds (EDC and are found in very low concentrations in foods, thus, highly sensitive analytical techniques are required for their quantification. This study describes the application of a new method developed for analyzing the migration of dibutylphthalate (DBP and benzylbutylphthalate (BBP from plastic food containers into liquid food simulants. This new method employs the technique of solid phase microextraction cooled with liquid nitrogen. The analysis was conducted by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS using a polyacrylate fiber. Ultrapure water was used as a simulant for liquids foods, and both new and used plastic containers were placed in a domestic microwave oven for different periods of time at different power levels. The limits of detection for DBP and BBP were 0.08 µg/L and 0.31 µg/L, respectively. BBP was not found in the samples that were analyzed. DBP was found in concentrations ranging from

Towards a generic procedure for the detection of relevant contaminants from waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) in plastic food-contact materials: a review and selection of key parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

Puype, Franky; Samsonek, Jiří; Vilímková, Věra; Kopečková, Šárka; Ratiborská, Andrea; Knoop, Jan; Egelkraut-Holtus, Marion; Ortlieb, Markus; Oppermann, Uwe

2017-10-01

Recently, traces of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) have been detected in black plastic food-contact materials (FCMs), indicating the presence of recycled plastics, mainly coming from waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) as BFRs are one of the main additives in electric applications. In order to evaluate efficiently and preliminary in situ the presence of WEEE in plastic FCMs, a generic procedure for the evaluation of WEEE presence in plastic FCMs by using defined parameters having each an associated importance level has been proposed. This can be achieved by combining parameters like overall bromine (Br) and antimony (Sb) content; additive and reactive BFR, rare earth element (REE) and WEEE-relevant elemental content and additionally polymer purity. In most of the cases, the WEEE contamination could be confirmed by combining X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry and thermal desorption/pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) at first. The Sb and REE content did not give a full confirmation as to the source of contamination, however for Sb the opposite counts: Sb was joined with elevated Br signals. Therefore, Br at first followed by Sb were used as WEEE precursors as both elements are used as synergetic flame-retardant systems. WEEE-specific REEs could be used for small WEEE (sWEEE) confirmation; however, this parameter should be interpreted with care. The polymer purity by Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) and pyrolysis GC-MS in many cases could not confirm WEEE-specific contamination; however, it can be used for purity measurements and for the suspicion of the usage of recycled fractions (WEEE and non-WEEE) as a third-line confirmation. To the best of our knowledge, the addition of WEEE waste to plastic FCMs is illegal; however, due to lack on screening mechanisms, there is still the breakthrough of such articles onto the market, and, therefore, our generic procedure enables the quick and effective screening of suspicious

[Type IV contact allergies in the food processing industry: an update].

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, A; Schubert, S; Geier, J; Mahler, V

2018-05-02

The food sector is one of the high-risk areas for occupational irritative and allergic contact eczema. The present work provides an overview of the main allergens as well as sensitization frequencies and risk in various food industry occupations. The literature on type IV sensitization in the food sector is summarized. The relative risk of developing a work-related eczema in food processing is increased by more than 3 times. The comparison group was calculated on the basis of the proportion of documented cases in the IVDK (Informationsverbund Dermatologischer Kliniken) network per 100,000 working persons in relation to the average of the years 2005 and 2010. For this purpose, the average risk of all patients was set as reference to 1. Bakers, pastry chefs, cooks and meat and fish processors are mainly affected. In addition to irritant contact eczema, allergic contact eczema and protein contact dermatitis often occur. Leading haptens (main allergens) are rubber ingredients, but also disinfectants and compositae. Only a few contact allergens are responsible for the majority of job-relevant sensitizations in the food industry.

Plastics: Friend or foe?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O P Gupta

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Plastics has been playing a very significant role in our life. Being light weight, inexpensive and heving good insulating properties it is being used in all aspects of life, from clothes to contact lenses and from mobile phones to automobiles as well as in medical equipments, However it is not biodegradable, and while degrading to fragments it gets converted in to microplastics and nanoplastics The plastic waste is being recognized as an environmental hazard, since these micr- and nanoplastics find way from landfills to water and foods, It is said that we are not only using, but we are eating, drinking and even braething the plastics. These microplastics in body release certain hazardous chemicals and found to be disrupting functions of certain endocrine organs. Whether the rising prevalence of Diabetes, thyroid disorders or infirtility etc., are realated to the plastics?

Soft plastic bread packaging: lead content and reuse by families.

Science.gov (United States)

Weisel, C; Demak, M; Marcus, S; Goldstein, B D

1991-06-01

The presence of lead in labels painted on soft plastic bread packaging was evaluated. Lead was detected on the outside of 17 of 18 soft plastic bread bags that were analyzed, with an average of 26 +/- 6 mg per bag with lead. Of 106 families questioned, 16 percent of respondents reported turning the bags inside out before reusing for food storage, thus putting food in contact with the lead paint. We estimate that a weak acid, such as vinegar, could readily leach 100 micrograms of lead from a painted plastic bag within 10 minutes. Further, lead and other metals painted on food packaging of any type becomes part of the municipal waste stream subject to incineration and to land-filling. The use of lead in packaging presents an unnecessary risk to public health.

An Elastic Plastic Contact Model with Strain Hardening for the LAMMPS Granular Package

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuhr, Bryan [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States); Brake, Matthew Robert [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Component Science and Mechanics; Lechman, Jeremy B. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Nanoscale and Reactive Processes

2015-03-01

The following details the implementation of an analytical elastic plastic contact model with strain hardening for normal im pacts into the LAMMPS granular package. The model assumes that, upon impact, the co llision has a period of elastic loading followed by a period of mixed elastic plas tic loading, with contributions to each mechanism estimated by a hyperbolic seca nt weight function. This function is implemented in the LAMMPS source code as the pair style gran/ep/history. Preliminary tests, simulating the pouring of pure nickel spheres, showed the elastic/plastic model took 1.66x as long as similar runs using gran/hertz/history.

Existence and uniqueness results for a class of dynamic elasto-plastic contact problems

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Krejčí, Pavel; Petrov, A.

2013-01-01

Roč. 408, č. 1 (2013), s. 125-139 ISSN 0022-247X R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP201/10/2315 Institutional support: RVO:67985840 Keywords : contact with friction * elasto-plasticity * hysteresis operators Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.119, year: 2013 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022247X13004952

Consequences of occupational food-related hand dermatoses with a focus on protein contact dermatitis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vester, Lotte; Thyssen, Jacob P; Menné, Torkil

2012-01-01

Background. Protein contact dermatitis is a frequent disorder among hand eczema patients who have occupational food contact. Knowledge about the consequences of having protein contact dermatitis is lacking. Objectives. To investigate the consequences of having occupational skin disease on the hands...... resulting from food handling, with a focus on protein contact dermatitis. Material and methods. One hundred and seventy-eight patients who were identified as having skin disease related to occupational food exposure and who answered a questionnaire concerning the consequences of their skin disease were......%, respectively, of the patients with other occupational food-related hand dermatoses (p = 0.02). Sixty-two per cent and 43%, respectively, had to change job because of skin problems (p = 0.02). Atopic dermatitis was equally common in the two groups. Conclusion. We found that the patients with protein contact...

Prediction of plastic deformation under contact condition by quasi-static and dynamic simulations using explicit finite element analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siswanto, W. A.; Nagentrau, M.; Tobi, A. L. Mohd; Tamin, M. N.

2016-01-01

We compared the quasi-static and dynamic simulation responses on elastic-plastic deformation of advanced alloys using Finite element (FE) method with an explicit numerical algorithm. A geometrical model consisting of a cylinder-on-flat surface contact under a normal load and sliding motion was examined. Two aeroengine materials, Ti-6Al-4V and Super CMV (Cr-Mo-V) alloy, were employed in the FE analysis. The FE model was validated by comparative magnitudes of the FE-predicted maximum contact pressure variation along the contact half-width length with the theoretical Hertzian contact solution. Results show that the (compressive) displacement of the initial contact surface steadily increases for the quasi-static load case, but accumulates at an increasing rate to the maximum level for the dynamic loading. However, the relatively higher stiffness and yield strength of the Super CMV alloy resulted in limited deformation and low plastic strain when compared to the Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The accumulated equivalent plastic strain of the material point at the initial contact position was nearly a thousand times higher for the dynamic load case (for example, 6.592 for Ti-6Al-4V, 1.0 kN) when compared to the quasi-static loading (only 0.0072). During the loading step, the von Mises stress increased with a decreasing and increasing rate for the quasi-static and dynamic load case, respectively. A sudden increase in the stress magnitude to the respective peak value was registered due to the additional constraint to overcome the static friction of the mating surfaces during the sliding step

Prediction of plastic deformation under contact condition by quasi-static and dynamic simulations using explicit finite element analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Siswanto, W. A.; Nagentrau, M.; Tobi, A. L. Mohd [Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Batu Pahat (Malaysia); Tamin, M. N. [Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru (Malaysia)

2016-11-15

We compared the quasi-static and dynamic simulation responses on elastic-plastic deformation of advanced alloys using Finite element (FE) method with an explicit numerical algorithm. A geometrical model consisting of a cylinder-on-flat surface contact under a normal load and sliding motion was examined. Two aeroengine materials, Ti-6Al-4V and Super CMV (Cr-Mo-V) alloy, were employed in the FE analysis. The FE model was validated by comparative magnitudes of the FE-predicted maximum contact pressure variation along the contact half-width length with the theoretical Hertzian contact solution. Results show that the (compressive) displacement of the initial contact surface steadily increases for the quasi-static load case, but accumulates at an increasing rate to the maximum level for the dynamic loading. However, the relatively higher stiffness and yield strength of the Super CMV alloy resulted in limited deformation and low plastic strain when compared to the Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The accumulated equivalent plastic strain of the material point at the initial contact position was nearly a thousand times higher for the dynamic load case (for example, 6.592 for Ti-6Al-4V, 1.0 kN) when compared to the quasi-static loading (only 0.0072). During the loading step, the von Mises stress increased with a decreasing and increasing rate for the quasi-static and dynamic load case, respectively. A sudden increase in the stress magnitude to the respective peak value was registered due to the additional constraint to overcome the static friction of the mating surfaces during the sliding step.

Effects of irradiation on degradation and migration of food packaging plastics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Xifeng; Cai Zhongli

1997-01-01

The author summarizes the research achievements on the following aspects: detection and identification of low molecular radiolysis products of food packaging polymers and degradation products of plastic additives, influences of irradiation atmosphere, dose, dose rate, additives and food simulant on the formation of products, and effects of irradiation on global and specific migration of packaging materials. Some items are suggested to be further studied

Longer Contact Times Increase Cross-Contamination of Enterobacter aerogenes from Surfaces to Food.

Science.gov (United States)

Miranda, Robyn C; Schaffner, Donald W

2016-11-01

Bacterial cross-contamination from surfaces to food can contribute to foodborne disease. The cross-contamination rate of Enterobacter aerogenes on household surfaces was evaluated by using scenarios that differed by surface type, food type, contact time (food types were watermelon, bread, bread with butter, and gummy candy. Surfaces (25 cm 2 ) were spot inoculated with 1 ml of inoculum and allowed to dry for 5 h, yielding an approximate concentration of 10 7 CFU/surface. Foods (with a 16-cm 2 contact area) were dropped onto the surfaces from a height of 12.5 cm and left to rest as appropriate. Posttransfer, surfaces and foods were placed in sterile filter bags and homogenized or massaged, diluted, and plated on tryptic soy agar. The transfer rate was quantified as the log percent transfer from the surface to the food. Contact time, food, and surface type all had highly significant effects (P food, while the least bacteria transferred to gummy candy (∼0.1 to 62%). Transfer of bacteria to bread (∼0.02 to 94%) was similar to transfer of bacteria to bread with butter (∼0.02 to 82%), and these transfer rates under a given set of conditions were more variable than with watermelon and gummy candy. The popular notion of the "five-second rule" is that food dropped on the floor and left there for foods (watermelon, bread, bread with butter, and gummy candy), four different contact times (food and the surface, are of equal or greater importance. Some transfer takes place "instantaneously," at times of <1 s, disproving the five-second rule. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Draft EEC method for the determination of the global migration of plastics constituents into fatty-food simulants: Applicability to lacquers, plastics and laminates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Battum, D. van; Rijk, M.A.H.; Verspoor, R.; Rossi, L.

1982-01-01

An experimental study was carried out to establish whether the draft EEC method for the determination of the global migration of constituents from plastics packaging materials into fatty food stimulants could be applied to all plastics, including lacquers and laminates. Some difficulties were

Non-Contact Acousto-Thermal Signatures of Plastic Deformation in TI-6AL-4V

Science.gov (United States)

Welter, J. T.; Malott, G.; Schehl, N.; Sathish, S.; Jata, K. V.; Blodgett, M. P.

2010-02-01

Plastic deformation introduces changes in a material which include increases in: dislocations, strains, residual stress, and yield stress. However, these changes have a very small impact on the material properties such as elastic modulus, conductivity and ultrasonic wave speed. This is due to the fact that interatomic forces govern these properties, and they are not affected by plastic deformation to any large degree. This is evident from the fact that the changes in electrical resistance and ultrasonic velocity in plastically deformed and virgin samples are very small and can only be determined by highly controlled experiments. Except for X-ray diffraction, there are no direct nondestructive methods for measuring strain and the residual stress. This paper presents an application of the non-contact acousto-thermal signature (NCATS) NDE methodology to detect plastic deformation in flat dog bone Ti-6Al-4V samples. Results of the NCATS measurements on samples subjected to incremental amounts of plastic deformation are presented. The maximum temperature attained by the sample due to acoustic excitation is found to be sensitive to the amount of plastic strain. It is observed that the temperature induced by acoustic excitation increases to a peak followed by a decrease to failure. The maximum temperature peak occurs at plastic strains of 12-14%. It is observed that there is a correlation between the peak in maximum temperature rise and the strain at the experimentally determined ultimate tensile strength. A microstructural based explanation for this will be presented. The results are discussed in reference to utilizing this technique for detection and evaluation of plastic deformation.

Stainless steel in contact with food and bevarage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sveto Cvetkovski

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Stainless steels are probably the most important materials in the food and beverage industries. The main reason for such broad implementation of stainless steel in contact with food are excellent properties which they possess such as corrosion resistance, resistance to high and low temperatures, very good mechanical and physical properties, aesthetic appeal, inertness of surface, durability, easy cleaning and recycling. Low thermal conductivity of these steels produces steeper temperature coefficient provoking an increased distortion, shrinkage and stresses compared with carbon steel.

An Immunoassay for Quantification of Contamination by Raw Meat Juice on Food Contact Surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Fur-Chi; Godwin, Sandria; Chambers, Edgar

2016-11-01

Raw chicken products often are contaminated with Salmonella and Campylobacter , which can be transmitted from packages to contact surfaces. Raw meat juices from these packages also provide potential media for cross-contamination. There are limited quantitative data on the levels of consumer exposure to raw meat juice during shopping for and handling of chicken products. An exposure assessment is needed to quantify the levels of transmission and to assess the risk. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed and validated for quantitative detection of raw meat juice on hands and various food contact surfaces. Analytical procedures were designed to maximize the recovery of raw meat juice from various surfaces: hands, plastic, wood, stainless steel, laminated countertops, glass, and ceramics. The ELISA was based on the detection of a soluble muscle protein, troponin I (TnI), in the raw meat juice. The assay can detect levels as low as 1.25 ng of TnI, which is equivalent to less than 1 μl of the raw meat juice. The concentrations of TnI in the raw meat juices from 10 retail chicken packages, as determined by ELISA, were between 0.46 and 3.56 ng/μl, with an average of 1.69 ng/μl. The analytical procedures, which include swabbing, extraction, and concentration, enable the detection of TnI from various surfaces. The recoveries of raw meat juice from surfaces of hands were 92%, and recoveries from other tested surfaces were from 55% on plastic cutting boards to 75% on laminated countertops. The ELISA developed has been used for monitoring the transfer of raw meat juice during shopping for and handling of raw chicken products in our studies. The assay also can be applied to other raw meat products, such as pork and beef.

Predictive modelling of migration from packaging materials into food products for regulatory purposes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Helmroth, E.; Rijk, R.; Dekker, M.; Jongen, W.

2002-01-01

Migration of low-molecular weight compounds is one of the most important problems of packaging plastics and other plastics intended to come into contact with food products. Since migration experiments are time consuming and expensive, predictive modelling has been introduced as a promising

Effects of ionizing radiation on plastic food packaging materials: a review. 1. Chemical and physical changes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buchalla, R.; Schuttler, C.; Bögl, K.W.

1993-01-01

Irradiation of prepackaged food causes chemical and physical changes in plastic packaging materials. The effects of ionizing radiation on these materials have been studied for almost 40 years; the respective literature is reviewed to provide the basis for a safety evaluation of plastics for use in food irradiation. Permeability of plastic films is generally not affected; deterioration of mechanical properties, that may occur with certain polymers, can usually be controlled with adequate stabilizers; and changes in infrared and UV/VIS spectra are slight at food irradiation doses. Gaseous radiolysis products include hydrogen, methane, CO 2 , CO, hydrocarbons, and for chlorine-containing polymers, hydrogen chloride. A range of volatile products, mainly hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acids, has been characterized for low density polyethylene and polypropylene, other important materials, e.g., polystyrene and poly(vinyl chloride), are less well-investigated. Comparatively little is known on the effect of irradiation on multilayer structures. Radiation-induced changes are shown to depend on the chemical structure of the polymer, on the composition (additives) and processing history of the plastic, and on the irradiation conditions

Changes in the specific migration characteristics of packaging-food simulant combinations caused by ionizing radiation: Effect of food simulant

Science.gov (United States)

Zygoura, Panagiota D.; Paleologos, Evangelos K.; Kontominas, Michael G.

2011-08-01

The primary objective of the present study was to evaluate the extent to which the affinity of the surrounding medium for the migrant, as well as the packaging material, affects the specific migration characteristics of the latter. For this purpose, migration tests were conducted with vinylidene chloride copolymer (PVDC/PVC) in contact with the EU specified solvents simulating all food types: namely, distilled water, 3% w/v acetic acid, 10% v/v ethanol and isooctane. Migration testing was carried out at 40 °C for 10 days for the aqueous simulants, and at 20 °C for 2 days for the fatty food simulant (EC, 1997; EEC, 1993). In addition, food-grade saran film was subjected to ionizing radiation treatment with a [60Co] source at doses equal to 5, 15 and 25 kGy. Acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC) plasticizer levels were monitored as a function of time for untreated, as well as gamma-irradiated packaging material, with a secondary objective to investigate the effect of ionizing radiation on polymer/migrant/surrounding medium interactions. Depending on the food simulant, determination of the analyte was performed by either direct gas chromatographic analysis, or surfactant (Triton X-114) mediated extraction followed by gas chromatographic-flame ionization detection (GC-FID). ATBC concentrations determined in aqueous and fatty food simulants were 0.216-0.497 and 5.0-5.9 mg/L, respectively. Therefore, the most efficient extracting medium of plasticizers in vinyl chloride copolymers is the non-polar isooctane. Moreover, an extremely high rate of ATBC migration into isooctane during the early stages of contact was observed. The above observation verifies the aggressiveness of isooctane towards plastic packaging materials. Amongst the aqueous food simulants tested, the 10% ethanol solution demonstrated the highest migration levels. Gamma-irradiation enhanced ATBC migration; specific migration levels increased with increasing contact time and radiation dose. This was expected

Changes in the specific migration characteristics of packaging-food simulant combinations caused by ionizing radiation: Effect of food simulant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zygoura, Panagiota D.; Paleologos, Evangelos K.; Kontominas, Michael G.

2011-01-01

The primary objective of the present study was to evaluate the extent to which the affinity of the surrounding medium for the migrant, as well as the packaging material, affects the specific migration characteristics of the latter. For this purpose, migration tests were conducted with vinylidene chloride copolymer (PVDC/PVC) in contact with the EU specified solvents simulating all food types: namely, distilled water, 3% w/v acetic acid, 10% v/v ethanol and isooctane. Migration testing was carried out at 40 o C for 10 days for the aqueous simulants, and at 20 o C for 2 days for the fatty food simulant (). In addition, food-grade saran film was subjected to ionizing radiation treatment with a [ 60 Co] source at doses equal to 5, 15 and 25 kGy. Acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC) plasticizer levels were monitored as a function of time for untreated, as well as gamma-irradiated packaging material, with a secondary objective to investigate the effect of ionizing radiation on polymer/migrant/surrounding medium interactions. Depending on the food simulant, determination of the analyte was performed by either direct gas chromatographic analysis, or surfactant (Triton X-114) mediated extraction followed by gas chromatographic-flame ionization detection (GC-FID). ATBC concentrations determined in aqueous and fatty food simulants were 0.216-0.497 and 5.0-5.9 mg/L, respectively. Therefore, the most efficient extracting medium of plasticizers in vinyl chloride copolymers is the non-polar isooctane. Moreover, an extremely high rate of ATBC migration into isooctane during the early stages of contact was observed. The above observation verifies the aggressiveness of isooctane towards plastic packaging materials. Amongst the aqueous food simulants tested, the 10% ethanol solution demonstrated the highest migration levels. Gamma-irradiation enhanced ATBC migration; specific migration levels increased with increasing contact time and radiation dose. This was expected, since ATBC did not

Changes in the specific migration characteristics of packaging-food simulant combinations caused by ionizing radiation: Effect of food simulant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zygoura, Panagiota D., E-mail: me00806@cc.uoi.g [Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Technology, Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, GR-45110 Ioannina (Greece); Paleologos, Evangelos K.; Kontominas, Michael G. [Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Technology, Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, GR-45110 Ioannina (Greece)

2011-08-15

The primary objective of the present study was to evaluate the extent to which the affinity of the surrounding medium for the migrant, as well as the packaging material, affects the specific migration characteristics of the latter. For this purpose, migration tests were conducted with vinylidene chloride copolymer (PVDC/PVC) in contact with the EU specified solvents simulating all food types: namely, distilled water, 3% w/v acetic acid, 10% v/v ethanol and isooctane. Migration testing was carried out at 40 {sup o}C for 10 days for the aqueous simulants, and at 20 {sup o}C for 2 days for the fatty food simulant (). In addition, food-grade saran film was subjected to ionizing radiation treatment with a [{sup 60}Co] source at doses equal to 5, 15 and 25 kGy. Acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC) plasticizer levels were monitored as a function of time for untreated, as well as gamma-irradiated packaging material, with a secondary objective to investigate the effect of ionizing radiation on polymer/migrant/surrounding medium interactions. Depending on the food simulant, determination of the analyte was performed by either direct gas chromatographic analysis, or surfactant (Triton X-114) mediated extraction followed by gas chromatographic-flame ionization detection (GC-FID). ATBC concentrations determined in aqueous and fatty food simulants were 0.216-0.497 and 5.0-5.9 mg/L, respectively. Therefore, the most efficient extracting medium of plasticizers in vinyl chloride copolymers is the non-polar isooctane. Moreover, an extremely high rate of ATBC migration into isooctane during the early stages of contact was observed. The above observation verifies the aggressiveness of isooctane towards plastic packaging materials. Amongst the aqueous food simulants tested, the 10% ethanol solution demonstrated the highest migration levels. Gamma-irradiation enhanced ATBC migration; specific migration levels increased with increasing contact time and radiation dose. This was expected, since

A unified approach to the analysis and design of elasto-plastic structures with mechanical contact

Science.gov (United States)

Bendsoe, Martin P.; Olhoff, Niels; Taylor, John E.

1990-01-01

With structural design in mind, a new unified variational model has been developed which represents the mechanics of deformation elasto-plasticity with unilateral contact conditions. For a design problem formulated as maximization of the load carrying capacity of a structure under certain constraints, the unified model allows for a simultaneous analysis and design synthesis for a whole range of mechanical behavior.

Thin-Film Coated Plastic Wrap for Food Packaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsin-Yu Wu

2017-07-01

Full Text Available In this study, the antimicrobial property and food package capability of polymethylpentene (PMP substrate with silicon oxdie (SiOx and organic silicon (SiCxHy stacked layers deposited by an inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition system were investigated. The experimental results show that the stacked pair number of SiOx/SiCxHy on PMP is limited to three pairs, beyond which the films will crack and cause package failure. The three-pair SiOx/SiCxHy on PMP shows a low water vapor transmission rate of 0.57 g/m2/day and a high water contact angle of 102°. Three-pair thin-film coated PMP demonstrates no microbe adhesion and exhibits antibacterial properties within 24 h. Food shelf life testing performed at 28 °C and 80% humidity reports that the three-pair thin-film coated PMP can enhance the food shelf-life to 120 h. The results indicate that the silicon-based thin film may be a promising material for antibacterial food packaging applications to extend the shelf-life of food products.

A study on the radiometric method for evaluating element migration from plastic packagings to its contents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soares, Eufemia Paez

2008-01-01

Over the past few years, problems related to food contamination by substances or elements that can be a risk to human health have became a concern, not only to government authorities, but to the general population as well. Within this context, plastic packaging can constitute a source of food contamination since plastic manufacturing processes involve the use of catalysts and different types of additives that may contain toxic elements. When food comes into contact with this packaging, components of the package may migrate to the food. In order to control the material used as food packaging, the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) in Brazil, has established boundary values of migrant substances and procedures to determine migration from plastic packagings to food. In this study the radiometric method was evaluated for element migration determination from plastic packaging to food simulating or to the food itself. This radiometric method consisted in irradiating plastic packaging samples with a thermal neutron flux from the IEA-R1 nuclear research reactor in order to produce radionuclides of elements present in the packagings. The irradiated plastic was then exposed to food simulant or food for element migration. Gamma ray spectrometry was used to measure radioactivity in the simulant or food in order to quantify the migration. The food simulating types and experimental conditions were established according to the ANVISA regulations. Element migration was studied for plastic packaging used for soft drinks, drinking water, milk, dairy products, juices and fatty foods. In the instrumental neutron activation analysis of these packagings the presence of As, Cd, Cr, Co and Sb II was verified. Results obtained from the migration experiments by the radiometric method indicated that Cd, Co, Cr and Sb present in these plastics migrated to the simulant or to the food. In some packagings, the migration of only some of these elements was observed. In these cases the

Introduction to contact mechanics

CERN Document Server

Fischer-Cripps, Anthony C

2000-01-01

Contact mechanics deals with the elastic or plastic contact between two solid objects, and is thus intimately connected with such topics as fracture, hardness, and elasticity.This text, intended for advanced undergraduates, begins with an introduction to the mechanical properties of materials, general fracture mechanics, and fractures in brittle solids.This is followed by a detailed discussion of stresses and the nature of elastic and elastic-plastic contact.

77 FR 14022 - Guidance for Industry: Testing for Salmonella Species in Human Foods and Direct-Human-Contact...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-08

...-contact animal foods, and the interpretation of test results, when the presence of Salmonella spp. in the... eggs) and direct-human-contact animal foods, and the interpretation of test results, when the presence... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2011-D-0091...

Effect of high-pressure food processing on the physical properties of synthetic and biopolymer films.

Science.gov (United States)

Galotto, M J; Ulloa, P A; Guarda, A; Gavara, R; Miltz, J

2009-08-01

The effect of high-pressure processing on 2 plastic food packaging films, a biopolymer (PLASiOx/PLA) and a synthetic polymer (PET-AlOx), was studied. Samples in direct contact with olive oil, as a fatty food simulant, and distilled water, as an aqueous simulant, were subjected to a pressure of 500MPa for 15 min at 50 degrees C. The mechanical, thermal, and gas barrier properties of both films were evaluated after the high-pressure processing (HPP) and compared to control samples that have not undergone this treatment. Significant changes in all properties were observed in both films after the HPP treatment and in contact with the food simulants. In both films an induced crystallization was noticed. In the PLASiOx/PLA film the changes were larger when in contact with water that probably acted as a plasticizer. In the PET-AlOx film the changes in properties were attributed to the formation of pinholes and cracks during the HPP treatment. In this film, most of the properties changed more in the presence of oil as the food simulant.

Identification and risk assessment of unknown contaminants migrating from Food Contact Materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pieke, Eelco Nicolaas

The exposure of humans to possibly thousands of chemical compounds through food poses a health risk that is questioning our ability to ensure high standards for food safety. Food contact materials (FCM) are a major source of extraneous chemical compounds in food, yet not much knowledge is available...... interpretations. Risk prioritization is successful in classifying estimated risk based on predicted exposure and predicted hazard, and is valuable for to preliminary RA studies. The overarching strategy in this study shows that explorative techniques are valuable tools to help ensure food safety in the future...

On a solvability of hydro-mechanical problem based on contact problem with visco-plastic friction in Bingham rheology

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Nedoma, Jiří; Tomášek, Luboš

2008-01-01

Roč. 218, č. 1 (2008), s. 116-124 ISSN 0377-0427 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10300504 Keywords : visco-plasticity * Bingham rheology * contact problems with friction * variational inequalities * FEM * geomechanics * hydromechanics Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.048, year: 2008

Progress in mass spectrometry for the analysis of set-off phenomena in plastic food packaging materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Aznar, Margarita; Alfaro, Pilar; Nerín, Cristina; Jones, Emrys; Riches, Eleanor

2016-07-01

In most cases, food packaging materials contain inks whose components can migrate to food by diffusion through the material as well as by set-off phenomena. In this work, different mass spectrometry approaches had been used in order to identify and confirm the presence of ink components in ethanol (95%) and Tenax(®) as food simulants. Three different sets of materials, manufactured with different printing technologies and with different structures, were analyzed. Sample analysis by ultra performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS), using a quadrupole-time of flight (Q-TOF) as a mass analyser proved to be an excellent tool for identification purposes while ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS) shown to be very useful for the confirmation of the candidates proposed. The results showed the presence of different non-volatile ink components in migration such as colorants (Solvent Red 49), plasticizers (dimethyl sebacate, tributyl o-acetyl citrate) or surfactants (SchercodineM, triethylene glycol caprilate). An oxidation product of an ink additive (triphenyl phosphine oxide) was also detected. In addition, a surface analysis technique, desorption electrospray mass spectrometry (DESI-MS), was used for analyzing the distribution of some ink components (tributyl o-acetyl citrate Schercodine L, phthalates) in the material. The detection of some of these compounds in the back-printed side confirmed the transference of this compound from the non-food to the food contact side. The results also showed that concentration of ink migrants decreased when an aluminum or polypropylene layer covered the ink. When aluminum was used, concentration of most of ink migrants decreased, and for 5 out of the 9 even disappeared. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microbiological levels of randomly selected food contact surfaces in hotels located in Spain during 2007-2009.

Science.gov (United States)

Doménech-Sánchez, Antonio; Laso, Elena; Pérez, María José; Berrocal, Clara Isabel

2011-09-01

The aim of this study was to survey the microbial levels of food contact surfaces in hotels. Microbiological levels of 4611 surfaces (chopping machines, kitchenware, knives, worktops, and cutting boards) from 280 different facilities in Spain were determined in a 3-year period. The contact-plate technique was used throughout the survey. Overall, the mean of the log of total aerobic count cm(-2) was 0.62, better than those reported for child-care and assisted living facilities. Significant differences were detected among different types of surfaces, time of sampling, season, and year. The majority (74%) of food contact surfaces sampled in Spanish hotels was within the recommended standard of <1.3 log CFU cm(-2), and differences depend on several factors. Our results set a representative picture of the actual situation in our resorts and establish the basis for the development of educational programs to improve food handlers' knowledge of foodborne diseases and their transmission via food contact surfaces.

Contact mechanics: contact area and interfacial separation from small contact to full contact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, C; Persson, B N J

2008-01-01

We present a molecular dynamics study of the contact between a rigid solid with a randomly rough surface and an elastic block with a flat surface. The numerical calculations mainly focus on the contact area and the interfacial separation from small contact (low load) to full contact (high load). For a small load the contact area varies linearly with the load and the interfacial separation depends logarithmically on the load. For a high load the contact area approaches the nominal contact area (i.e. complete contact), and the interfacial separation approaches zero. The numerical results have been compared with analytical theory and experimental results. They are in good agreement with each other. The present findings may be very important for soft solids, e.g. rubber, or for very smooth surfaces, where complete contact can be reached at moderately high loads without plastic deformation of the solids

A dynamic elastic-visco-plastic unilateral contact problem with normal damped response and Coulomb friction

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Eck, Ch.; Jarušek, Jiří; Sofonea, M.

2010-01-01

Roč. 21, č. 3 (2010), s. 229-251 ISSN 0956-7925 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA100750802 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10190503 Keywords : elastic-vosco plastic material * dynamic contact problem * normal damped response * unilateral constraint * Coulomb friction * weak solution * penalitazion * smoothing Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.480, year: 2010 http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=7675484&fileId=S0956792510000045

Physico-mechanical and chemical screening of packaging plastics and laminates for food irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cabalar, Patrick Jay E.; Laurio, Christian D.

2014-03-01

Evaluation of selected commercially-available packaging plastics and laminated plastics i.e., PET12/PE50, PET12/CPS40, Laminaed PET/PE, VMPET12/PE70, Nylon/PE, Nylon15/PE50, PET/Foil/PE, PlainPET/FOIL7/PE100, and OPP20/Foil6.5/PE40, are conducted by employing methods for determining physico-mechanical properties and performing chemical analyses to assess the suitability for food irradiation at 10kGy. Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IR-MS0 is also performed to measure isotopic ratio changes of 18 O/ 16 O and 2 H/ 1 H to determine raqdiolysis on water in contact with the packaging materials. IR-MS suggests that PET/FOIL PE and OPP 20/Foil 6.5/PE40 in δ 18 O%o after irradiation has significantly increased. Tensile strength and Young's modulus are obtained to assess physical changes between irradiated samples. Data showed that PET12/CPS40 have the highet tensile strength 60.2 MPa and Young's modulus (141.80GPa) value, after irradiation and has no significant difference to their non irradiated samples. Other packaging materials with the same result are OPP20/FOIL6.5/PE40, PET12/PE50 and NYLON50/PE. Residual test gives information on the extent of leaching or radiolytic byproduct evolved upon irradiation. Based on the result, all packaging plastics and laminates passess the overall migration test since residues did not significanty migrated. Chemical screening includes GPC and GC-MS analyses in determining the possible radiolytic by-products that liberate upon rdiation of the samples s well as determining the components that is already present prior to irradiation. Based on the comparison of the chromatograms ofGPC for both samples of VMPET12/PE70 and OPP20/Foil6.5/PE40, radiation has small effect on the yield of radiolytic leachates aside from increasing the abundance of the componenet that is already present prior to irradiation. GC-MS results suggest that PET/FOIL/PE produced volatile compounds before and after irradiation namely 3,3-Dimethylheptane (8

Brain damage and behavioural disorders in fish induced by plastic nanoparticles delivered through the food chain.

Science.gov (United States)

Mattsson, Karin; Johnson, Elyse V; Malmendal, Anders; Linse, Sara; Hansson, Lars-Anders; Cedervall, Tommy

2017-09-13

The tremendous increases in production of plastic materials has led to an accumulation of plastic pollution worldwide. Many studies have addressed the physical effects of large-sized plastics on organisms, whereas few have focused on plastic nanoparticles, despite their distinct chemical, physical and mechanical properties. Hence our understanding of their effects on ecosystem function, behaviour and metabolism of organisms remains elusive. Here we demonstrate that plastic nanoparticles reduce survival of aquatic zooplankton and penetrate the blood-to-brain barrier in fish and cause behavioural disorders. Hence, for the first time, we uncover direct interactions between plastic nanoparticles and brain tissue, which is the likely mechanism behind the observed behavioural disorders in the top consumer. In a broader perspective, our findings demonstrate that plastic nanoparticles are transferred up through a food chain, enter the brain of the top consumer and affect its behaviour, thereby severely disrupting the function of natural ecosystems.

Effect of catalyst contact mode and gas atmosphere during catalytic pyrolysis of waste plastics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xue, Yuan; Johnston, Patrick; Bai, Xianglan

2017-01-01

Highlights: • PE, PP, PS and PET were catalytically pyrolyzed in a tandem micro-pyrolyzer. • Product distribution and composition were varied at in-situ and ex-situ pyrolysis. • Hydrogen carrier gas suppressed coke formation and reduced polyaromatic content. • Positive synergies between PE and PS, or PE and PET were found. - Abstract: In the present study, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were pyrolyzed using HZSM-5 zeolite in a tandem micro-pyrolyzer to investigate the effects of plastic type, catalyst and feedstock contact mode, as well as the type of carrier gas on product distribution. Among the four plastics, PS produced highest aromatic yields up to 85% whereas PE and PP mainly produced aliphatic hydrocarbons. In comparison to ex-situ pyrolysis, in-situ pyrolysis of the plastics produced more solid residue but also promoted the formation of aromatic hydrocarbons, except PS. For PS, ex-situ pyrolysis produced a higher yield of aromatics than in-situ pyrolysis, mostly contributed by high styrene yield. During in-situ pyrolysis, the catalyst reduced the decomposition temperatures of the plastics in the order of PE, PP, PS and PET from high to low. Hydrogen carrier gas reduced solid residue and also increased the selectivity of single ring aromatics in comparison to inert pyrolysis. Hydrogen was more beneficial to PS and PET than PE and PP in terms of reducing coke yield and increasing hydrocarbon yield. The present study also showed that catalytically co-pyrolyzing PS and PE, or PET and PE increases the yield of aromatics and reduces the yield of solid residue due to hydrogen transfer from PE to PS or PET and alkylation reactions among the plastic-derivatives.

77 FR 19670 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Food Contact...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-02

... Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, 5100 Paint Branch Pkwy (HFS-275), College Park, MD 20740, 240-402... Nutrition using Form FDA 3480 whether it is submitted in electronic or paper format. FDA recently made minor... food contact articles. These notifications require the submission of Form FDA 3479 (``Notification for...

Recycling of Plastic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Thomas Højlund; Fruergaard, Thilde

2011-01-01

Plastic is produced from fossil oil. Plastic is used for many different products. Some plastic products like, for example, wrapping foil, bags and disposable containers for food and beverage have very short lifetimes and thus constitute a major fraction of most waste. Other plastic products like...

Packing for food irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chmielewski, A G [Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Warsaw (Poland)

2006-07-01

Joint FAO/IAEA/WHO Expert Committee approved the use of radiation treatment of foods. Nowadays food packaging are mostly made of plastics, natural or synthetic, therefore effect of irradiation on these materials is crucial for packing engineering for food irradiation technology. By selecting the right polymer materials for food packaging it can be ensured that the critical elements of material and product performance are not compromised. When packaging materials are in contact with food at the time of irradiation that regulatory approvals sometimes apply. The review of the R-and-D and technical papers regarding material selection, testing and approval is presented in the report. The most information come from the USA where this subject is well elaborated, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports are reviewed as well. The report can be useful for scientists and food irradiation plants operators. (author)

Packing for food irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chmielewski, A.G.

2006-01-01

Joint FAO/IAEA/WHO Expert Committee approved the use of radiation treatment of foods. Nowadays food packaging are mostly made of plastics, natural or synthetic, therefore effect of irradiation on these materials is crucial for packing engineering for food irradiation technology. By selecting the right polymer materials for food packaging it can be ensured that the critical elements of material and product performance are not compromised. When packaging materials are in contact with food at the time of irradiation that regulatory approvals sometimes apply. The review of the R-and-D and technical papers regarding material selection, testing and approval is presented in the report. The most information come from the USA where this subject is well elaborated, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports are reviewed as well. The report can be useful for scientists and food irradiation plants operators. (author)

Effect of 3D fractal dimension on contact area and asperity interactions in elastoplastic contact

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdeljalil Jourani

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Few models are devoted to investigate the effect of 3D fractal dimension Ds on contact area and asperity interactions. These models used statistical approaches or two-dimensional deterministic simulations without considering the asperity interactions and elastic–plastic transition regime. In this study, a complete 3D deterministic model is adopted to simulate the contact between fractal surfaces which are generated using a modified two-variable Weierstrass–Mandelbrot function. This model incorporates the asperity interactions and considers the different deformation modes of surface asperities which range from entirely elastic through elastic-plastic to entirely plastic contact. The simulations reveal that the elastoplastic model is more appropriate to calculate the contact area ratio and pressure field. It is also shown that the influence of the asperity interactions cannot be neglected, especially at lower fractal dimension Ds and higher load.

Asperity interaction in adhesive contact of metallic rough surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sahoo, Prasanta; Banerjee, Atanu

2005-01-01

The analysis of adhesive contact of metallic rough surfaces considering the effect of asperity interaction is the subject of this investigation. The micro-contact model of asperity interactions developed by Zhao and Chang (2001 Trans. ASME: J. Tribol. 123 857-64) is combined with the elastic plastic adhesive contact model developed by Chang et al (1988 Trans. ASME: J. Tribol. 110 50-6) to consider the asperity interaction and elastic-plastic deformation in the presence of surface forces simultaneously. The well-established elastic adhesion index and plasticity index are used to consider the different contact conditions. Results show that asperity interaction influences the load-separation behaviour in elastic-plastic adhesive contact of metallic rough surfaces significantly and, in general, adhesion is reduced due to asperity interactions

Evaluation of element migration from food plastic packagings into simulated solutions using radiometric method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soares, Eufemia Paez; Saiki, Mitiko; Wiebeck, Helio

2005-01-01

In the present study a radiometric method was established to determine the migration of elements from food plastic packagings to a simulated acetic acid solution. This radiometric method consisted of irradiating plastic samples with neutrons at IEA-R1 nuclear reactor for a period of 16 hours under a neutron flux of 10 12 n cm -2 s -1 and, then to expose them to the element migration into a simulated solution. The radioactivity of the activated elements transferred to the solutions was measured to evaluate the migration. The experimental conditions were: time of exposure of 10 days at 40 deg C and 3% acetic acid solution was used as simulated solution, according to the procedure established by the National Agency of Sanitary Monitoring (ANVISA). The migration study was applied for plastic samples from soft drink and juice packagings. The results obtained indicated the migration of elements Co, Cr and Sb. The advantage of this methodology was no need to analyse the blank of simulantes, as well as the use of high purity simulated solutions. Besides, the method allows to evaluate the migration of the elements into the food content instead of simulated solution. The detention limits indicated high sensitivity of the radiometric method. (author)

Enforcement of the Danish Bisphenol A restriction on Food Contact Materials and Articles for infants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Gitte Alsing; Foverskov, Annie; Petersen, Jens Højslev

In Denmark a national restriction was implemented in 2010 banning the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in any Food Contact Materials intended for children in the age 0-3 years. The ban includes BPA in baby bottles, baby cups, food cans for infant formulas and lids for glass containers with baby food...

[Analysis of phthalates in plastic food-packaging bags by thin layer chromatography].

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hui; Wang, Yuan; Zhu, Ruohua

2006-01-01

The method for simultaneous determination of four phthalates, namely dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in plastic food-packaging bags by thin layer chromatography (TLC) was developed. The plastic food-packaging bags were extracted with ethanol by ultrasonication, then the mixture was filtrated through membrane (0.45 microm). The mixture of ethyl acetate-anhydrous ether-isooctane (1 : 4 : 15, v/v) was used as developing agent on the TLC silica gel plate for development. The filtered liquid was spotted on the TLC plate dealt by acetone, and detected with scanning wavelength of 275 nm and reference wavelength of 340 nm. The qualitative analysis of the phthalates was performed using the R(f) values of the chromatogram. The quantitative analysis was performed with external standard method. Good linearities were obtained for DMP, DEP, DBP and DEHP. The detection limits were 2.1 ng for DMP, 2.4 ng for DEP, 3.4 ng for DBP and 4.0 ng for DEHP. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of the four phthalates were 2.8% - 3.5%. The recoveries of the four phthalate standards in real sample were 78.58% - 111.04%. The method presented has the advantages of high precision, high sensitivity, small sample size, and simple pretreatment . The method was used to detect the four phthalates in the food-packaging bags. The contents in real samples were close to the results by gas chromatography.

Microbial biofilm detection on food contact surfaces by macro-scale fluorescence imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Hyperspectral fluorescence imaging methods were utilized to evaluate the potential of multispectral fluorescence methods for detection of pathogenic biofilm formations on four types of food contact surface materials: stainless steel, high density polyethylene (HDPE) commonly used for cutting boards,...

Differential MS2 Interaction with Food Contact Surfaces Determined by Atomic Force Microscopy and Virus Recovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Shim, J; Stewart, D S; Nikolov, A D; Wasan, D T; Wang, R; Yan, R; Shieh, Y C

2017-12-15

Enteric viruses are recognized as major etiologies of U.S. foodborne infections. These viruses are easily transmitted via food contact surfaces. Understanding virus interactions with surfaces may facilitate the development of improved means for their removal, thus reducing transmission. Using MS2 coliphage as a virus surrogate, the strength of virus adhesion to common food processing and preparation surfaces of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and glass was assessed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and virus recovery assays. The interaction forces of MS2 with various surfaces were measured from adhesion peaks in force-distance curves registered using a spherical bead probe preconjugated with MS2 particles. MS2 in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) demonstrated approximately 5 times less adhesion force to glass (0.54 nN) than to PVC (2.87 nN) ( P force for PVC (∼0 nN) and consistently increased virus recovery by 19%. With direct and indirect evidence of virus adhesion, this study illustrated a two-way assessment of virus adhesion for the initial evaluation of potential means to mitigate virus adhesion to food contact surfaces. IMPORTANCE The spread of foodborne viruses is likely associated with their adhesive nature. Virus attachment on food contact surfaces has been evaluated by quantitating virus recoveries from inoculated surfaces. This study aimed to evaluate the microenvironment in which nanometer-sized viruses interact with food contact surfaces and to compare the virus adhesion differences using AFM. The virus surrogate MS2 demonstrated less adhesion force to glass than to PVC via AFM, with the force-contributing factors including the intrinsic nature and the topography of the contact surfaces. This adhesion finding is consistent with the virus recoveries, which were determined indirectly. Greater numbers of viruses were recovered from glass than from PVC, after application at the same levels. The stronger MS2 adhesion onto PVC could be interrupted by incorporating a

Deformation processes within wheel-rail adhesion in contact area

Science.gov (United States)

Albagachiev, A. Yu; Keropyan, A. M.

2018-03-01

The study of working surface deformation during interaction of open-pit locomotive tires allowed defining outstanding features of phenomena occurring in the contact area of interacting surfaces. It was found that processes typical for plastic saturated contact occur in the area of wheel-rail interaction of industrial railway transport. In case of plastic deformation exposed to heavy loads typical for open-pit locomotives, upon all rough surfaces of the contour contact area being fully deformed, the frame on which they are found is exposed to plastic deformation. Plastic deformation of roughness within the contact area of interacting surfaces leads to the increase in the actual area of their contact and, therefore, increases the towing capacity of mining machines. Finally, the available data on deformation characteristics with regard to processes occurring in the contact area of wheel-rail interaction will allow making theoretical forecasts on the expected design value of friction coefficient and, therefore, the towing capacity of open-pit locomotives.

Discrete dislocation plasticity analysis of loading rate-dependent static friction.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, H; Deshpande, V S; Van der Giessen, E

2016-08-01

From a microscopic point of view, the frictional force associated with the relative sliding of rough surfaces originates from deformation of the material in contact, by adhesion in the contact interface or both. We know that plastic deformation at the size scale of micrometres is not only dependent on the size of the contact, but also on the rate of deformation. Moreover, depending on its physical origin, adhesion can also be size and rate dependent, albeit different from plasticity. We present a two-dimensional model that incorporates both discrete dislocation plasticity inside a face-centred cubic crystal and adhesion in the interface to understand the rate dependence of friction caused by micrometre-size asperities. The friction strength is the outcome of the competition between adhesion and discrete dislocation plasticity. As a function of contact size, the friction strength contains two plateaus: at small contact length [Formula: see text], the onset of sliding is fully controlled by adhesion while for large contact length [Formula: see text], the friction strength approaches the size-independent plastic shear yield strength. The transition regime at intermediate contact size is a result of partial de-cohesion and size-dependent dislocation plasticity, and is determined by dislocation properties, interfacial properties as well as by the loading rate.

Determination of Polymer Additives-Antioxidants, Ultraviolet Stabilizers, Plasticizers and Photoinitiators in Plastic Food Package by Accelerated Solvent Extraction Coupled with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bo; Wang, Zhi-Wei; Lin, Qin-Bao; Hu, Chang-Ying; Su, Qi-Zhi; Wu, Yu-Mei

2015-07-01

An analytical method for the quantitative determination of 4 antioxidants, 9 ultraviolet (UV) stabilizers, 12 phthalate plasticizers and 2 photoinitiators in plastic food package using accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detector (HPLC-PDA) has been developed. Parameters affecting the efficiency in the process such as extraction and chromatographic conditions were studied in order to determine operating conditions. The analytical method of ASE-HPLC showed good linearity with good correlation coefficients (R ≥ 0.9833). The limits of detection and quantification were between 0.03 and 0.30 µg mL(-1) and between 0.10 and 1.00 µg mL(-1) for 27 analytes. Average spiked recoveries for most analytes in samples were >70.4% at 10, 20 and 40 µg g(-1) spiked levels, except UV-9 and Irganox 1010 (58.6 and 64.0% spiked at 10 µg g(-1), respectively), the relative standard deviations were in the range from 0.4 to 15.4%. The methodology has been proposed for the analysis of 27 polymer additives in plastic food package. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Nanoscale Coloristic Pigments: Upper Limits on Releases from Pigmented Plastic during Environmental Aging, In Food Contact, and by Leaching

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Neubauer, Nicole; Scifo, Lorette; Navratilova, Jana

2017-01-01

The life cycle of nanoscale pigments in plastics may cause environmental or human exposure by various release scenarios. We investigated spontaneous and induced release with mechanical stress during/after simulated sunlight and rain degradation of polyethylene (PE) with organic and inorganic pigm...... investigated scenarios, with upper limits of 10 mg/m2 or 1600 particles/mL. This is the first holistic confirmation that pigment nanomaterials remain strongly contained in a plastic that has low diffusion and high persistence such as the polyolefin High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)....

Synthesis of indium nanoclusters and formation of thin film contacts on plastic substrates for organic and flexible electronics applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi, Frank F; Bulkowski, Michal; Hsieh, K C

2007-01-01

In this work, we described the processes of synthesizing free-standing indium nanoclusters using inverse micelles and microemulsions as well as synthesizing organic-encapsulated indium nanoclusters using alkanethiols as the organic encapsulants. The synthesized organic-encapsulated indium nanoclusters have demonstrated the feasibilities to be used as plastic compatible soft metal contacts for emerging organic devices. The homogeneously distributed indium nanoclusters with sizes of 10-30 nm have been fabricated on a few different plastic substrates. By changing the alkanethiol carbon chain length and the sizes of the indium nanoclusters, the annealing temperature required to form low-resistance indium thin film conductors has been reduced to 80-100 deg. C, which is acceptable for a variety of organic thin films

Combination of Poly(lactic) Acid and Starch for Biodegradable Food Packaging

OpenAIRE

Muller, Justine; Gonz?lez-Mart?nez, Chelo; Chiralt, Amparo

2017-01-01

The massive use of synthetic plastics, in particular in the food packaging area, has a great environmental impact, and alternative more ecologic materials are being required. Poly(lactic) acid (PLA) and starch have been extensively studied as potential replacements for non-degradable petrochemical polymers on the basis of their availability, adequate food contact properties and competitive cost. Nevertheless, both polymers exhibit some drawbacks for packaging uses and need to be adapted to th...

[Role of the EFSA in risk management system regarding food contact materials and articles].

Science.gov (United States)

Cwiek-Ludwicka, Kazimiera; Półtorak, Hanna; Pawlicka, Marzena

2009-01-01

The role of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in the risk management system regarding food contact materials and articles is related with the risk assessment of the substances for the European Commission. General rules for the authorisation of substances used in materials and articles intended to contact with food is established in the Regulation (EC) no 1935/2004. For the evaluation of substances their toxicological properties and magnitude of migration into food simulants is taken into account. Toxicological studies include the mutagenicity tests, oral toxicity studies, carcinogenicity, reproduction and also studies on absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of the substance and other studies when needed. The set of the relevant toxicological data for substance depends on the magnitude of migration. In the case of positive opinion by EFSA the substance appears on the Community list of authorised substances. Sometimes, the earlier evaluated and authorized substances must undergo re-evaluation due to their new toxicological properties or as a result of a presence in the food of their earlier unknown decomposition products. Examples of the selected substances which underwent re-evaluation by EFSA in the light of the current toxicological knowledge and the relevant activities undertaken by the European Commission have been presented.

Surface modification of food contact materials for processing and packaging applications

Science.gov (United States)

Barish, Jeffrey A.

This body of work investigates various techniques for the surface modification of food contact materials for use in food packaging and processing applications. Nanoscale changes to the surface of polymeric food packaging materials enables changes in adhesion, wettability, printability, chemical functionality, and bioactivity, while maintaining desirable bulk properties. Polymer surface modification is used in applications such as antimicrobial or non-fouling materials, biosensors, and active packaging. Non-migratory active packagings, in which bioactive components are tethered to the package, offer the potential to reduce the need for additives in food products while maintaining safety and quality. A challenge in developing non-migratory active packaging materials is the loss of biomolecular activity that can occur when biomolecules are immobilized. Polyethylene glycol (PEG), a biocompatible polymer, is grafted from the surface of ozone treated low-density polyethylene (LDPE) resulting in a surface functionalized polyethylene to which a range of amine-terminated bioactive molecules can be immobilized. The grafting of PEG onto the surface of polymer packaging films is accomplished by free radical graft polymerization, and to covalently link an amine-terminated molecule to the PEG tether, demonstrating that amine-terminated bioactive compounds (such as peptides, enzymes, and some antimicrobials) can be immobilized onto PEG-grafted LDPE in the development of non-migratory active packaging. Fouling on food contact surfaces during food processing has a significant impact on operating efficiency and can promote biofilm development. Processing raw milk on plate heat exchangers results in significant fouling of proteins as well as minerals, and is exacerbated by the wall heating effect. An electroless nickel coating is co-deposited with polytetrafluoroethylene onto stainless steel to test its ability to resist fouling on a pilot plant scale plate heat exchanger. Further

Prospects for application of post-consumer used plastics in food packaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Miltz, J; Ram, A; Nir, M M

1997-01-01

The two most widely used polymers in packaging in recent years are polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene (PE). The biggest fractions of these polymers are not re-utilized, in spite of the fact that they possess excellent properties even after their first application. The ban on using recycled polymers in food packaging applications and the lack of good value outlets for these materials causes them to end up in landfills. The high cost nylon, used in packaging primarily as high gas barrier laminates with PE, also finds its way to landfills. In this case, the reason is the difficulty of recycling different polymers that are incompatible. Thus, the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) stream transferred to landfills contains many plastic packages. These packages are being blamed as a major pollutant of the environment in spite of the fact that all plastics contribute only a small percentage to the weight of the garbage in landfills. If proper and cost effective applications for the recycled polymers could be developed, the waste related to their disposal could be limited. In addition, the contribution of plastic packages to the environmental problem could be diminished. In the present paper, the possibility of sandwiching a contaminated PET layer between two layers of the virgin material was studied. The aim of the study was to determine whether such an operation could lower the migration level of contaminants from a multilayer structure (containing a recycled layer of PET) to values below the limits required by regulatory agencies. The diffusion coefficients (required to determine migration) of four organic liquids in PET were determined. As a result of the sandwiching operation, the amount of pollutant (toluene) migrating into the food simulant was reduced by two orders of magnitude. The properties of PE/nylon blends were also studied. It was found that the high gas barrier properties of nylon are preserved in the blend when proper processing conditions are used

A Modified Approach in Modeling and Calculation of Contact Characteristics of Rough Surfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.A. Abdo

2005-12-01

Full Text Available A mathematical formulation for the contact of rough surfaces is presented. The derivation of the contact model is facilitated through the definition of plastic asperities that are assumed to be embedded at a critical depth within the actual surface asperities. The surface asperities are assumed to deform elastically whereas the plastic asperities experience only plastic deformation. The deformation of plastic asperities is made to obey the law of conservation of volume. It is believed that the proposed model is advantageous since (a it provides a more accurate account of elasticplastic behavior of surfaces in contact and (b it is applicable to model formulations that involve asperity shoulder-to shoulder contact. Comparison of numerical results for estimating true contact area and contact force using the proposed model and the earlier methods suggest that the proposed approach provides a more realistic prediction of elastic-plastic contact behavior.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals and other substances of concern in food contact materials: an updated review of exposure, effect and risk assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Muncke, Jane

2011-10-01

Food contact materials (FCM) are an underestimated source of chemical food contaminants and a potentially relevant route of human exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Quantifying the exposure of the general population to substances from FCM relies on estimates of food consumption and leaching into food. Recent studies using polycarbonate plastics show that food simulants do not always predict worst-case leaching of bisphenol A, a common FCM substance. Also, exposure of children to FCM substances is not always realistically predicted using the common conventions and thus possibly misjudged. Further, the exposure of the whole population to substances leaching into dry foods is underestimated. Consumers are exposed to low levels of substances from FCM across their entire lives. Effects of these compounds currently are assessed with a focus on mutagenicity and genotoxicity. This approach however neglects integrating recent new toxicological findings, like endocrine disruption, mixture toxicity, and developmental toxicity. According to these new toxicology paradigms women of childbearing age and during pregnancy are a new sensitive population group requiring more attention. Furthermore, in overweight and obese persons a change in the metabolism of xenobiotics is observed, possibly implying that this group of consumers is insufficiently protected by current risk assessment practice. Innovations in FCM risk assessment should therefore include routine testing for EDCs and an assessment of the whole migrate toxicity of a food packaging, taking into account all sensitive population groups. In this article I focus on recent issues of interest concerning either exposure to or effects of FCM-related substances. Further, I review the use of benzophenones and organotins, two groups of known or suspected EDCs, in FCM authorized in the US and EU. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Programme on the recyclability of food-packaging materials with respect to food safety considerations: polyethylene terephthalate (PET), paper and board, and plastics covered by functional barriers.

Science.gov (United States)

Franz, R

2002-01-01

Stimulated by new ecology-driven European and national regulations, news routes of recycling waste appear on the market. Since food packages represent a large percentage of the plastics consumption and since they have a short lifetime, an important approach consists in making new packages from post-consumer used packages. On the other hand, food-packaging regulations in Europe require that packaging materials must be safe. Therefore, potential mass transfer (migration) of harmful recycling-related substances to the food must be excluded and test methods to ensure the safety-in-use of recycled materials for food packaging are needled. As a consequence of this situation, a European research project FAIR-CT98-4318, with the acronym 'Recyclability', was initiated. The project consists of three sections each focusing on a different class of recycled materials: polyethylene terephthalate (PET), paper and board, and plastics covered by functional barriers. The project consortium consists of 28 project members from 11 EU countries. In addition, the project is during its lifetime in discussion with the US Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) to consider also US FDA regulatory viewpoints and to aim, as a consequence, to harmonizable conclusions and recommendations. The paper introduces the project and presents an overview of the project work progress.

Plasticized poly(lactic acid)-poly(hydroxybutyrate) (PLA-PHB) blends incorporated with catechin intended for active food-packaging applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Arrieta, Marina Patricia; Castro-López, María del Mar; Rayón, Emilio; Barral-Losada, Luis Fernando; López-Vilariño, José Manuel; López, Juan; González-Rodríguez, María Victoria

2014-10-15

Active biobased packaging materials based on poly(lactic acid)-poly(hydroxybutyrate) (PLA-PHB) blends were prepared by melt blending and fully characterized. Catechin incorporation, as antioxidant compound, enhanced the thermal stability, whereas its release was improved by the addition of acetyl(tributyl citrate) (ATBC) as plasticizer. Whereas the incorporation of ATBC resulted in a reduction of elastic modulus and hardness, catechin addition produced more rigid materials due to hydrogen-bonding interactions between catechin hydroxyl groups and carbonyl groups of PLA and PHB. The quantification of catechin released into a fatty food simulant and the antioxidant effectiveness after the release process were demonstrated. The effect of the materials' exposure to a food simulant was also investigated. PHB-added materials maintained their structural and mechanical properties after 10 days in a test medium that represents the worst foreseeable conditions of the intended use. Thus, plasticized PLA-PHB blends with catechin show their potential as biobased active packaging for fatty food.

Food safety involving ingestion of foods and beverages prepared with phthalate-plasticizer-containing clouding agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Yen, Tzung-Hai; Lin-Tan, Dan-Tzu; Lin, Ja-Liang

2011-11-01

In May 2011, the illegal use of the phthalate plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in clouding agents for use in foods and beverages was reported in Taiwan. This food scandal has caused shock and panic among the majority of Taiwanese people and has attracted international attention. Phthalate exposure is assessed by ambient monitoring or human biomonitoring. Ambient monitoring relies on measuring chemicals in environmental media, foodstuff and consumer products. Human biomonitoring determines body burden by measuring the chemicals, their metabolites or specific reaction products in human specimens. In mammalian development, the fetus is set to develop into a female. Because the female phenotype is the default, impairment of testosterone production or action before the late phase may lead to feminizing characteristics. Phthalates disrupt the development of androgen-dependent structures by inhibiting fetal testicular testosterone biosynthesis. The spectrum of effects obtained following perinatal exposure of male rats to phthalates has remarkable similarities with the human testicular dysgenesis syndrome. Epidemiological studies have suggested associations between phthalate exposure and shorter gestational age, shorter anogenital distance, shorter penis, incomplete testicular descent, sex hormone alteration, precocious puberty, pubertal gynecomastia, premature thelarche, rhinitis, eczema, asthma, low birth weight, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, low intelligence quotient, thyroid hormone alteration, and hypospadias in infants and children. Furthermore, many studies have suggested associations between phthalate exposure and increased sperm DNA damage, decreased proportion of sperm with normal morphology, decreased sperm concentration, decreased sperm morphology, sex hormone alteration, decreased pulmonary function, endometriosis, uterine leiomyomas, breast cancer, obesity, hyperprolactinemia, and thyroid hormone alteration in adults. Finally, the number of

Food safety involving ingestion of foods and beverages prepared with phthalate-plasticizer-containing clouding agents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tzung-Hai Yen

2011-11-01

Full Text Available In May 2011, the illegal use of the phthalate plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl phthalate in clouding agents for use in foods and beverages was reported in Taiwan. This food scandal has caused shock and panic among the majority of Taiwanese people and has attracted international attention. Phthalate exposure is assessed by ambient monitoring or human biomonitoring. Ambient monitoring relies on measuring chemicals in environmental media, foodstuff and consumer products. Human biomonitoring determines body burden by measuring the chemicals, their metabolites or specific reaction products in human specimens. In mammalian development, the fetus is set to develop into a female. Because the female phenotype is the default, impairment of testosterone production or action before the late phase may lead to feminizing characteristics. Phthalates disrupt the development of androgen-dependent structures by inhibiting fetal testicular testosterone biosynthesis. The spectrum of effects obtained following perinatal exposure of male rats to phthalates has remarkable similarities with the human testicular dysgenesis syndrome. Epidemiological studies have suggested associations between phthalate exposure and shorter gestational age, shorter anogenital distance, shorter penis, incomplete testicular descent, sex hormone alteration, precocious puberty, pubertal gynecomastia, premature thelarche, rhinitis, eczema, asthma, low birth weight, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, low intelligence quotient, thyroid hormone alteration, and hypospadias in infants and children. Furthermore, many studies have suggested associations between phthalate exposure and increased sperm DNA damage, decreased proportion of sperm with normal morphology, decreased sperm concentration, decreased sperm morphology, sex hormone alteration, decreased pulmonary function, endometriosis, uterine leiomyomas, breast cancer, obesity, hyperprolactinemia, and thyroid hormone alteration in adults

Techno-economic analysis of a food waste valorization process via microalgae cultivation and co-production of plasticizer, lactic acid and animal feed from algal biomass and food waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwan, Tsz Him; Pleissner, Daniel; Lau, Kin Yan; Venus, Joachim; Pommeret, Aude; Lin, Carol Sze Ki

2015-12-01

A techno-economic study of food waste valorization via fungal hydrolysis, microalgae cultivation and production of plasticizer, lactic acid and animal feed was simulated and evaluated by Super-Pro Designer®. A pilot-scale plant was designed with a capacity of 1 metric ton day(-1) of food waste with 20 years lifetime. Two scenarios were proposed with different products: Scenario (I) plasticizer & lactic acid, Scenario (II) plasticizer & animal feed. It was found that only Scenario I was economically feasible. The annual net profits, net present value, payback period and internal rate of return were US$ 422,699, US$ 3,028,000, 7.56 years and 18.98%, respectively. Scenario II was not economic viable due to a deficit of US$ 42,632 per year. Sensitivity analysis showed that the price of lactic acid was the largest determinant of the profitability in Scenario I, while the impact of the variables was very close in Scenario II. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality and safety aspects of reusable plastic food packaging materials : influence of reuse on intrinsic properties

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jetten, J.; Kruijf, N. de

2002-01-01

The aim of the project was to develop a comprehensive package of quality assurance criteria for use by the industry and by regulatory authorities to ensure the quality and safety-in-use (sensory, microbiological and chemical safety) of reused plastics for food packaging. The paper describes the

A study of elemental migration from poly(ethylene terephthalate) of food packagings to simulated solutions by radiometric method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soares, Eufemia Paez; Saki, Mitiko; Silva, Leonardo G.A.

2007-01-01

Brazilian plastic production for food packagings, in recent years, has grown in the same proportion as food consumption. Considering that the plastic manufacturing involves catalytic processes and the use of additives, when the foods are in direct contact with these materials, the components present in plastics may migrate to the food. The Brazilian Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) has established boundary-values of migrants as well as procedures to evaluate migration of elements and substances from plastic packaging to food. In this study elemental composition of poly (ethylene terephthalate) - PET - packaging and results of elemental migration were obtained. Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) was used to determine elemental concentrations in PET packagings and the radiometric method was applied for elemental migration determination. This radiometric method consisted of irradiating the PET samples with neutrons, followed by migration exposition and radioactivity measurement in food-simulated solution. Experimental conditions used for migration were 10 days exposure period at 40 deg C. Migration was evaluated for soft drink, juice and water PET packaging. The analytical results indicated that PET packagings contain Co and Sb and those elements are transferred to the simulated solutions. However, these migration results were lower than the maximum tolerance values established by ANVISA. The migration detection limits also indicated high sensitivity of the radiometric method. (author)

Contact conditions in skin-pass rolling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kijima, Hideo; Bay, Niels

2007-01-01

The special contact conditions in skin-pass rolling of steel strip is analysed by studying plane strain upsetting of thin sheet with low reduction applying long narrow tools and dry friction conditions. An extended sticking region is estimated by an elasto-plastic FEM analysis of the plane strain...... upsetting. This sticking region causes a highly inhomogeneous elasto-plastic deformation with large influence of work-hardening and friction. A numerical analysis of skin-pass rolling shows the same contact conditions, i.e. an extended sticking region around the center of the contact zone. The calculated...... size of the sticking region with varying contact length and pressure/reduction is experimentally verified by plane strain upsetting tests measuring the local surface deformation of the work pieces after unloading....

[Interlaboratory Study on Evaporation Residue Test for Food Contact Products (Report 2)].

Science.gov (United States)

Ohno, Hiroyuki; Mutsuga, Motoh; Abe, Tomoyuki; Abe, Yutaka; Amano, Homare; Ishihara, Kinuyo; Ohsaka, Ikue; Ohno, Haruka; Ohno, Yuichiro; Ozaki, Asako; Kakihara, Yoshiteru; Kobayashi, Hisashi; Sakuragi, Hiroshi; Shibata, Hiroshi; Shirono, Katsuhiro; Sekido, Haruko; Takasaka, Noriko; Takenaka, Yu; Tajima, Yoshiyasu; Tanaka, Aoi; Tanaka, Hideyuki; Nakanishi, Toru; Nomura, Chie; Haneishi, Nahoko; Hayakawa, Masato; Miura, Toshihiko; Yamaguchi, Miku; Yamada, Kyohei; Watanabe, Kazunari; Sato, Kyoko

2018-01-01

An interlaboratory study was performed to evaluate the equivalence between an official method and a modified method of evaporation residue test using heptane as a food-simulating solvent for oily or fatty foods, based on the Japanese Food Sanitation Law for food contact products. Twenty-three laboratories participated, and tested the evaporation residues of nine test solutions as blind duplicates. In the official method, heating for evaporation was done with a water bath. In the modified method, a hot plate was used for evaporation, and/or a vacuum concentration procedure was skipped. In most laboratories, the test solutions were heated until just prior to dryness, and then allowed to dry under residual heat. Statistical analysis revealed that there was no significant difference between the two methods. Accordingly, the modified method provides performance equal to the official method, and is available as an alternative method. Furthermore, an interlaboratory study was performed to evaluate and compare two leaching solutions (95% ethanol and isooctane) used as food-simulating solvents for oily or fatty foods in the EU. The results demonstrated that there was no significant difference between heptane and these two leaching solutions.

Plastic, Fantastic? What We Make. Science and Technology Education in Philippine Society.

Science.gov (United States)

Philippines Univ., Quezon City. Inst. for Science and Mathematics Education Development.

This module provides information about plastics, focusing on the uses of plastic bags in particular. Topic areas considered include: (1) making plastic bags; (2) transparency of plastic bags; (3) plastic bags and food odors; (4) food containers (before and since plastics); and (5) disposing of plastic bags and other plastic products. The text is…

Elasto-plastic contact problems with heat exchange

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Krejčí, Pavel; Petrov, A.

2015-01-01

Roč. 22, April (2015), s. 551-567 ISSN 1468-1218 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP201/10/2315 Institutional support: RVO:67985840 Keywords : elasto-plasticity * heat equation * hysteresis operators Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 2.238, year: 2015 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1468121814001278

An overview of chemical additives present in plastics: Migration, release, fate and environmental impact during their use, disposal and recycling.

Science.gov (United States)

Hahladakis, John N; Velis, Costas A; Weber, Roland; Iacovidou, Eleni; Purnell, Phil

2018-02-15

Over the last 60 years plastics production has increased manifold, owing to their inexpensive, multipurpose, durable and lightweight nature. These characteristics have raised the demand for plastic materials that will continue to grow over the coming years. However, with increased plastic materials production, comes increased plastic material wastage creating a number of challenges, as well as opportunities to the waste management industry. The present overview highlights the waste management and pollution challenges, emphasising on the various chemical substances (known as "additives") contained in all plastic products for enhancing polymer properties and prolonging their life. Despite how useful these additives are in the functionality of polymer products, their potential to contaminate soil, air, water and food is widely documented in literature and described herein. These additives can potentially migrate and undesirably lead to human exposure via e.g. food contact materials, such as packaging. They can, also, be released from plastics during the various recycling and recovery processes and from the products produced from recyclates. Thus, sound recycling has to be performed in such a way as to ensure that emission of substances of high concern and contamination of recycled products is avoided, ensuring environmental and human health protection, at all times. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Occupationally related contact dermatitis in North American food service workers referred for patch testing, 1994 to 2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Warshaw, Erin M; Kwon, Gina P; Mathias, C G Toby; Maibach, Howard I; Fowler, Joseph F; Belsito, Donald V; Sasseville, Denis; Zug, Kathryn A; Taylor, James S; Fransway, Anthony F; Deleo, Vincent A; Marks, James G; Pratt, Melanie D; Storrs, Frances J; Zirwas, Matthew J; Dekoven, Joel G

2013-01-01

Contact dermatoses are common in food service workers (FSWs). This study aims to (1) determine the prevalence of occupationally related contact dermatitis among FSWs patch tested by the North American Contact Dermatitis Group (NACDG) and (2) characterize responsible allergens and irritants as well as sources. Cross-sectional analysis of patients patch tested by the NACDG, 1994 to 2010, was conducted. Of 35,872 patients patch tested, 1237 (3.4%) were FSWs. Occupationally related skin disease was significantly more common in FSWs when compared with employed non-FSWs. Food service workers were significantly more likely to have hand (P contact dermatitis in FSWs were 30.6% and 54.7%, respectively. Although the final diagnosis of irritant contact dermatitis was statistically higher in FSWs as compared with non-FSWs, allergic contact dermatitis was lower in FSWs as compared with non-FSWs. The most frequent currently relevant and occupationally related allergens were thiuram mix (32.5%) and carba mix (28.9%). Gloves were the most common source of responsible allergens. The NACDG standard tray missed at least 1 occupationally related allergen in 38 patients (4.3%). Among FSWs patch tested by the NACDG between 1994 and 2010, the most common allergens were thiuram mix and carba mix. Gloves were the most common source of responsible allergens.

The Effect of Gamma Irradiation on Yellowness Index (Y I) and Mechanical Properties in Plastic Food Packaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanhindarto, Rindy P.; I, Dian

2002-01-01

An experiment has been done for measuring the yellowness index (Yi) and mechanical properties at food packaging material was caused by gamma irradiation. The samples were obtained from the manufacture. There were three of samples with types of poly acrylonitrile copolymer, PVdC laminated biaxially oriented polypropylene and poly vinyl chloride films. Samples were irradiated at ambient temperature by gamma rays with the doses of 0 up to 100 kGy. Yellowness Index (Yi) of sample was carried out by using chromameter Hunter Lab system. while mechanical properties measuring by stragraph. The purpose of the present experiment was the yellowness index (Yi) and mechanical properties of food packaging material after and before the irradiation. The effects of I year storage on irradiated and unirradiated samples were also investigated. The results showed that best of three samples of plastic food packaging was poly acrylonitrile copolymer film because the Yellowness Index (Yi) and mechanical properties of poly acrylonitrile copolymer did not give any measurable change on the plastic treated by irradiation up to 100 kGy. Storage for 1 year gave some measurable changes of e Yellowness Index (Yi) and mechanical properties on all the samples examined

Quality and safety aspects of reusable plastic food packaging materials : a European study to underpin future legislation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jetten, J.; Kruijf, N. de; Castle, L.

1999-01-01

The objective of this study was to develop a comprehensive package of quality assurance criteria for use by industry and regulatory authorities for ensuring the quality and safety-in-use (sensory, microbiological and chemical) of reused plastics for food packaging. The study included thermal

Sex-specific developmental plasticity of generalist and specialist predatory mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) in response to food stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Walzer, Andreas; Schausberger, Peter

2011-03-01

We studied developmental plasticity under food stress in three female-biased size dimorphic predatory mite species, Phytoseiulus persimilis, Neoseiulus californicus, and Amblyseius andersoni. All three species prey on two-spotted spider mites but differ in the degree of adaptation to this prey. Phytoseiulus persimilis is a specialized spider mite predator, N. californicus is a generalist with a preference for spider mites, and A. andersoni is a broad generalist. Immature predators were offered prey patches of varying density and their survival chances, dispersal tendencies, age and size at maturity measured. Amblyseius andersoni dispersed earlier from and had lower survival chances in low density prey patches than N. californicus and P. persimilis. Age at maturity was not affected by prey density in the generalist A. andersoni, whereas both the specialist P. persimilis and the generalist N. californicus accelerated development at low prey densities. Species-specific plasticity in age at maturity reflects opposite survival strategies when confronted with limited prey: to prematurely leave and search for other food (A. andersoni) or to stay and accelerate development (P. persimilis, N. californicus). In all species, size at maturity was more plastic in females than males, indicating that males incur higher fitness costs from deviations from optimal body size.

[Interlaboratory Study on Evaporation Residue Test for Food Contact Products (Report 1)].

Science.gov (United States)

Ohno, Hiroyuki; Mutsuga, Motoh; Abe, Tomoyuki; Abe, Yutaka; Amano, Homare; Ishihara, Kinuyo; Ohsaka, Ikue; Ohno, Haruka; Ohno, Yuichiro; Ozaki, Asako; Kakihara, Yoshiteru; Kobayashi, Hisashi; Sakuragi, Hiroshi; Shibata, Hiroshi; Shirono, Katsuhiro; Sekido, Haruko; Takasaka, Noriko; Takenaka, Yu; Tajima, Yoshiyasu; Tanaka, Aoi; Tanaka, Hideyuki; Tonooka, Hiroyuki; Nakanishi, Toru; Nomura, Chie; Haneishi, Nahoko; Hayakawa, Masato; Miura, Toshihiko; Yamaguchi, Miku; Watanabe, Kazunari; Sato, Kyoko

2018-01-01

An interlaboratory study was performed to evaluate the equivalence between an official method and a modified method of evaporation residue test using three food-simulating solvents (water, 4% acetic acid and 20% ethanol), based on the Japanese Food Sanitation Law for food contact products. Twenty-three laboratories participated, and tested the evaporation residues of nine test solutions as blind duplicates. For evaporation, a water bath was used in the official method, and a hot plate in the modified method. In most laboratories, the test solutions were heated until just prior to evaporation to dryness, and then allowed to dry under residual heat. Statistical analysis revealed that there was no significant difference between the two methods, regardless of the heating equipment used. Accordingly, the modified method provides performance equal to the official method, and is available as an alternative method.

Control of Listeria innocua Biofilms on Food Contact Surfaces with Slightly Acidic Electrolyzed Water and the Risk of Biofilm Cells Transfer to Duck Meat.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeon, Hye Ri; Kwon, Mi Jin; Yoon, Ki Sun

2018-04-01

Biofilm formation on food contact surfaces is a potential hazard leading to cross-contamination during food processing. We investigated Listeria innocua biofilm formation on various food contact surfaces and compared the washing effect of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) at 30, 50, 70, and 120 ppm with that of 200 ppm of sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) on biofilm cells. The risk of L. innocua biofilm transfer and growth on food at retail markets was also investigated. The viability of biofilms that formed on food contact surfaces and then transferred cells to duck meat was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy. L. innocua biofilm formation was greatest on rubber, followed by polypropylene, glass, and stainless steel. Regardless of sanitizer type, washing removed biofilms from polypropylene and stainless steel better than from rubber and glass. Among the various SAEW concentrations, washing with 70 ppm of SAEW for 5 min significantly reduced L. innocua biofilms on food contact surfaces during food processing. Efficiency of transfer of L. innocua biofilm cells was the highest on polypropylene and lowest on stainless steel. The transferred biofilm cells grew to the maximum population density, and the lag time of transferred biofilm cells was longer than that of planktonic cells. The biofilm cells that transferred to duck meat coexisted with live, injured, and dead cells, which indicates that effective washing is essential to remove biofilm on food contact surfaces during food processing to reduce the risk of foodborne disease outbreaks.

Inactivation of avirulent Yersinia pestis on food and food contact surfaces by ultraviolet light and freezing.

Science.gov (United States)

Sommers, Christopher H; Sheen, Shiowshuh

2015-09-01

Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, can occasionally be contracted as a naso-pharyngeal or gastrointestinal illness through consumption of contaminated meat. In this study, the use of 254 nm ultraviolet light (UV-C) to inactivate a multi-isolate cocktail of avirulent Y. pestis on food and food contact surfaces was investigated. When a commercial UV-C conveyor was used (5 mW/cm(2)/s) 0.5 J/cm(2) inactivated >7 log of the Y. pestis cocktail on agar plates. At 0.5 J/cm(2), UV-C inactivated ca. 4 log of Y. pestis in beef, chicken, and catfish, exudates inoculated onto high density polypropylene or polyethylene, and stainless steel coupons, and >6 log was eliminated at 1 J/cm(2). Approximately 1 log was inactivated on chicken breast, beef steak, and catfish fillet surfaces at a UV-C dose of 1 J/cm(2). UV-C treatment prior to freezing of the foods did not increase the inactivation of Y. pestis over freezing alone. These results indicate that routine use of UV-C during food processing would provide workers and consumers some protection against Y. pestis. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

21 CFR 170.103 - Withdrawal without prejudice of a premarket notification for a food contact substance (FCN).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Withdrawal without prejudice of a premarket... ADDITIVES Premarket Notifications § 170.103 Withdrawal without prejudice of a premarket notification for a food contact substance (FCN). A manufacturer or supplier may withdraw an FCN without prejudice to a...

Independent components analysis coupled with 3D-front-face fluorescence spectroscopy to study the interaction between plastic food packaging and olive oil.

Science.gov (United States)

Kassouf, Amine; El Rakwe, Maria; Chebib, Hanna; Ducruet, Violette; Rutledge, Douglas N; Maalouly, Jacqueline

2014-08-11

Olive oil is one of the most valued sources of fats in the Mediterranean diet. Its storage was generally done using glass or metallic packaging materials. Nowadays, plastic packaging has gained worldwide spread for the storage of olive oil. However, plastics are not inert and interaction phenomena may occur between packaging materials and olive oil. In this study, extra virgin olive oil samples were submitted to accelerated interaction conditions, in contact with polypropylene (PP) and polylactide (PLA) plastic packaging materials. 3D-front-face fluorescence spectroscopy, being a simple, fast and non destructive analytical technique, was used to study this interaction. Independent components analysis (ICA) was used to analyze raw 3D-front-face fluorescence spectra of olive oil. ICA was able to highlight a probable effect of a migration of substances with antioxidant activity. The signals extracted by ICA corresponded to natural olive oil fluorophores (tocopherols and polyphenols) as well as newly formed ones which were tentatively identified as fluorescent oxidation products. Based on the extracted fluorescent signals, olive oil in contact with plastics had slower aging rates in comparison with reference oils. Peroxide and free acidity values validated the results obtained by ICA, related to olive oil oxidation rates. Sorbed olive oil in plastic was also quantified given that this sorption could induce a swelling of the polymer thus promoting migration. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microbial counts of food contact surfaces at schools depending on a feeding scheme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nthabiseng Nhlapo

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The prominence of disease transmission between individuals in confined environments is a concern, particularly in the educational environment. With respect to school feeding schemes, food contact surfaces have been shown to be potential vehicles of foodborne pathogens. The aim of this study was to assess the cleanliness of the surfaces that come into contact with food that is provided to children through the National School Nutrition Programme in central South Africa. In each school under study, microbiological samples were collected from the preparation surface and the dominant hand and apron of the food handler. The samples were analysed for total viable counts, coliforms, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and yeasts and moulds. The criteria specified in the British Columbia Guide for Environmental Health Officers were used to evaluate the results. Total viable counts were high for all surfaces, with the majority of colonies being too numerous to count (over 100 colonies per plate. Counts of organisms were relatively low, with 20% of the surfaces producing unsatisfactory enumeration of S. aureus and E. coli and 30% unsatisfactory for coliforms. Yeast and mould produced 50% and 60% unsatisfactory counts from preparation surfaces and aprons, respectively. Statistically significant differences could not be established amongst microbial counts of the surfaces, which suggests cross-contamination may have occurred. Contamination may be attributed to foodstuffs and animals in the vicinity of the preparation area rather than to the food handlers, because hands had the lowest counts of enumerated organisms amongst the analysed surfaces.

An effect-directed strategy for characterizing emerging chemicals in food contact materials made from paper and board

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosenmai, Anna Kjerstine; Bengtström, Linda; Taxvig, Camilla

2017-01-01

Food contact materials (FCM) are any type of item intended to come into contact with foods and thus represent a potential source for human exposure to chemicals. Regarding FCMs made of paper and board, information pertaining to their chemical constituents and the potential impacts on human health...... FCMs exhibited activities in at least one assay. As proof-of-principle, FCM samples obtained from a sandwich wrapper and a pizza box were carried through a complete step-by-step multi-tiered approach. The pizza box exhibited ER activity, likely caused by the presence of bisphenol A, dibutyl phthalate......, and benzylbutyl phthalate. The sandwich wrapper exhibited AR antagonism, likely caused by abietic acid and dehydroabietic acid. Migration studies confirmed that the active chemicals can transfer from FCMs to food simulants. In conclusion, we report an effect-directed strategy that can identify hazards posed...

Plastic dosimeter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagai, Shiro; Matsuda, Kohji.

1988-01-01

The report outlines major features and applications of plastic dosimeters. Some plastic dosimeters, including the CTA and PVC types, detect the response of the plastic material itself to radiations while others, such as pigment-added plastic dosimeters, contain additives as radiation detecting material. Most of these dosimeters make use of color centers produced in the dosimeter by radiations. The PMMA dosimeter is widely used in the field of radiation sterilization of food, feed and medical apparatus. The blue cellophane dosimeter is easy to handle if calibrated appropriately. The rad-color dosimeter serves to determine whether products have been irradiated appropriately. The CTA dosimeter has better damp proofing properties than the blue cellophane type. The pigment-added plastic dosimeter consists of a resin such as nylon, CTA or PVC that contains a dye. Some other plastic dosimeters are also described briefly. Though having many advantages, these plastic dosimeter have disadvantages as well. Some of their major disadvantages, including fading as well as large dependence on dose, temperature, humidity and anviroment, are discussed. (Nogami, K.)

Electrochemical corrosion of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic-metal electrode couples in corrosion media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chukalovskaya, T.V.; Shcherbakov, A.I.; Chigirinskaya, L.A.; Bandurkin, V.V.; Medova, I.L.; Chukalovskij, P.A.

1995-01-01

Polarization diagrams, obtained for carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic(cathode)-metallic material(anode) contact couples are analyzed to predict the corrosion behaviour of some technical metals and alloys (carbon steel, stainless steels, brass, aluminium, titanium) in contact with carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic in differen agressive media (H 2 SO 4 , HCl, H 3 PO 4 , NaOH solutions in wide temperature and concentration range, synthetic seawater at 30 and 50 deg C). The predicted behaviour was supported by direct investigation into carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic-titanium and carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic-aluminium contact couples at different square ratios. 6 refs.; 4 figs

Developmental plasticity of growth and digestive efficiency in dependence of early-life food availability

Science.gov (United States)

Kotrschal, Alexander; Szidat, Sönke; Taborsky, Barbara

2014-01-01

Nutrition is a potent mediator of developmental plasticity. If food is scarce, developing organisms may invest into growth to outgrow size-dependent mortality (short-term benefit) and/or into an efficient digestion system (long-term benefit). We investigated this potential trade-off, by determining the influence of food availability on juvenile body and organ growth, and on adult digestive efficiency in the cichlid fish Simochromis pleurospilus. We reared two groups of fish at constant high or low food rations, and we switched four other groups between these two rations at an early and late juvenile period. We measured juvenile growth and organ sizes at different developmental stages and determined adult digestive efficiency. Fish kept at constant, high rations grew considerably faster than low-food fish. Nevertheless, S. pleurospilus partly buffered the negative effects of low food availability by developing heavier digestive organs, and they were therefore more efficient in digesting their food as adults. Results of fish exposed to a ration switch during either the early or late juvenile period suggest (i) that the ability to show compensatory growth after early exposure to low food availability persists during the juvenile period, (ii) that digestive efficiency is influenced by varying juvenile food availability during the late juvenile phase and (iii) that the efficiency of the adult digestive system is correlated with the growth rate during a narrow time window of juvenile period. PMID:25866430

[News on occupational contact dermatitis].

Science.gov (United States)

Crépy, Marie-Noëlle; Bensefa-Colas, Lynda

2014-03-01

Contact dermatitis--irritant contact dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis and protein contact dermatitis--are the most common occupational skin diseases, most often localized to the hands. Contact urticaria is rarer The main occupational irritants are wet work, detergents and disinfectants, cutting oils, and solvents. The main occupational allergens are rubber additives, metals (chromium, nickel, cobalt), plastics (epoxy resins, acrylic), biocides and plants. Diagnosis is based on clinical examination, medical history and allergy testing. For a number of irritating or sensitizing agents, irritant or allergic dermatitis can be notified as occupational diseases. The two main prevention measures are reducing skin contact with irritants and complete avoidance of skin contact with offending allergens.

Comparative exposure to DEHP from food contact materials: application of the product intake fraction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ernstoff, Alexi; Jolliet, Olivier; Fantke, Peter

Quantitative Sustainability Assessment Food contact materials (FCM), e.g. bottles and food handling gloves, can contain potentially endocrine disrupting chemicals, such as di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate(DEHP, CAS: 117-81-7). To investigate the contribution of FCM to dietary DEHP exposure we apply...... thresholds. A hypothetical average PiF for the FCM sector was calculated via production volume and oral exposure doses estimated from NHANES data. In both cases the indication was gloves may contribute more to DEHP exposure when used with certain food items than bottled water. DEHP content in gloves greater...... than 5% would cause exceedance of US EPA threshold when used with certain food items,e.g. radishes based on PiF calculated here. The PiF used in thís context has applications for regulations related to FCM and exposure assessments on a per unit kilo basis....

21 CFR 872.5470 - Orthodontic plastic bracket.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Orthodontic plastic bracket. 872.5470 Section 872...) MEDICAL DEVICES DENTAL DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 872.5470 Orthodontic plastic bracket. (a) Identification. An orthodontic plastic bracket is a plastic device intended to be bonded to a tooth to apply...

[Influence of impurities on waste plastics pyrolysis: products and emissions].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Lei; Wang, Zhong-Hui; Chen, De-Zhen; Ma, Xiao-Bo; Luan, Jian

2012-01-01

The study is aimed to evaluate the impact of impurities like food waste, paper, textile and especially soil on the pyrolysis of waste plastics. For this purpose, emissions, gas and liquid products from pyrolysis of waste plastics and impurities were studied, as well as the transfer of element N, Cl, S from the substrates to the pyrolysis products. It was found that the presence of food waste would reduce the heat value of pyrolysis oil to 27 MJ/kg and increase the moisture in the liquid products, therefore the food residue should be removed from waste plastics; and the soil, enhance the waste plastics' pyrolysis by improving the quality of gas and oil products. The presence of food residue, textile and paper leaded to higher gas emissions.

Field evidence for transfer of plastic debris along a terrestrial food chain.

Science.gov (United States)

Huerta Lwanga, Esperanza; Mendoza Vega, Jorge; Ku Quej, Victor; Chi, Jesus de Los Angeles; Sanchez Del Cid, Lucero; Chi, Cesar; Escalona Segura, Griselda; Gertsen, Henny; Salánki, Tamás; van der Ploeg, Martine; Koelmans, Albert A; Geissen, Violette

2017-10-26

Although plastic pollution happens globally, the micro- (plastic to terrestrial species relevant to human consumption has not been examined. We provide first-time evidence for micro- and macroplastic transfer from soil to chickens in traditional Mayan home gardens in Southeast Mexico where waste mismanagement is common. We assessed micro- and macroplastic in soil, earthworm casts, chicken feces, crops and gizzards (used for human consumption). Microplastic concentrations increased from soil (0.87 ± 1.9 particles g -1 ), to earthworm casts (14.8 ± 28.8 particles g -1 ), to chicken feces (129.8 ± 82.3 particles g -1 ). Chicken gizzards contained 10.2 ± 13.8 microplastic particles, while no microplastic was found in crops. An average of 45.82 ± 42.6 macroplastic particles were found per gizzard and 11 ± 15.3 macroplastic particles per crop, with 1-10 mm particles being significantly more abundant per gizzard (31.8 ± 27.27 particles) compared to the crop (1 ± 2.2 particles). The data show that micro- and macroplastic are capable of entering terrestrial food webs.

Commonly used disinfectants fail to eradicate Salmonella enterica biofilms from food contact surface materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Corcoran, M; Morris, D; De Lappe, N; O'Connor, J; Lalor, P; Dockery, P; Cormican, M

2014-02-01

Salmonellosis is the second most common cause of food-borne illness worldwide. Contamination of surfaces in food processing environments may result in biofilm formation with a risk of food contamination. Effective decontamination of biofilm-contaminated surfaces is challenging. Using the CDC biofilm reactor, the activities of sodium hypochlorite, sodium hydroxide, and benzalkonium chloride were examined against an early (48-h) and relatively mature (168-h) Salmonella biofilm. All 3 agents result in reduction in viable counts of Salmonella; however, only sodium hydroxide resulted in eradication of the early biofilm. None of the agents achieved eradication of mature biofilm, even at the 90-min contact time. Studies of activity of chemical disinfection against biofilm should include assessment of activity against mature biofilm. The difficulty of eradication of established Salmonella biofilm serves to emphasize the priority of preventing access of Salmonella to postcook areas of food production facilities.

Pizza makers' contact dermatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lembo, Serena; Lembo, Claudio; Patruno, Cataldo; Balato, Anna; Balato, Nicola; Ayala, Fabio

2014-01-01

Contact eczema to foods, spices, and food additives can occur in occupational and nonoccupational settings in those who grow, handle, prepare, or cook food. Pizza is one of the most eaten foods in every continent, and pizza making is a common work in many countries. We aimed to evaluate the occurrence and the causes of contact dermatitis in pizza makers in Naples. We performed an observational study in 45 pizza makers: all the enrolled subjects had to answer a questionnaire designed to detect personal history of respiratory or cutaneous allergy, atopy; work characteristics and timing were also investigated. Every subject attended the dermatology clinic for a complete skin examination, and when needed, patients were patch tested using the Italian baseline series of haptens integrated with an arbitrary pizza makers series. Our results reported that 13.3% of the enrolled pizza makers (6/45) presented hand eczema, and that 8.9% (4/45) were affected by occupational allergic contact dermatitis. Diallyl disulfide and ammonium persulfate were the responsible substances. Performing patch tests in pizza makers and food handlers affected by hand contact dermatitis is useful. We propose a specific series of haptens for this wide working category.

Migration of dioctyladipate plasticizer from food-grade PVC film into chicken meat products: effect of gamma-radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goulas, A.E.; Kontominas, M.G.

1996-01-01

Food-grade PVC film containing 28.3% dioctyladipate (DOA) plasticizer was used to wrap chicken meat samples, with and without skin, contained in a polystyrene tray. Samples were then irradiated with gamma-radiation [60Co] at doses equal to 4 kGy and 9 kGy corresponding to ''cold pasteurization''. Irraddiation was carried out at 8-10 degrees C and samples were subsequently stored at 4-5 degrees C. Contaminated chicken meat samples were analysed for DOA at intervals between 7 h and 240 h of contact, using an indirect GC method. Identical non-irradiated (control) samples were also analysed for their DOA content. Results showed no statistically significant differences in migrated amounts of DOA between irradiated and non-irradiated samples. Neither were differences observed between samples irradiated at 4 kGy and 9 kGy. This was supported by identical IR spectra recorded for irradiated and non-irradiated samples and leads to the conclusion that, at such intermediate radiation doses ( < or = kGy), the migration characteristics of PVC film are not affected. DOA migration was found to be time dependent, approaching equilibrium after approximately 170 h for the chicken flesh plus skin samples and 120 h for the chicken flesh samples. The amount of DOA migrated into chicken flesh plus skin samples was significantly greater (3.2-22.3 mg/dm2) than that for chicken flesh samples (0.9-8.9 mg/dm2). After 240 h of sample/film contact under refrigeration, loss of DOA was approximately 35.6% for chicken flesh plus skin samples and 14.3% for chicken flesh samples. Sample spoilage, as demonstrated by off-odour development, occurred after approximately 120 h of refrigerated storage. Diffusion coefficients for DOA were calculated and were found to be lower for chicken flesh (1 x 10(-13) than for flesh plus skin (4.4 x 10(-13)) samples

Technological challenges of addressing new and more complex migrating products from novel food packaging materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Munro, Ian C; Haighton, Lois A; Lynch, Barry S; Tafazoli, Shahrzad

2009-12-01

The risk assessment of migration products resulting from packaging material has and continues to pose a difficult challenge. In most jurisdictions, there are regulatory requirements for the approval or notification of food contact substances that will be used in packaging. These processes generally require risk assessment to ensure safety concerns are addressed. The science of assessing food contact materials was instrumental in the development of the concept of Threshold of Regulation and the Threshold of Toxicological Concern procedures. While the risk assessment process is in place, the technology of food packaging continues to evolve to include new initiatives, such as the inclusion of antimicrobial substances or enzyme systems to prevent spoilage, use of plastic packaging intended to remain on foods as they are being cooked, to the introduction of more rigid, stable and reusable materials, and active packaging to extend the shelf-life of food. Each new technology brings with it the potential for exposure to new and possibly novel substances as a result of migration, interaction with other chemical packaging components, or, in the case of plastics now used in direct cooking of products, degradation products formed during heating. Furthermore, the presence of trace levels of certain chemicals from packaging that were once accepted as being of low risk based on traditional toxicology studies are being challenged on the basis of reports of adverse effects, particularly with respect to endocrine disruption, alleged to occur at very low doses. A recent example is the case of bisphenol A. The way forward to assess new packaging technologies and reports of very low dose effects in non-standard studies of food contact substances is likely to remain controversial. However, the risk assessment paradigm is sufficiently robust and flexible to be adapted to meet these challenges. The use of the Threshold of Regulation and the Threshold of Toxicological Concern concepts may

Cumulative risk assessment for plasticizer-contaminated food using the hazard index approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, J.W.; Yan, B.R.; Chang, M.H.; Tseng, S.H.; Kao, Y.M.; Chen, J.C.; Lee, C.C.

2014-01-01

Phthalates strongly and adversely affect reproduction, development and liver function. We did a cumulative risk assessment for simultaneous exposure to nine phthalates using the hazard index (HI) and the levels of nine phthalates in 1200 foodstuff samples. DEHP (di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate) present the highest level (mean: 0.443 mg/kg) in 1200 samples, and the highest average daily dose (ADD) was found in DEHP, ΣDBP (i + n) (the sum of dibutyl phthalate [DBP] isomers [DnBP + DiBP]) posed the highest risk potential of all the phthalates. In seven phthalates, the 95th percentiles of the ADDs for ΣDBP (i + n) in 0–6-yr-old children accounted for 91% (79–107%) of the tolerable daily intake, and the 95th percentiles of the HIs for the anti-androgenic effects of five phthalates in 0–3-yr-old children and 4–6-yr-old girls were >1. We conclude that the health of younger Taiwanese may be adversely affected by overexposure of phthalate-contaminated foods. - Graphical abstract: In seven phthalates, the 95th percentile of the average daily dose (ADD) for ΣDBP (i + n) (the sum of dibutyl phthalate [DBP] isomers [DnBP + DiBP]) in 0–3-yr-old male (0–3 M) and female (0–3 F) children accounted for 97% and 84% of TDIs, respectively. For 4–6-yr-old and 7–12-yr-old males and 7–12-yr-old females, ADDs for ΣDBP (i + n) accounted for 79%, 72%, and 65% of TDIs, respectively. - Highlights: • A cumulative risk assessment of PAEs was used in a severe plasticizer-contaminated food episode. • ΣDBP (i + n) posed the highest risk potential of all the dietary phthalates. • Females 4–6 yr old had the highest risk for anti-androgenic effects. • Beverages, milk and dairy products were the major contributors to average daily dose of phthalate esters. - The health of young Taiwanese may be adversely affected by overexposure of plasticizer-contaminated food

Phthalates and alternative plasticizers and potential for contact exposure from children's backpacks and toys.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Mingjie; Wu, Yaoxing; Little, John C; Marr, Linsey C

2016-01-01

This work focuses on the mass content of plasticizers in children's backpacks and toys, and their mass transfer from product surfaces to cotton wipes. The mass content of plasticizers in six backpacks and seven toys was measured by extracting them in tetrahydrofuran. Bis(2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate (DEHT) was the most common plasticizer, dominating the composition of plasticizers in four backpacks (average mass content in product polyvinyl chloride, 5.38 ± 1.98%-25.5 ± 3.54%) and six plastic toys (8.17 ± 1.85%-21.2 ± 1.11%). The surface of each product was wiped with three dry and three wet (by isopropanol) cotton wipes, so as to evaluate the mass transfer of plasticizers to clothing and human skin, respectively. DEHT was the most common plasticizer detected on wipe samples. There were strong correlations (backpacks r=0.90; plastic toys r=0.96) between average mass transfer of DEHT to wet wipes and its average mass content in the product. The mass transfers of the five dominant plasticizers in one backpack to both dry and wet wipes were also correlated (both r=1.00) with their mass contents. These results suggest that the mass transfer of plasticizers from products to clothing or human skin is strongly associated with their mass content.

Obesogenic diet intake during pregnancy programs aberrant synaptic plasticity and addiction-like behavior to a palatable food in offspring.

Science.gov (United States)

Camacho, Alberto; Montalvo-Martinez, Larisa; Cardenas-Perez, Robbi E; Fuentes-Mera, Lizeth; Garza-Ocañas, Lourdes

2017-07-14

Contextual food conditioned behaviors require plasticity of glutamatergic neurotransmission in the reward system, involving changes in the expression of including a-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole 4-propionate receptors (AMPA), N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) and metabotropic glutamate 2,3 (mGlur 2,3). However, the role of changes in glutamatergic synaptic markers on energy-dense palatable food preference during development has not been described. Here, we determine the effect of nutritional programing during gestation on fat food choices using a conditioned place preference (CPP) test and an operant training response and its effect on glutamatergic markers in the nucleus accumbens (Nac) shell and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Our data showed that rats displayed preference for palatable fat food and an increase in caloric intake when compared to a chow diet. Notably, 74% of rats showing a preference for fat food intake correlate with a positive HFD-paired score whereas 26% failed to get HFD-conditioned. Also, male rats trained under an operant training response schedule (FR1, FR5 and PR) showed high and low responder groups to work for food. Notably, hypercaloric nutritional programing of female rats leads to exacerbation for reinforcers in female offspring compared to offspring from chow diet. Finally, we found that an operant training response to palatable reinforcers correlates with upregulation of mGlur 2,3 in the NAc shell and PFC of male rats and female offspring. Also, we found selective Nr1 upregulation in NAc shell and the PFC of female offspring. Our data suggest that nutritional programing by hypercaloric intake leads to incentive motivation to work for food and synaptic plasticity alteration in the mesolimbic system. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigation of the primary plasticisers present in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products currently authorised as food contact materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlos, Katherine S; de Jager, Lowri S; Begley, Timothy H

2018-03-15

PVC is a common food contact material that is usually plasticised to increase its flexibility. Phthalates are one class of chemical compounds that are often used as plasticisers in PVC in a wide range of industries. They may be used in packaging materials for foods and can also be found in components of certain food processing equipment such as conveyor belts and tubing. Transfer of plasticisers from packaging to foods can occur. In recent years, there has been increased interest in understanding the health effects of phthalates, as well as the possible human exposure levels. However, there is limited information available about the routes of exposure to phthalates. In July 2014, the Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel (CHAP) produced a report for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission detailing the potential health hazards of phthalates and phthalate alternatives. This report listed diet as one factor contributing greater than or equal to 10% of total phthalate exposure. As a result of this report, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is interested in determining the types of the primary plasticiser present in food packaging and processing materials as well as their concentrations. An investigation was conducted of 56 different samples of PVC food packaging and food processing materials available in the US market using a solvent extraction and GC-MS analysis. Nine different plasticisers including three phthalates, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, diisononyl phthalate and diisodecyl phthalate, were identified in the products tested. The plasticiser concentrations ranged from 1 to 53% depending on the types of food contact materials and the type of plasticiser. Overall, it appears that manufacturers are switching away from phthalates as their primary plasticiser to alternate compounds such as ESBO, ATBC, DEHT, DINCH, DEHA and DINA.

Microbial survival on food contact surfaces in the context of food hygiene regulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stuart-Moonlight, Belinda Isobel

2001-01-01

Bacterial food poisoning causes substantial suffering and financial loss worldwide. One way organisms enter foods is via cross contamination directly or indirectly from structural and food contact surfaces. An 'in situ' method was developed for the detection of surviving bacteria on surfaces. Samples of test surfaces were overlaid with agar and after incubation, colonies were visualised by reaction with nitroblue tetrazolium, which was reduced to a purple insoluble dye. It was shown that the death of bacteria applied as liquid films to surfaces, occurred largely at the point of drying. For impervious surfaces (ceramic, stainless steel, glass and polystyrene), surface type had little effect on survival. In contrast, survival was markedly affected by the nature of the suspension fluid in which cells were dried. In deionised water, survival was low and for Gram negative organisms was strongly influenced by cell density. Where cells were dried in simulated food films (containing brain heart infusion, NaCI, serum or sucrose), survival values increased with increasing concentrations and approached 100% for Staphylococcus aureus cells suspended in 10% w/v sucrose. The survival of Gram positive organisms on impervious surfaces was generally greater than for Gram negative organisms and consistent with this observation, scanning electron microscopy indicated that Gram negative cells collapsed during drying. On wood surfaces, survival was generally similar to or higher than on impervious surfaces. However, neither of the Gram positive organisms tested (Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes) could be recovered following inoculation onto the surface of the African hard-wood, iroko, although Gram negative organisms survived well. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed that cells had not been adsorbed below the wood surface and an ethanol-soluble toxic factor was extracted from iroko, which killed Staphylococcus aureus cells, but had no effect on the viability of

Surfactant modified clays’ consistency limits and contact angles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S Akbulut

2012-07-01

Full Text Available This study was aimed at preparing a surfactant modified clay (SMC and researching the effect of surfactants on clays' contact angles and consistency limits; clay was thus modified by surfactants formodifying their engineering properties. Seven surfactants (trimethylglycine, hydroxyethylcellulose  octyl phenol ethoxylate, linear alkylbenzene sulfonic acid, sodium lauryl ether sulfate, cetyl trimethylammonium chloride and quaternised ethoxylated fatty amine were used as surfactants in this study. The experimental results indicated that SMC consistency limits (liquid and plastic limits changedsignificantly compared to those of natural clay. Plasticity index and liquid limit (PI-LL values representing soil class approached the A-line when zwitterion, nonionic, and anionic surfactant percentageincreased. However, cationic SMC became transformed from CH (high plasticity clay to MH (high plasticity silt class soils, according to the unified soil classification system (USCS. Clay modifiedwith cationic and anionic surfactants gave higher and lower contact angles than natural clay, respectively.

Improvements To Micro Contact Performance And Reliability

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-22

layers approximately 0.2mm thick. The extruder is controlled in both the x and y directions by servo motors while the plate height is controlled with a...and contact area as the contacts pressed together and shared more surface area as the contacts elastically or plastically pressed together[164]. Figure...CrossRef 33. M. Braunovic, N. K. Myshkin, and V. V. Konchits, Electrical contacts: funda- mentals, applications and technology. CRC press , 2010, vol

Colored Contact Lens Dangers

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... One Use Facts About Colored Contacts and Halloween Safety Colored Contact Lens Facts Over-the-Counter Costume ... use of colored contact lenses , from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Are the colored lenses ...

A DANREF certified reference plastic for measurement of overall migration into the food simulant olive oil by single sided testing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, K. H.; Lillemark, L.; Petersen, Jens Højslev

2000-01-01

A reference material for the determination of overall migration from a plastic coextrudate into the fatty food simulant olive oil was produced and certified in an interlaboratory study. The analyses were carried out according to the ENV 1186 standard from the European Committee for Standardization...... (CEN) [1, 2, 3] with exposure of the coextrudate to olive oil for 10 days at 40 degrees C. After an initial preliminary interlaboratory study eight laboratories participated in the certification round, and two different methods were used to obtain single sided exposure of the plastic to the oil...

Microbiological Quality of Food Contact Surfaces in A Hospital Kitchen in Shiraz, Iran, 2014

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Ali Baghapour

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Background: The consumption of healthy food is considered as an essential need to devoid the physical, chemical, and biological hazards. The importance of this issue is more conspicuous in places such as hospitals where people with somehow compromised immune systems are under treatment. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the microbiological quality of food contact surfaces in a kitchen in one of the hospitals of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Methods: In the present study, samples were taken from 48 food contact surfaces according to ISO 18593:2004(E and placed into the bags containing diluting solution; they were then transferred to the laboratory for microbial analysis in the cold chain. The microbial analysis was carried out according to ISO 4833-1:2013 and BS ISO 4832:2006 for enumeration of total bacterial count and coliform. Results: Based on the results presented here, 39.6% and 85.7% of the samples showed acceptable contamination with regard to the enumeration of total bacterial and coliform count. Besides, 18.2% and 72.7 % of work surfaces groups (cutting board, table, and hand showed acceptable contamination with regard to the enumeration of total bacterial count and coliform in comparison to the standards. Furthermore, 45.9% and 89.2% of other surfaces showed acceptable total bacterial and coliform count, respectively. Conclusion: The results showed that safe management of the kitchen, education of the staff and also improvement of the equipment used are necessary.

Evaluation of the hygiene of ready-to-eat food preparation areas and practices in mobile food vendors in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Little, Christine; Sagoo, Satnam

2009-12-01

This study was undertaken to assess the cleanliness of food preparation areas, cleaning methods used, and the microbiological quality of water used by 1258 mobile food vendors in the UK. Samples collected included potable water (1102), cleaning cloths (801) and environmental swabs from food preparation surfaces (2704). Cleaning cloths were more heavily contaminated with Aerobic Colony Counts, Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus compared to surfaces sampled. Surfaces that were visually dirty, wet, and chopping boards that were plastic or damaged also had high levels of these bacteria. Fifty-four percent of potable water samples were of poor microbiological quality; i.e. contained coliforms, E. coli and/or enterococci. A documented food safety management system was only evident in 40.1% of vendors and cleaning schedules were only used by 43.6%. Deficiencies in the correct use of cleaning materials, such as dilution factors and the minimum contact time for disinfectants, were identified.

Exposure to lead and cadmium released from ceramics and glassware intended to come into contact with food.

Science.gov (United States)

Rebeniak, Małgorzata; Wojciechowska-Mazurek, Maria; Mania, Monika; Szynal, Tomasz; Strzelecka, Agnieszka; Starska, Krystyna

2014-01-01

The dietary intake of harmful elements, particularly lead and cadmium constitutes a health threat and essential measures should be undertaken to reduce consumer exposure. The latest risk assessments by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) have indicated that the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI) for lead and cadmium do not ensure health safety and their review had to be undertaken. Migration from ceramics and glassware intended for food contact is an important source of lead and cadmium intake. To study the release of lead and cadmium from ceramics and glassware (including decorated products) intended for food contact that are available on the Polish market and to assess the resulting health risk to the consumer. Ceramics and glassware (mainly decorated) were sampled from the Polish market during 2010- 2012 throughout the country by staff of the Sanitary-Epidemiological Stations in accordance with monitoring procedures and guidelines designed by the National Institute of Public Health-National Institute of Hygiene. Migration of lead and cadmium was measured by incubating the samples with 4% acetic acid for 24 hours at a temperature of 22±2ºC in the dark. Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (FAAS) was used to measure these elements in food simulant according to a validated and accredited method (PN-EN ISO/IEC 17025). 1273 samples of ceramics and glass wares were analysed in 2010-2012. Lead and cadmium release were usually found to be below analytical detection limits. Permissible migration limits (as prescribed by the legislation) of these metals were rarely exceeded and were reported mainly in articles imported from outside the EU. Two imported and decorated ceramic flat plates released lead at 0.9 and 11.9 mg/dm2 (limit 0.8 mg/dm2) and 5 imported deep plates gave migration values of 4.7 mg/L, 4.9 mg/L, 5.6 mg/L, 6.1 mg/L, 8.6 mg/L (limit 4.0 mg/L). Lead migrations from ceramic ware rims

Estrogen Receptor Binding Affinity of Food Contact Material Components Estimated by QSAR.

Science.gov (United States)

Sosnovcová, Jitka; Rucki, Marián; Bendová, Hana

2016-09-01

The presented work characterized components of food contact materials (FCM) with potential to bind to estrogen receptor (ER) and cause adverse effects in the human organism. The QSAR Toolbox, software application designed to identify and fill toxicological data gaps for chemical hazard assessment, was used. Estrogen receptors are much less of a lock-and-key interaction than highly specific ones. The ER is nonspecific enough to permit binding with a diverse array of chemical structures. There are three primary ER binding subpockets, each with different requirements for hydrogen bonding. More than 900 compounds approved as of FCM components were evaluated for their potential to bind on ER. All evaluated chemicals were subcategorized to five groups with respect to the binding potential to ER: very strong, strong, moderate, weak binder, and no binder to ER. In total 46 compounds were characterized as potential disturbers of estrogen receptor. Among the group of selected chemicals, compounds with high and even very high affinity to the ER binding subpockets were found. These compounds may act as gene activators and cause adverse effects in the organism, particularly during pregnancy and breast-feeding. It should be considered to carry out further in vitro or in vivo tests to confirm their potential to disturb the regulation of physiological processes in humans by abnormal ER signaling and subsequently remove these chemicals from the list of approved food contact materials. Copyright© by the National Institute of Public Health, Prague 2016

Suitability of polystyrene as a functional barrier layer in coloured food contact materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Genualdi, Susan; Addo Ntim, Susana; Begley, Timothy

2015-01-01

Functional barriers in food contact materials (FCMs) are used to prevent or reduce migration from inner layers in multilayer structures to food. The effectiveness of functional barrier layers was investigated in coloured polystyrene (PS) bowls due to their intended condition of use with hot liquids such as soups or stew. Migration experiments were performed over a 10-day period using USFDA-recommended food simulants (10% ethanol, 50% ethanol, corn oil and Miglyol) along with several other food oils. At the end of the 10 days, solvent dyes had migrated from the PS bowls at 12, 1 and 31,000 ng cm(-)(2) into coconut oil, palm kernel oil and Miglyol respectively, and in coconut oil and Miglyol the colour change was visible to the human eye. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images revealed that the functional barrier was no longer intact for the bowls exposed to coconut oil, palm kernel oil, Miglyol, 10% ethanol, 50% ethanol and goat's milk. Additional tests showed that 1-dodecanol, a lauryl alcohol derived from palm kernel oil and coconut oil, was present in the PS bowls at an average concentration of 11 mg kg(-1). This compound is likely to have been used as a dispersing agent for the solvent dye and aided the migration of the solvent dye from the PS bowl into the food simulant. The solvent dye was not found in the 10% ethanol, 50% ethanol and goat's milk food simulants above their respective limits of detection, which is likely to be due to its insolubility in aqueous solutions. A disrupted barrier layer is of concern because if there are unregulated materials in the inner layers of the laminate, they may migrate to food, and therefore be considered unapproved food additives resulting in the food being deemed adulterated under the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act.

A novel safety assessment strategy for non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) in carton food contact materials

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koster, S.; Rennen, M.; Leeman, W.; Houben, G.; Muilwijk, B.; Acker, F. van; Krul, L.

2014-01-01

One of the main challenges in food contact materials research is to prove that the presence of non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) is not a safety issue. Migration extracts may contain many unknown substances present at low concentrations. It is difficult and time-consuming to identify all

Genotoxicity of styrene oligomers extracted from polystyrene intended for use in contact with food

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Makoto Nakai

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Here, we conducted in vitro genotoxicity tests to evaluate the genotoxicity of styrene oligomers extracted from polystyrene intended for use in contact with food. Styrene oligomers were extracted with acetone and the extract was subjected to the Ames test (OECD test guideline No. 471 and the in vitro chromosomal aberration test (OECD test guideline No. 473 under good laboratory practice conditions. The concentrations of styrene dimers and trimers in the concentrated extract were 540 and 13,431 ppm, respectively. Extraction with acetone provided markedly higher concentrations of styrene oligomers compared with extraction with 50% ethanol aqueous solution, which is the food simulant currently recommended for use in safety assessments of polystyrene by both the United States Food and Drug Administration and the European Food Safety Authority. And these high concentrations of styrene dimers and trimers were utilized for the evaluation of genotoxicity in vitro. Ames tests using five bacterial tester strains were negative both in the presence or absence of metabolic activation. The in vitro chromosomal aberration test using Chinese hamster lung cells (CHL/IU was also negative. Together, these results suggest that the risk of the genotoxicity of styrene oligomers that migrate from polystyrene food packaging into food is very low.

Analytical strategies for organic food packaging contaminants.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchis, Yovana; Yusà, Vicent; Coscollà, Clara

2017-03-24

In this review, we present current approaches in the analysis of food-packaging contaminants. Gas and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry detection have been widely used in the analysis of some relevant families of these compounds such as primary aromatic amines, bisphenol A, bisphenol A diglycidyl ether and related compounds, UV-ink photoinitiators, perfluorinated compounds, phthalates and non-intentionally added substances. Main applications for sample treatment and different types of food-contact material migration studies have been also discussed. Pressurized Liquid Extraction, Solid-Phase Microextraction, Focused Ultrasound Solid-Liquid Extraction and Quechers have been mainly used in the extraction of food contact material (FCM) contaminants, due to the trend of minimising solvent consumption, automatization of sample preparation and integration of extraction and clean-up steps. Recent advances in analytical methodologies have allowed unequivocal identification and confirmation of these contaminants using Liquid Chromatography coupled to High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (LC-HRMS) through mass accuracy and isotopic pattern applying. LC-HRMS has been used in the target analysis of primary aromatic amines in different plastic materials, but few studies have been carried out applying this technique in post-target and non-target analysis of FCM contaminants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interaction between vegetable oil based plasticizer molecules and polyvinyl chloride, and their plasticization effect

Science.gov (United States)

Haryono, Agus; Triwulandari, Evi; Jiang, Pingping

2017-01-01

Plasticizer molecules are low molecular weight compounds that are widely used in polymer industries especially in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin. As an additive in PVC resin, the important role of plasticizer molecules is to improve the flexibility and processability of PVC by lowering the glass transition temperature (Tg). However, the commercial plasticizer like di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) is known to cause liver cancer, at least in laboratory rats. DEHP can leach out from PVC into blood, certain drug solutions and fatty foods, which has been detected in the bloodstream of patients undergoing transfusion. Vegetable oil based plasticizers have some attractive properties such as non-toxic, bio-degradable, good heat and light stability, renewable resources, and environmentally friendly. Here we discussed the main results and development of vegetable oil based plasticizer, and especially palm oil based plasticizer. The interaction between plasticizer and polymer was discussed from the properties of the plasticized polymeric material.

Food availability drives plastic self-repair response in a basal metazoan-case study on the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi A. Agassiz

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bading, Katharina Tissy; Kaehlert, Sarah; Chi, Xupeng

2017-01-01

-animals instead. Yet, the driving factors of this phenomenon have not been addressed so far. This study sheds new light on how differences in food availability affect self-repair choice and regeneration success in cydippid larvae of M. leidyi. As expected, high food availability favored whole-body regeneration....... However, under low food conditions half-animals became the preferential self-repair mode. Remarkably, both regenerating and half-animals showed very similar survival chances under respective food quantities. As a consequence of impaired food uptake after injury, degeneration of the digestive system would...... often occur indicating limited energy storage capacities. Taken together, this indicates that half-animals may represent an alternative energy-saving trajectory which implies self-repair plasticity as an adaptive trade-off between high regeneration costs and low energy storage capacities. We conclude...

Contact sensitivity in palmar hyperkeratotic dermatitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Minocha Y

1993-01-01

Full Text Available 230 patients presenting with palmar hyperkeratotic dermatitis were investigated by patch tests against various antigens depending upon occupation of the patients. Contact sensitivity was detected in 130 patients comprising of housewives (55, businessmen (20, farmers (15, teachers / clerks / students (13, doctors and nurses (9, factory workers and labourers (8, massons (7 and motor mechanics (3. Vegetables were found to be the most common agents followed by detergents and metals predominantly affecting housewives. Among the vegetables, garlic and onion were the most potent sensitizers whereas nickel was a common sensitizer among metals. Occupational factors were seen to have some influence in relation to the causative agents as indicated by higher positivity of vegetables in housewives; detergents, metals, rubber, leather, plastics in businessmen, teachers, clerks and students; fertilizers or animal foods in farmers; drugs in doctors and nurses and chromium and cobalt in massons.

Black plastics: Linear and circular economies, hazardous additives and marine pollution.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Andrew

2018-05-17

Black products constitute about 15% of the domestic plastic waste stream, of which the majority is single-use packaging and trays for food. This material is not, however, readily recycled owing to the low sensitivity of black pigments to near infrared radiation used in conventional plastic sorting facilities. Accordingly, there is mounting evidence that the demand for black plastics in consumer products is partly met by sourcing material from the plastic housings of end-of-life waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE). Inefficiently sorted WEEE plastic has the potential to introduce restricted and hazardous substances into the recyclate, including brominated flame retardants (BFRs), Sb, a flame retardant synergist, and the heavy metals, Cd, Cr, Hg and Pb. The current paper examines the life cycles of single-use black food packaging and black plastic WEEE in the context of current international regulations and directives and best practices for sorting, disposal and recycling. The discussion is supported by published and unpublished measurements of restricted substances (including Br as a proxy for BFRs) in food packaging, EEE plastic goods and non-EEE plastic products. Specifically, measurements confirm the linear economy of plastic food packaging and demonstrate a complex quasi-circular economy for WEEE plastic that results in significant and widespread contamination of black consumer goods ranging from thermos cups and cutlery to tool handles and grips, and from toys and games to spectacle frames and jewellery. The environmental impacts and human exposure routes arising from WEEE plastic recycling and contamination of consumer goods are described, including those associated with marine pollution. Regarding the latter, a compilation of elemental data on black plastic litter collected from beaches of southwest England reveals a similar chemical signature to that of contaminated consumer goods and blended plastic WEEE recyclate, exemplifying the pervasiveness

21 CFR 878.3925 - Plastic surgery kit and accessories.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Plastic surgery kit and accessories. 878.3925... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES GENERAL AND PLASTIC SURGERY DEVICES Prosthetic Devices § 878.3925 Plastic surgery kit and accessories. (a) Identification. A plastic surgery kit and accessories is a device intended to...

The validation of a method for determining the migration of trace elements from food packaging materials into food

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, D.; Parry, S.J.; Benzing, R.

1997-01-01

A new radiotracer method has been developed to measure the migration of trace elements from food contact packaging into four standard food simulants; acetic acid, ethanol, olive oil, deionised water. A sample of material is irradiated in a thermal neutron flux of 10 16 n x m -2 x s -1 to activate the trace elements and produce a range of radionuclides. The samples is then placed in the food simulant and the migration of the radionuclides is monitored by performing γ-ray spectrometry on a sample of the simulant. Any radionuclides measured must be due entirely to the migration of the elements present in the plastic, since the simulant itself is not radioactive. Preliminary studies have shown that detection limits of around 0.2 μg x dm -2 (0.002 mg/kg) can be achieved for antimony in a sample of polyethylene terephthalate. This method can now been extended to measure migration into real foods. This will highlight any differences between the standard simulants currently used and real foods. Since the method only involves irradiation of the packaging material any food matrix can be studied. (author)

Numerical simulations of rough contacts between viscoelastic materials

Science.gov (United States)

Spinu, S.; Cerlinca, D.

2017-08-01

The durability of the mechanical contact is often plagued by surface-related phenomena like rolling contact fatigue, wear or crack propagation, which are linked to the important gradients of stress arising in the contacting bodies due to interaction at the asperity level. The semi-analytical computational approach adopted in this paper is based on a previously reported algorithm capable of simulating the contact between bodies with arbitrary limiting surfaces and viscoelastic behaviour, which is enhanced and adapted for the contact of real surfaces with microtopography. As steep slopes at the asperity level inevitably lead to localized plastic deformation at the tip of the asperities that are first brought into contact, the viscoelastic behaviour is amended by limiting the maximum value of the pressure on the contact area to that of the material hardness, according to the Tabor equation. In this manner, plasticity is considered in a simplified manner that assures the knowledge of the contact area and of the pressure distribution without estimation of the residual state. The main advantage of this approach is the preservation of the algorithmic complexity, allowing the simulation of very fine meshes capable of capturing particular features of the investigated contacting surface. The newly advanced model is expected to predict the contact specifics of rough surfaces as resulting from various manufacturing processes, thus assisting the design of durable machine elements using elastomers or rubbers.

Plastic consumption and diet of Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens).

Science.gov (United States)

Lindborg, Valerie A; Ledbetter, Julia F; Walat, Jean M; Moffett, Cinamon

2012-11-01

We analyzed dietary habits and presence of plastic in 589 boluses of Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens) as one of two studies on the impact of plastics on marine life in the US Salish Sea. Volunteers dissected boluses collected (2007-2010) from Protection Island, Washington. Components were separated into 23 food and non-food categories. Plastic was found in 12.2% of boluses, with plastic film being the most common plastic form. No diet specialization was observed. Vegetation was the most abundant component, found in 91.3% of boluses. No relationship was observed between any dietary items and occurrence or type of plastic found. Load and potential ecological impact in the marine environment can be expected to increase concurrently with increasing plastic use and number and variety of plastic sources. Future studies are necessary to understand the impacts of plastic ingestion on this species. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High density polyethylene (HDPE-2) and polystyrene (PS-6) waste plastic mixture turns into valuable fuel energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarker, Moinuddin; Rashid, Mohammad Mamunor; Rahman, Md. Sadikur; Molla, Mohammed [Department of Research and Development, Natural State Research Inc, Stamford, (United States)

2011-07-01

Disposal of waste plastic is a serious concern in USA. Waste plastic generated from different cities and towns is a part of municipal solid waste. It is a matter of concern that disposal of waste plastic is causing many problems such as leaching impact on land and ground water, choking of drains, making land infertile, indiscriminate burning causes environmental hazards etc. Waste plastics being nonbiodegradable it can remain as a long period of landfill. Over 48 million tons of synthetic polymer material is produced in the United States every year. Plastic are made from limited resources such as petroleum. When waste plastic come in contact with light and starts photo degrading, it starts releasing harmful such as carbon, chlorine and sulfur causing the soil around them to decay, contributing many complications for cultivation. Waste plastics also end up in the ocean, where it becomes small particles due to the reaction caused by the sun ray and salt from the ocean. Million of ocean habitants die from consuming these small plastic particles when they mistake them for food. To solve this problem countries are resorting to dumping the waste plastics, which requires a lot of effort and money yet they are only able to recycle a fraction of waste plastics. This developed a new technology which will remove these waste plastics form landfill and ocean and convert them into useful liquid fuels. The fuels show high potential for commercialization due to the fact, its influence to the environment. Keywords: waste plastics, fuel, energy, polystyrene, high density polyethylene, thermal, environmental.

American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Science.gov (United States)

... Photos Find a Surgeon For Physicians For Facial Plastic Surgery Assistants About the OFPSA OFPSA Officers Become a Member Member of the Year Award For The Media Contact Us Statistics Press Releases In the News Before & After Photos Humanitarian Programs Contact Us AAFPRS ...

Estimating the Contact Endurance of the AISI 321 Stainless Steel Under Contact Gigacycle Fatigue Tests

Science.gov (United States)

Savrai, R. A.; Makarov, A. V.; Osintseva, A. L.; Malygina, I. Yu.

2018-02-01

Mechanical testing of the AISI 321 corrosion resistant austenitic steel for contact gigacycle fatigue has been conducted with the application of a new method of contact fatigue testing with ultrasonic frequency of loading according to a pulsing impact "plane-to-plane" contact scheme. It has been found that the contact endurance (the ability to resist the fatigue spalling) of the AISI 321 steel under contact gigacycle fatigue loading is determined by its plasticity margin and the possibility of additional hardening under contact loading. It is demonstrated that the appearance of localized deep and long areas of spalling on a material surface can serve as a qualitative characteristic for the loss of the fatigue strength of the AISI 321 steel under impact contact fatigue loading. The value of surface microhardness measured within contact spots and the maximum depth of contact damages in the peripheral zone of contact spots can serve as quantitative criteria for that purpose.

Nanoscale roughness contact in a slider-disk interface.

Science.gov (United States)

Hua, Wei; Liu, Bo; Yu, Shengkai; Zhou, Weidong

2009-07-15

The nanoscale roughness contact between molecularly smooth surfaces of a slider-disk interface in a hard disk drive is analyzed, and the lubricant behavior at very high shear rate is presented. A new contact model is developed to study the nanoscale roughness contact behavior by classifying various forms of contact into slider-lubricant contact, slider-disk elastic contact and plastic contact. The contact pressure and the contact probabilities of the three types of contact are investigated. The new contact model is employed to explain and provide insight to an interesting experimental result found in a thermal protrusion slider. The protrusion budget for head surfing in the lubricant, which is the ideal state for contact recording, is also discussed.

Nanoscale roughness contact in a slider-disk interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hua Wei; Liu Bo; Yu Shengkai; Zhou Weidong

2009-01-01

The nanoscale roughness contact between molecularly smooth surfaces of a slider-disk interface in a hard disk drive is analyzed, and the lubricant behavior at very high shear rate is presented. A new contact model is developed to study the nanoscale roughness contact behavior by classifying various forms of contact into slider-lubricant contact, slider-disk elastic contact and plastic contact. The contact pressure and the contact probabilities of the three types of contact are investigated. The new contact model is employed to explain and provide insight to an interesting experimental result found in a thermal protrusion slider. The protrusion budget for head surfing in the lubricant, which is the ideal state for contact recording, is also discussed.

PFAS in paper and board for food contact - options for risk management of poly- and perfluorinated substances

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Trier, Xenia; Taxvig, Camilla; Rosenmai, Anna Kjerstine

Poly- and perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are used in paper and board food contact materials (FCMs) and they have been found to be highly persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic. The purpose of the Nordic workshop and of this report is to:* create an overview of the use of PFAS in FCMs...... for analysing and regulating the substances are available* discuss the possibility and structure of national regulations or Nordic recommendations for PFAS in FCMs of paper and board. Risk management to reduce the total content of organically bound fluorine in paper and board FCMs is supported. The given report...... is published in continuation of a Nordic workshop on January 28th -29th 2015 on poly- and perfluorinated substances (PFAS) in food contact materials. Representatives from EU MS countries, US FDA, Canada and China, as well as manufacturers, retailers, compliance testing laboratories and academia were present...

Plastic debris in the coastal environment: The invincible threat? Abundance of buried plastic debris on Malaysian beaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Fauziah, S H; Liyana, I A; Agamuthu, P

2015-09-01

Studies on marine debris have gained worldwide attention since many types of debris have found their way into the food chain of higher organisms. Thus, it is crucial that more focus is given to this area in order to curb contaminations in sea food. This study was conducted to quantify plastic debris buried in sand at selected beaches in Malaysia. Marine debris was identified according to size range and distribution, and this information was related to preventive actions to improve marine waste issues. For the purpose of this study, comparison of plastic waste abundance between a recreational beach and fish-landing beaches was also carried out, since the different beach types represent different activities that produce debris. Six beaches along the Malaysian coastline were selected for this study. The plastic types in this study were related to the functions of the beach. While recreational beaches have abundant quantities of plastic film, foamed plastic including polystyrene, and plastic fragment, fish-landing beaches accumulated line and foamed plastic. A total of 2542 pieces (265.30 g m(-2)) of small plastic debris were collected from all six beaches, with the highest number from Kuala Terengganu, at 879 items m(-2) on Seberang Takir Beach, followed by Batu Burok Beach with 780 items m(-2). Findings from studies of Malaysian beaches have provided a clearer understanding of the distribution of plastic debris. This demonstrates that commitments and actions, such as practices of the 'reduce, reuse, recycle' (3R) approach, supporting public awareness programmes and beach clean-up activities, are essential in order to reduce and prevent plastic debris pollution. © The Author(s) 2015.

[Study of relationship between consumption of potassium permanganate and total organic carbon on plastic kitchen utensils, food packages and toys].

Science.gov (United States)

Ohno, Hiroyuki; Suzuki, Masako; Mutsuga, Motoh; Kawamura, Yoko

2009-10-01

Consumption of potassium permanganate and total organic carbon (TOC) were investigated as indices of total organic matter migrated into water from plastic kitchen utensils, food packages and toys for children. The samples were soaked in water at 60 or 95 degrees C for 30 min for kitchen utensils and food packages, and at 40 degrees C for 30 min for toys and the eluates were examined, using the two indices. The quantitation limits were both 0.5 microg/mL. Among 97 kitchen utensils and food packages tested, consumption of potassium permanganate and TOC were 0.5-10.9 microg/mL and ND-18.9 microg/mL for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tea-pot spouts and nylon kitchen utensils, respectively. Among 32 toys tested, the levels were 0.8-45.5 microg/mL and 0.5-8.9 microg/mL from PVC toys and block toys made by ethylene vinyl acetate resin. The levels for other samples were very low. There were large discrepancies between consumption of potassium permanganate and TOC for some PVC products and nylon kitchen utensils. The cause may be a marked difference of the oxidation decomposition rate by potassium permanganate, depending on the kind of organic matter that migrated from the plastics.

Co-pyrolysis characteristics and kinetic analysis of organic food waste and plastic.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Yijing; Huang, Qunxing; Sun, Kai; Chi, Yong; Yan, Jianhua

2018-02-01

In this work, typical organic food waste (soybean protein (SP)) and typical chlorine enriched plastic waste (polyvinyl chloride (PVC)) were chosen as principal MSW components and their interaction during co-pyrolysis was investigated. Results indicate that the interaction accelerated the reaction during co-pyrolysis. The activation energies needed were 2-13% lower for the decomposition of mixture compared with linear calculation while the maximum reaction rates were 12-16% higher than calculation. In the fixed-bed experiments, interaction was observed to reduce the yield of tar by 2-69% and promote the yield of char by 13-39% compared with linear calculation. In addition, 2-6 times more heavy components and 61-93% less nitrogen-containing components were formed for tar derived from mixtures. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterisation and potential migration of silver nanoparticles from commercially available polymeric food contact materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Addo Ntim, Susana; Thomas, Treye A; Begley, Timothy H; Noonan, Gregory O

2015-01-01

The potential for consumer exposure to nano-components in food contact materials (FCMs) is dependent on the migration of nanomaterials into food. Therefore, characterising the physico-chemical properties and potential for migration of constituents is an important step in assessing the safety of FCMs. A number of commercially available food storage products, purchased domestically within the United States and internationally, that claim to contain nanosilver were evaluated. The products were made of polyethylene, polypropylene and polyphenylene ether sulfone and all contained silver (0.001-36 mg kg(-1) of polymer). Silver migration was measured under various conditions, including using 3% acetic acid and water as food simulants. Low concentrations (sub-ppb levels) of silver were detected in the migration studies generally following a trend characterised by a surface desorption phenomenon, where the majority of the silver migration occurred in the first of three consecutive exposures. Silver nanoparticles were not detected in food simulants, suggesting that the silver migration may be due solely to ionic silver released into solution from oxidation of the silver nanoparticle surface. The absence of detectable silver nanoparticles was consistent with expectations from a physico-chemical view point. For the products tested, current USFDA guidance for evaluating migration from FCMs was applicable.

Marine Debris and Plastic Source Reduction Toolkit

Science.gov (United States)

Many plastic food service ware items originate on college and university campuses—in cafeterias, snack rooms, cafés, and eateries with take-out dining options. This Campus Toolkit is a detailed “how to” guide for reducing plastic waste on college campuses.

Vegetative and reproductive evaluation of hot peppers under different plastic mulches in poly/plastic tunnel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iqbal, Q.; Amjad, M.; Ahmad, R.

2009-01-01

Since the beginning of civilization, the man has developed technologies to increase the efficiency of food production. The use of plastic mulch in commercial vegetable production is one of these traditional techniques that have been used for centuries. Studies were conducted to assess the efficacy of plastic mulch on growth and yield of two hot pepper hybrids, viz. Sky Red and Maha in poly/plastic tunnel. The treatments were black plastic mulch, clear plastic mulch and bare soil as control. Both hot pepper hybrids mulched with black plastic showed significantly better vegetative growth (plant height, leaf area etc) and fruit yield. Clear plastic mulch significantly increased soil temperature and reduced the number of days to first flower than black plastic mulch and bare soil. However, fruit yield was higher by 39.56 and 36.49% respectively in both hybrids when they were grown on black and clear plastic mulch as compared to bare soil. Overall results indicated that the use of plastic mulch is an ideal option to maximize hot pepper productivity as well as to extend their production season in poly/plastic tunnels. (author)

21 CFR 310.509 - Parenteral drug products in plastic containers.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Parenteral drug products in plastic containers... Parenteral drug products in plastic containers. (a) Any parenteral drug product packaged in a plastic... parenteral drug product for intravenous use in humans that is packaged in a plastic immediate container on or...

Phthalates in soft PVC products used in food production equipment and in other food contact materials on the Danish and the Nordic Market 2013-2014

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Jens Højslev; Jensen, Lisbeth Krüger

2016-01-01

they were well-known endocrine disruptors. Results of the Danish Food Authorities control in 2008 and 2009 showed 23 % non-compliant samples. Critical FCMs turned out to be those made from plasticised PVC and sold as suitable for contact with fatty foodstuffs. Targeted follow up control campaigns were...

Colored Contact Lens Dangers

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... contact lenses , from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Are the colored lenses you are considering ... Follow The Academy Professionals: Education Guidelines News Multimedia Public & Patients: Contact Us About the Academy Jobs at ...

Exploring the sensitivity of the zone of inhibition test for leachable biocides from paper and board food contact materials, and improvements thereof.

Science.gov (United States)

Castle, L; Kelly, J; Jickells, S M; Johns, S M; Mountfort, K A

2012-01-01

The zone of inhibition method to test the release of biocides from paper and board food contact materials was evaluated. The method tests the paper by placing a small specimen directly onto culture plates of Bacillus subtilis and Aspergillus niger. The principle is that any extractable biocide will diffuse from the paper into the surrounding nutrient medium and so inhibit growth of the microorganism in the vicinity. The test was found to have insufficient sensitivity for assuring food safety, where detection limits for migration at or below the mg l(-1) (parts per million) level are needed. Also, the test does not mimic the actual or foreseeable conditions of use since most paper/board materials are not intended for direct contact with an aqueous medium for up to 3 days at 30°C (B. subtilis) or 25°C (A. niger), which are the incubation conditions used. The sensitivity of the test was increased approximately 100-fold by preparing a concentrated extract of the paper to be tested and applying this extract to the assay via a blank paper carrier. This was done using methanol as a good solvent for most biocides, as a proof of principle. Other solvents or food simulants could be used to mimic the conditions of use intended for the particular paper/board samples under examination, e.g. contact with dry, fatty, aqueous or acidic foods, hot or cold. Twenty-four plain (unconverted) paper and board samples and 100 food packaging samples were evaluated using the modified procedure. The results revealed that the method has been developed to the stage where background cytotoxic action of normal paper constituents gives a weak response. Unlike the original method, therefore, the modified method with its improved sensitivity and the facility to link with the intended food contact conditions may be considered a suitable bioassay screening test to complement chemical analysis of paper/board for composition and migration.

Bisphenol A (BPA) in U.S. food.

Science.gov (United States)

Schecter, Arnold; Malik, Noor; Haffner, Darrah; Smith, Sarah; Harris, T Robert; Paepke, Olaf; Birnbaum, Linda

2010-12-15

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used for lining metal cans and in polycarbonate plastics, such as baby bottles. In rodents, BPA is associated with early sexual maturation, altered behavior, and effects on prostate and mammary glands. In humans, BPA is associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and male sexual dysfunction in exposed workers. Food is a major exposure source. We know of no studies reporting BPA in U.S. fresh food, canned food, and food in plastic packaging in peer reviewed journals. We measured BPA levels in 105 fresh and canned foods, foods sold in plastic packaging, and in cat and dog foods in cans and plastic packaging. We detected BPA in 63 of 105 samples, including fresh turkey, canned green beans, and canned infant formula. Ninety-three of these samples were triplicates which had similar detected levels. Detected levels ranged from 0.23 to 65.0 ng/g ww and were not associated with type of food or packaging but did vary with pH. BPA levels were higher for foods of pH 5 compared to more acidic and alkaline foods. Detected levels were comparable to those found by others. Further research is indicated to determine BPA levels in U.S. food in larger, representative sampling.

Response of duplex Cr(N)/S and Cr(C)/S coatings on 316L stainless steel to tribocorrosion in 0.89% NaCl solution under plastic contact conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Y; Dearnley, P A; Mallia, Bertram

2017-08-01

Two duplex coatings, Cr(N)/S and Cr(C)/S, were deposited on 316 L stainless steel by magnetron sputtering. The effectiveness of these duplex coatings in improving the tribocorrosion behavior of medical alloys under elastic contact conditions has been demonstrated in a recent publication. The present work focused on the response of these duplex coatings to tribocorrosion under plastic contact conditions. Tribocorrosion tests were conducted in 0.89% NaCl solution at 37°C at an initial contact pressure of 740 MPa and under unidirectional sliding conditions for sliding duration up to 24 h. The results showed that during sliding in the corrosive solution, the duplex coatings were plastically deformed into the substrate to a depth about 1 μm. The Cr(C)/S duplex coating had sufficient ductility to accommodate the deformation without cracking, such that it was worn through gradually, leading to the gradual increase in open circuit potential (OCP) and coefficient of friction (COF). On the other hand, the Cr(N)/S duplex coating suffered from cracking at all tested potentials, leading to coating blistering after prolonged sliding at OCP and stable pit formation in the substrate beneath the coating at applied anodic potentials. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 1503-1513, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in plastic surgery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Lea Juul; Matzen, Steen H

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism is a well-documented complication of surgery, including plastic surgery. However, few consensus guidelines on thromboembolism prophylaxis exist in plastic surgery and, thus, the different approaches in the public as well as the private clinics in Denmark were...... investigated using a web-based survey. METHODS: Forty-two clinics were contacted and 45% responded. RESULTS: The collected data reveals a lack of consensus in plastic surgery in Denmark, not only regarding the use of mechanical and chemical prophylaxis, but also which type of prophylaxis to apply, the duration...... of prophylaxis, and how to risk stratify the patients. CONCLUSION: The development of a guideline, based on plastic surgical data, using a validated risk assessment model, which combines the surgical risk with the patient related risk and recommends guidelines for mechanical as well as chemoprophylaxis...

Increased incidence of infertility treatment among women working in the plastics industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hougaard, K.S.; Hannerz, H.; Feveile, H.

2009-01-01

Several plastic chemicals adversely affect reproductive ability. This study examined the possible association between employment in the plastics industry and infertility. Dynamic cohorts of economically active women and men were followed for hospital contacts due to infertility in the Danish Occu...... in female plastics workers motivates more specific studies of reproductive occupational health in the plastics industry. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved Udgivelsesdato: 2009/4...

The Value Range of Contact Stiffness Factor between Pile and Soil Based on Penalty Function

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Sandy H. L.; Wu, Xinliu

2018-03-01

The value range of contact stiffness factor based on penalty function is studied when we use finite element software ANSYS to analyze contact problems, take single pile and soil of a certain project for example, the normal contact between pile and soil is analyzed with 2D simplified model in horizontal load. The study shows that when adopting linear elastic model to simulate soil, the maximum contact pressure and penetration approach steady value as the contact stiffness factor increases. The reasonable value range of contact stiffness factor reduces as the underlying element thickness decreases, but the rule reverses when refers to the soil stiffness. If choose DP model to simulate soil, the stiffness factor should be magnified 100 times compares to the elastic model regardless of the soil bears small force and still in elastic deformation stage or into the plastic deformation stage. When the soil bears big force and into plastic deformation stage, the value range of stiffness factor relates to the plastic strain range of the soil, and reduces as the horizontal load increases.

The effects of electron beam irradiation on additives present in food-contact polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crowson, Andrew.

1991-09-01

A range of additives (Irganox 1010, Irganox 1076, Irganox 1330, Irgafos 168 and Tinuvin 622) has been incorporated into a variety of food-contact polymers including polypropylene and low density polyethylene. Samples of these stabilized polymers were subjected to electron-beam or gamma irradiation to receive doses of 1,5,10,25 and 50 kGy. The effects of electron-beam irradiation on the amount of extractable antioxidant in polymers were determined. Using hplc techniques it was found that there was a dose-related reduction in the amount of extractable antioxidant similar to that caused by gamma irradiation. The magnitude of this reduction was found to be dependent upon the nature of both the antioxidant and the polymer type. Electron-beam irradiation was also found to cause a dose-related reduction in the levels of the antioxidants Irganox 1010 and Irganox 1076 migrating from polymers into a food simulant. This effect was similar to that caused by gamma irradiation. (author)

Incorporating Health Impacts from Exposure to Chemicals in Food Packaging in LCA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ernstoff, Alexi; Trier, Xenia; Jolliet, Oliver

2014-01-01

Life cycle assessments (LCA) on the environmental and public health impacts of food and beverage packaging materials have found some advantages to plastic over glass. Entirely missing from these evaluations are the health impacts of possible chemical, e.g. endocrine dis-ruptor, exposure through...... migration of chemicals from the packaging into the food product. We build a framework based on a life cycle perspective to predict which chemicals may be in a package that are not intentionally added ingredients, and we apply this approach to the US EPA’s CPCAT database. In total we find 1,154 chemicals...... within the CPCAT database related to food-contact materials; out of these 107 are potential endocrine disruptors according to the TEDX list of endocrine disruptors. We also build a framework in an effort to begin harmonizing LCA to include health impacts of chemical exposure related to food packaging...

Plasticity characteristic obtained by indentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milman, Yu V

2008-01-01

A dimensionless parameter δ H = ε p /ε t (where ε p and ε t are the average values of plastic and total deformation of material on the contact area indenter-specimen) may be used as the plasticity characteristic of materials, which made it possible to characterize the plasticity of materials that are brittle in standard mechanical tests. δ H may be calculated from the values of microhardness HM, Young's modulus E and Poisson's ratio ν. In instrumented indentation the plasticity characteristic δ A = A p /A t (A p and A t are the work of plastic and total deformation during indentation) may be calculated. δ A ∼ δ H for materials with δ H > 0.5, i.e. for all metals and the majority of ceramic materials. In this case, the theoretical equation δ A ∼ δ H = 1-10.2 · (1 - ν - 2ν 2 )(HM/E) is satisfied in experiments with the Berkovich indenter. The influence of the temperature and structural parameters (dislocation density and grain size including nanostructured materials) on δ H is discussed

Clinical update on contact allergy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Uter, Wolfgang; Johansen, Jeanne Duus; Orton, David I

2005-01-01

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim of this article is to review recent findings in contact allergy, regarding clinical research. RECENT FINDINGS: The biocide methyldibromo glutaronitrile was identified to be an important sensitizer. Subsequently, it was banned from leave-on cosmetics in the European Union...... a classification of newly introduced chemicals; increasingly, the local lymph node assay is supplementing and potentially replacing the guinea pig maximization test. Recent advances in occupational contact allergy include, for example, some attempts to improve diagnostics for epoxy resin and other plastic, glue...

Plastic waste associated with disease on coral reefs.

Science.gov (United States)

Lamb, Joleah B; Willis, Bette L; Fiorenza, Evan A; Couch, Courtney S; Howard, Robert; Rader, Douglas N; True, James D; Kelly, Lisa A; Ahmad, Awaludinnoer; Jompa, Jamaluddin; Harvell, C Drew

2018-01-26

Plastic waste can promote microbial colonization by pathogens implicated in outbreaks of disease in the ocean. We assessed the influence of plastic waste on disease risk in 124,000 reef-building corals from 159 reefs in the Asia-Pacific region. The likelihood of disease increases from 4% to 89% when corals are in contact with plastic. Structurally complex corals are eight times more likely to be affected by plastic, suggesting that microhabitats for reef-associated organisms and valuable fisheries will be disproportionately affected. Plastic levels on coral reefs correspond to estimates of terrestrial mismanaged plastic waste entering the ocean. We estimate that 11.1 billion plastic items are entangled on coral reefs across the Asia-Pacific and project this number to increase 40% by 2025. Plastic waste management is critical for reducing diseases that threaten ecosystem health and human livelihoods. Copyright © 2018, The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

PENGARUH PLASTICIZER PADA KARAKTERISTIK EDIBLE FILM DARI PEKTIN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sang Kompiang Wirawan

2012-05-01

Full Text Available EFFECT OF PLASTICIzER ON THE PECTINIC EDIBLE FILM CHARACTERISTICS. The peel of Balinese Citrus contains high concentration of pectin which can be further processed to be edible films. The edible films can be utilized as a food coating which protects the food from any external mass transports such as humid, oxygen, and soluble material and can be served as a carrier to improve the mechanical-handing properties of the food. Edible films made of organic polymers tend to be brittle and thus addition of a plasticizer is required during the process. The work studies the effect of the type and the concentration of plasticizers on the tensile strength, the elongation of break, and the water vapor permeabilty of the edible film. Sorbitol and glycerol were used as plasticizers. Albedo from the citrus was hydrolized with hydrochloride acid 0.1 N to get pectinate substance. Pectin was then dissolved in water dan mixed with the plasticizers and CaCl2.2H2O solution. The concentrations of the plasticizers were 0, 0.03, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.15 mL/mL of solution. The results showed that increasing the concentration of plasticizers will decrease the tensile strength, but increase the elongation and film permeability. Sorbitol-plasticized films are more brittle, however exhibited higher tensile strength and water vapor permeability than of glycerol-plasticized film. The results suggested that glycerol is better plasticizer than sorbitol.  Kulit jeruk bali banyak mengandung pektin yang dapat dimanfaatkan sebagai bahan baku edible film. Edible film bisa digunakan untuk melapisi bahan makanan, melindungi makanan dari transfer massa eksternal seperti kelembaban, oksigen, dan zat terlarut, serta dapat digunakan sebagai carrier untuk meningkatkan penanganan mekanik produk makanan. Film yang terbuat dari bahan polimer organik ini cenderung rapuh sehingga diperlukan penambahan plasticizer. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh kadar dan jenis

[Determination of bisphenol A from toys and food contact materials by derivatization and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry].

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Yonggang; Zhang, Yanyan; Gao, Jianguo; Zhang, Huiling; Zheng, Lisha; Chen, Jing

2012-10-01

A method was developed for the determination of bisphenol A (BPA) in toys and food contact materials. The BPA was extracted with Soxhlet extraction method from the sample and reacted with acetic anhydride. The final product was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). To achieve the optimum derivatization performance, the derivatization time and dosage of derivatization reagent etc. were investigated. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the final product was stable and the peak shape was good. The linearity of the derivative was good in the range of 0.05 to 50 mg/L with the correlation coefficient (r2) above 0.999. The recoveries ranged from 80% to 93% at the spiked levels of 0.05, 1.00, 10.00 mg/kg with the relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 3.7%. The limit of detection (S/N = 3) was 10 microg/kg. The method is accurate and has high recovery. The method is suitable for the inspection of bisphenol A in toys and food contact materials.

EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF); Scientific Opinion on Flavouring Group Evaluation 309 (FGE.309): Sodium Diacetate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, John Christian; Nørby, Karin Kristiane; Beltoft, Vibe Meister

The Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids of the European Food Safety Authority was requested to evaluate sodium diacetate [FL-no: 16.073] in the Flavouring Group Evaluation 309, using the Procedure in Commission Regulation (EC) No 1565/2000. However, although...

Diet and cognition: interplay between cell metabolism and neuronal plasticity.

Science.gov (United States)

Gomez-Pinilla, Fernando; Tyagi, Ethika

2013-11-01

To discuss studies in humans and animals revealing the ability of foods to benefit the brain: new information with regards to mechanisms of action and the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Dietary factors exert their effects on the brain by affecting molecular events related to the management of energy metabolism and synaptic plasticity. Energy metabolism influences neuronal function, neuronal signaling, and synaptic plasticity, ultimately affecting mental health. Epigenetic regulation of neuronal plasticity appears as an important mechanism by which foods can prolong their effects on long-term neuronal plasticity. The prime focus of the discussion is to emphasize the role of cell metabolism as a mediator for the action of foods on the brain. Oxidative stress promotes damage to phospholipids present in the plasma membrane such as the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexenoic acid, disrupting neuronal signaling. Thus, dietary docosahexenoic acid seems crucial for supporting plasma membrane function, interneuronal signaling, and cognition. The dual action of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in neuronal metabolism and synaptic plasticity is crucial for activating signaling cascades under the action of diet and other environmental factors, using mechanisms of epigenetic regulation.

Hazardous and other element characterization of new and used domestic plastic food containers using INAA and AAS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waheed, S.; Rahman, S.; Husnain, S.M.; Siddique, N.

2012-01-01

Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS) methodology was developed to characterize the inorganic trace element constituents in new and used domestic plastic food containers. INAA was employed through the variation of irradiation, cooling and counting protocols for the determination of Al, Ba, Br, Co, Cr, Eu, Fe, Hg, K, Mn, Na, Nd, Sb, Sc, Th, Ti, V and Zn while FAAS was used to quantify toxic inorganic elements such as Cd, Pb and Cu. These elements are thought to originate from the polymer manufacturing processes. It was found that there was gradual increase in the concentration of most of these elements from new to used plastic samples. Moreover it was also observed that these inorganic elements are present in higher concentrations in the lower grade containers as compared to the high quality containers. It was also observed that the good quality containers even with the long usage do not degrade to such an extent as the low quality containers. (Orig./A.B.)

High efficiency algorithm for 3D transient thermo-elasto-plastic contact problem in reactor pressure vessel sealing system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Mingyu; Lin Tengjiao; Li Runfang; Du Xuesong; Li Shuian; Yang Yu

2005-01-01

There are some complex operating cases such as high temperature and high pressure during the operating process of nuclear reactor pressure vessel. It is necessary to carry out mechanical analysis and experimental investigation for its sealing ability. On the basis of the self-developed program for 3-D transient sealing analysis for nuclear reactor pressure vessel, some specific measures are presented to enhance the calculation efficiency in several aspects such as the non-linear solution of elasto-plastic problem, the mixed solution algorithm for contact problem as well as contract heat transfer problem and linear equation set solver. The 3-D transient sealing analysis program is amended and complemented, with which the sealing analysis result of the pressure vessel model can be obtained. The calculation results have good regularity and the calculation efficiency is twice more than before. (authors)

Polímeros reciclados para contato com alimentos Recycled polymers for food contact

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandra A. Cruz

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Os resíduos sólidos urbanos (RSUs são atualmente um dos maiores problemas ambientais, por serem gerados em grande quantidade e ocuparem extensos espaços por um longo período, resultando na diminuição do tempo de vida útil dos aterros sanitários. Os polímeros constituem um grande percentual da composição do RSUs, sendo que as embalagens plásticas contribuem com maior volume e massa. Apesar da reciclagem de polímeros estarem se consolidando no Brasil, graças ao seu mercado ascendente e promissor, existem ainda restrições quanto a sua utilização em contato com alimentos devido aos eventuais processos de migração de contaminantes que podem ocorrer da resina reciclada para o alimento. Por outro lado, dados recentes do setor indicam que a maior parte do consumo de resina virgem é destinada, justamente, para o mercado de embalagens alimentícias. Assim, o desenvolvimento e o gerenciamento de tecnologias que possibilitem o retorno destes materiais a sua aplicação original é de grande importância para sociedade contemporânea. Em um panorama geral, este trabalho aborda as exigências e limitações do uso de polímeros reciclados para contato com alimentos.Municipal solid waste has recently become one of the severest environmental problems. This is because it is generated on a large scale and occupies large spaces for long periods resulting in a decrease in the useful life of landfills. Polymers comprise a large percentage of municipal solid waste and polymer packaging is responsible for the large mass and volume amount. Despite the consolidation of polymer recycling in Brazil, due to the promising and growing market, there are still restrictions concerning to its application for food contact due to eventual migration process that might occur from the recycled resin into the food. On the other hand, recent data of the sector indicates that food packaging market is responsible for the highest consumption of the produced amount of

Contact toxicity of insecticides for attract-and-kill applications against adult Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Campos, Manuel; Phillips, Thomas W

2010-07-01

The Indian meal moth (IMM), Plodia interpunctella (Hübner), is an important pest of stored food products. Contact toxicities of 13 insecticides applied to different surfaces were evaluated at registered label and a higher dose for killing adult males. The ultimate objective was to develop attract-and-kill technologies for P. interpunctella. Two-day-old adult males were exposed to treated surfaces for 2.0 s and then paired with virgin females for mating and oviposition over a 24 h period. Permethrins and pyrethrins (organic pyrethrin and pyrethrin plus a synergist) caused over 70% mortality to males. Oviposition was impacted by these insecticides, while egg hatch was not. A second experiment tested the 8 week residual toxicity of cyfluthrin, permethrin and pyrethrin at label and at a higher dose of 20 g AI L(-1) on five surfaces: plastic-coated paper, metal, painted plastic, unpainted plastic and wood. Permethrin at 20 g AI L(-1) suppressed males at over 80% for up to 8 weeks and retained activity on surfaces made with plastic-coated paper, metal or plastic. Oviposition was variable among treatments. Egg hatch was generally unaffected by treatment. Effective attract-and-kill surfaces can be developed for killing IMM males and thereby potentially lead to reduced reproduction and, ultimately, population suppression. Copyright (c) 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.

Colored Contact Lens Dangers

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... eye-care team . Consumer warning about the improper use of colored contact lenses , from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Are the colored lenses you are considering buying approved by the FDA? Check the FDA's database of approved contact lenses . Related Stories Prevent Infection ...

Biocide Usage in Plastic Products

OpenAIRE

Kavak, Nergizhan; Çakır, Ayşegül; Koltuk, Fatmagül; Uzun, Utku

2015-01-01

People’s demand of improving their life quality caused to the term of hygiene become popular and increased the tendency to use more reliable and healthy products. This tendency makes the continuous developments in the properties of the materials used in manufactured goods compulsory. It is possible to create anti-bacterial plastic products by adding biocidal additives to plastic materials which have a wide-range of application in the areas such as health (medicine), food and many other indust...

The plasticity of clays

Science.gov (United States)

Group, F.F.

1905-01-01

(1) Sand injures plasticity little at first because the grains are suspended in a plastic mass. It is only when grains are abundant enough to come in contact with their neighbors, that the effect becomes serious, and then both strength and amount of possible flow are injured. (2) Certain rare organic colloids increase the plasticity by rendering the water viscous. (3) Fineness also tends to increase plasticity. (4) Plane surfaces (plates) increase the amount of possible flow. They also give a chance for lubrication by thinner films, thus increasing the friction of film, and the strength of the whole mass. The action of plates is thus twofold ; but fineness may be carried to such an extent as to break up plate-like grains into angular fragments. The beneficial effects of plates are also decreased by the fact that each is so closely surrounded by others in the mass. (5) Molecular attraction is twofold in increasing plasticity. As the attraction increases, the coherence and strength of the mass increase, and the amount of possible deformation before crumbling also increases. Fineness increases this action by requiring more water. Colloids and crystalloids in solution may also increase the attraction. It is thus seen to be more active than any other single factor.

Effects of ionizing radiation on plastic food packaging materials: a review. 2. Global migration, sensory changes and the fate of additives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buchalla, R.; Schuttler, C.; Bogl, K.W.

1993-01-01

Increased ''global'' migration into food simulants has been described as a consequence of irradiation, particularly with fatty media; development of off-odors and taint transfer into food simulants have been observed with various plastics. Additives, especially antioxidants, are destroyed during irradiation, and increased ''specific'' migration values have been observed under certain circumstances. Organotin stabilizers in PVC are ultimately degraded to SnCl4, and increased migration of tin compounds was observed after gamma irradiation. Degradation products of phenol antioxidants, that were also found as migrants, have only recently been identified; some of these structures seem to be radiation specific

Discrete dislocation plasticity analysis of loading rate-dependent static friction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Song, H.; Deshpande, V. S.; van der Giessen, E.

2016-01-01

From a microscopic point of view, the frictional force associated with the relative sliding of rough surfaces originates from deformation of the material in contact, by adhesion in the contact interface or both. We know that plastic deformation at the size scale of micrometres is not only dependent

Radiation sterilization and food packaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harrison, N.

1991-01-01

Food irradiation by gamma radiation or electron beams offers a number of benefits to be consumer and to the food industry. Low doses can delay fruit ripening while higher doses can reduce or eliminate pathrogenic microorganisms and control insect infestation. However, ionizing radiations are known to have an effect on the plastics used for food packaging, especially PVC and polyethylene. This chapter looks at food irradiation generally, including legislation on the irradiation of food packaging materials. The effect on specific polymers (PVC, polyethylenes, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyamides and flexible laminates) is then considered. It is concluded that few of the plastics used for food packaging are significantly affected by an overall average dose of 10KGy, the maximum likely for the irradiation of prepackaged food in the United Kingdom. (UK)

Neuronal cytoskeleton in synaptic plasticity and regeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Gordon-Weeks, Phillip R; Fournier, Alyson E

2014-04-01

During development, dynamic changes in the axonal growth cone and dendrite are necessary for exploratory movements underlying initial axo-dendritic contact and ultimately the formation of a functional synapse. In the adult central nervous system, an impressive degree of plasticity is retained through morphological and molecular rearrangements in the pre- and post-synaptic compartments that underlie the strengthening or weakening of synaptic pathways. Plasticity is regulated by the interplay of permissive and inhibitory extracellular cues, which signal through receptors at the synapse to regulate the closure of critical periods of developmental plasticity as well as by acute changes in plasticity in response to experience and activity in the adult. The molecular underpinnings of synaptic plasticity are actively studied and it is clear that the cytoskeleton is a key substrate for many cues that affect plasticity. Many of the cues that restrict synaptic plasticity exhibit residual activity in the injured adult CNS and restrict regenerative growth by targeting the cytoskeleton. Here, we review some of the latest insights into how cytoskeletal remodeling affects neuronal plasticity and discuss how the cytoskeleton is being targeted in an effort to promote plasticity and repair following traumatic injury in the central nervous system. © 2013 International Society for Neurochemistry.

In vitro genotoxicity assessment of MTES, GPTES and TEOS, three precursors intended for use in food contact coatings.

Science.gov (United States)

Lionti, Krystelle; Séverin, Isabelle; Dahbi, Laurence; Toury, Bérangère; Chagnon, Marie-Christine

2014-03-01

Organoalkoxysilanes are precursors that are used increasingly in the synthesis of food contact coatings. To comply with the EU regulation, their potential toxicity must be assessed, and very little information is known. The genotoxicity of three common precursors was studied, namely, tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) and 3-glycidyloxypropyltriethoxysilane (GPTES). By the Ames test, MTES and TEOS were not mutagenic for bacteria. A significant positive response was observed with GPTES in the TA100 and TA1535 strains. The mutagenic effect was more pronounced in the presence of the exogenous metabolic activation system with an increase of the induction factor (ten-fold higher for the TA1535 strain). In the micronucleus assay performed with a human hepatoma cell line (HepG2 cells), GPTES gave negative results even in the presence of an exogenous activation system. To ascertain the possibility of using this precursor in food contact material, its migration must be monitored according to the coating formulation because migration might result in hazardous human exposure. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Nano-enhanced food contact materials and the in vitro toxicity to human intestinal cells of nano-ZnO at low dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Claonadh, Niall O; Casey, Alan; Mukherjee, Sanchali Gupta; Chambers, Gordon; Lyons, Sean; Higginbotham, Clement

2011-01-01

Nano Zinc Oxide (nZnO) has been shown to display antimicrobial effects which have lead to its application in a number of areas such as antimicrobial surface coatings, anti bacterial wound dressings and more recently in polymer composite systems for use in food contact materials. Concerns have been raised due to the incorporation of nanoparticles in food packaging stemming from the possibility of repeated low dose direct exposure, through ingestion, primarily due to degradation and nanoparticle leaching from the polymer composite. To address these concerns, composites consisting of nZnO and polyethylene were formed using twin screw extrusion to mimic commercial methods of food contact material production. A leaching study was performed using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy in order to determine the concentration of nZnO leached from the composite. Composite stability studies were performed and a leached nZnO concentration was evaluated. This concentration range was then utilised in a series of tests aimed at determining the toxicity response associated with nZnO when exposed to an intestinal model. In this study two human colorectal carcinoma cell lines, HT29 (ATCC No: HTB-38) and SW480 (ATTC No: CCL-228), were employed as a model to represent areas exposed by ingestion. These lines were exposed to a concentration range of nZnO which incorporated the concentration leached from the composites. The cytotoxic effects of nZnO were evaluated using four cytotoxic endpoints namely the Neutral Red, Alamar Blue, Coomassie Blue and MTT assays. The results of these studies are presented and their implications for the use on nano ZnO in direct food contact surfaces will be discussed.

Nano-enhanced food contact materials and the in vitro toxicity to human intestinal cells of nano-ZnO at low dose

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Claonadh, Niall O; Casey, Alan; Mukherjee, Sanchali Gupta; Chambers, Gordon [Nanolab Research Centre, Focas Institute, Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin (Ireland); Lyons, Sean; Higginbotham, Clement, E-mail: Niall.OClaonadh@DIT.ie, E-mail: Alan.Casey@DIT.ie [Materials Research Institute, Athlone Institute of Technology, Westmeath (Ireland)

2011-07-06

Nano Zinc Oxide (nZnO) has been shown to display antimicrobial effects which have lead to its application in a number of areas such as antimicrobial surface coatings, anti bacterial wound dressings and more recently in polymer composite systems for use in food contact materials. Concerns have been raised due to the incorporation of nanoparticles in food packaging stemming from the possibility of repeated low dose direct exposure, through ingestion, primarily due to degradation and nanoparticle leaching from the polymer composite. To address these concerns, composites consisting of nZnO and polyethylene were formed using twin screw extrusion to mimic commercial methods of food contact material production. A leaching study was performed using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy in order to determine the concentration of nZnO leached from the composite. Composite stability studies were performed and a leached nZnO concentration was evaluated. This concentration range was then utilised in a series of tests aimed at determining the toxicity response associated with nZnO when exposed to an intestinal model. In this study two human colorectal carcinoma cell lines, HT29 (ATCC No: HTB-38) and SW480 (ATTC No: CCL-228), were employed as a model to represent areas exposed by ingestion. These lines were exposed to a concentration range of nZnO which incorporated the concentration leached from the composites. The cytotoxic effects of nZnO were evaluated using four cytotoxic endpoints namely the Neutral Red, Alamar Blue, Coomassie Blue and MTT assays. The results of these studies are presented and their implications for the use on nano ZnO in direct food contact surfaces will be discussed.

A photochemical approach designed to improve the coating of nanoscale silver films onto food plastic wrappings intended to control bacterial hazards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mustatea, Gabriel; Vidal, Loïc; Calinescu, Ioan; Dobre, Alina; Ionescu, Mariana; Balan, Lavinia

2015-01-01

Plasmonic silver film was directly generated on a variety of substrates through a facile and environmentally friendly method, which involves a UV-photoreduction process without any reducing or stabilizing agent and requiring no thermal step. Top-coated films of unprotected silver nanoparticles (3–11 nm) were generated from hydroalcoholic AgNO 3 solution and directly on glass substrates or food packaging plastic wraps, low density polyethylene film, and polyvinyl chloride. The natural antibacterial activity of the material was evaluated. The correlation between silver migration and antimicrobial activity of silver-functionalized substrates against pure strains of gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) and gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) was demonstrated. By way of illustration, food plastic wraps top-coated in this way exhibited a high antibacterial activity. The metal nanoparticle film obtained in this way was characterized and the influence of several parameters (fluence, exposure, silver nitrate concentration, and nature of the free radicals generator) on their formation was studied. Moreover, by shaping the actinic beam with an appropriate device, it is very easy to pattern the brown yellow silver nanofilm or to print messages in plain text

A photochemical approach designed to improve the coating of nanoscale silver films onto food plastic wrappings intended to control bacterial hazards

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mustatea, Gabriel [University Politehnica of Bucharest, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science (Romania); Vidal, Loïc [Institut de Sciences des Matériaux de Mulhouse, CNRS UMR 7361 (France); Calinescu, Ioan [University Politehnica of Bucharest, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science (Romania); Dobre, Alina; Ionescu, Mariana [National Research and Development Institute for Food Bioresources – IBA Bucharest (Romania); Balan, Lavinia, E-mail: lavinia.balan@uha.fr [Institut de Sciences des Matériaux de Mulhouse, CNRS UMR 7361 (France)

2015-01-15

Plasmonic silver film was directly generated on a variety of substrates through a facile and environmentally friendly method, which involves a UV-photoreduction process without any reducing or stabilizing agent and requiring no thermal step. Top-coated films of unprotected silver nanoparticles (3–11 nm) were generated from hydroalcoholic AgNO{sub 3} solution and directly on glass substrates or food packaging plastic wraps, low density polyethylene film, and polyvinyl chloride. The natural antibacterial activity of the material was evaluated. The correlation between silver migration and antimicrobial activity of silver-functionalized substrates against pure strains of gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) and gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) was demonstrated. By way of illustration, food plastic wraps top-coated in this way exhibited a high antibacterial activity. The metal nanoparticle film obtained in this way was characterized and the influence of several parameters (fluence, exposure, silver nitrate concentration, and nature of the free radicals generator) on their formation was studied. Moreover, by shaping the actinic beam with an appropriate device, it is very easy to pattern the brown yellow silver nanofilm or to print messages in plain text.

A photochemical approach designed to improve the coating of nanoscale silver films onto food plastic wrappings intended to control bacterial hazards

Science.gov (United States)

Mustatea, Gabriel; Vidal, Loïc; Calinescu, Ioan; Dobre, Alina; Ionescu, Mariana; Balan, Lavinia

2015-01-01

Plasmonic silver film was directly generated on a variety of substrates through a facile and environmentally friendly method, which involves a UV-photoreduction process without any reducing or stabilizing agent and requiring no thermal step. Top-coated films of unprotected silver nanoparticles (3-11 nm) were generated from hydroalcoholic AgNO3 solution and directly on glass substrates or food packaging plastic wraps, low density polyethylene film, and polyvinyl chloride. The natural antibacterial activity of the material was evaluated. The correlation between silver migration and antimicrobial activity of silver-functionalized substrates against pure strains of gram-negative bacteria ( Escherichia coli) and gram-positive bacteria ( Staphylococcus aureus) was demonstrated. By way of illustration, food plastic wraps top-coated in this way exhibited a high antibacterial activity. The metal nanoparticle film obtained in this way was characterized and the influence of several parameters (fluence, exposure, silver nitrate concentration, and nature of the free radicals generator) on their formation was studied. Moreover, by shaping the actinic beam with an appropriate device, it is very easy to pattern the brown yellow silver nanofilm or to print messages in plain text.

Migration of fluorochemical paper additives from food-contact paper into foods and food simulants.

Science.gov (United States)

Begley, T H; Hsu, W; Noonan, G; Diachenko, G

2008-03-01

Fluorochemical-treated paper was tested to determine the amount of migration that occurs into foods and food-simulating liquids and the characteristics of the migration. Migration characteristics of fluorochemicals from paper were examined in Miglyol, butter, water, vinegar, water-ethanol solutions, emulsions and pure oil containing small amounts of emulsifiers. Additionally, microwave popcorn and chocolate spread were used to investigate migration. Results indicate that fluorochemicals paper additives do migrate to food during actual package use. For example, we found that microwave popcorn contained 3.2 fluorochemical mg kg(-1) popcorn after popping and butter contained 0.1 mg kg(-1) after 40 days at 4 degrees C. Tests also indicate that common food-simulating liquids for migration testing and package material evaluation might not provide an accurate indication of the amount of fluorochemical that actually migrates to food. Tests show that oil containing small amounts of an emulsifier can significantly enhance migration of a fluorochemical from paper.

Property of filler-loaded magnetic ferrite from plastic waste bottle used to treat municipal domestic sewage.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Ru-Jin; Gong, Li-Ying; Zhu, Hai-Dong; Liu, Qiao; Xu, Li-Xia; Lu, Lu; Yang, Qi-Zhi

2018-06-01

The present work investigates the properties of self-made magnetic filler from plastic waste bottle and explores a new technology approach of waste plastic resource utilization. The magnetic filler was prepared by air plasma modification and loading magnetic ferrite on the plastic strip from waste plastic bottle. The surface properties of magnetic filler were characterized by Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), contact angle system and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR). AFM images of original and modified plastic strip showed that low-temperature plasma treatment markedly increased the surface roughness of plastic strip. The mean roughness (Ra) of plastic strip rose from 1.116 to 5.024 nm. FTIR spectra indicated that a lot of polar oxygenic groups were introduced onto the surface of plastic by plasma modification. Modification by low-temperature plasma increased the hydrophilicity of plastic strip surface. When treatment time is 40 s, water contact angle of plastic strip surface reduced from 78.2° of original plastic strip to 25.3°. When used in bioreactor, magnetic filler had very favorable microenvironment for microorganism growth. Magnetic filler was more efficient for removing chemical oxygen demand (COD) and [Formula: see text] in sewage than nonmagnetic filler. The resource utilization of plastic wastes will become reality if the magnetic filler is applied widely.

Dissolved organic carbon leaching from plastics stimulates microbial activity in the ocean

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Romera-Castillo, C.; Pinto, M.; Langer, T.M.; Alvarez-Salgado, X.A.; Herndl, G.

2018-01-01

Approximately 5.25 trillion plastic pieces are floating at the sea surface. The impact of plastic pollution on the lowest trophic levels of the food web, however, remains unknown. Here we show that plastics release dissolved organic carbon (DOC) into the ambient seawater stimulating the activity of

Nano-Ceramic Coated Plastics

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Junghyun

2013-01-01

Plastic products, due to their durability, safety, and low manufacturing cost, are now rapidly replacing cookware items traditionally made of glass and ceramics. Despite this trend, some still prefer relatively expensive and more fragile ceramic/glassware because plastics can deteriorate over time after exposure to foods, which can generate odors, bad appearance, and/or color change. Nano-ceramic coatings can eliminate these drawbacks while still retaining the advantages of the plastic, since the coating only alters the surface of the plastic. The surface coating adds functionality to the plastics such as self-cleaning and disinfectant capabilities that result from a photocatalytic effect of certain ceramic systems. These ceramic coatings can also provide non-stick surfaces and higher temperature capabilities for the base plastics without resorting to ceramic or glass materials. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) are the candidates for a nano-ceramic coating to deposit on the plastics or plastic films used in cookware and kitchenware. Both are wide-bandgap semiconductors (3.0 to 3.2 eV for TiO2 and 3.2 to 3.3 eV for ZnO), so they exhibit a photocatalytic property under ultraviolet (UV) light. This will lead to decomposition of organic compounds. Decomposed products can be easily washed off by water, so the use of detergents will be minimal. High-crystalline film with large surface area for the reaction is essential to guarantee good photocatalytic performance of these oxides. Low-temperature processing (nano-ceramic coatings (TiO2, ZnO) on plastic materials (silicone, Teflon, PET, etc.) that can possess both photocatalytic oxide properties and flexible plastic properties. Processing cost is low and it does not require any expensive equipment investment. Processing can be scalable to current manufacturing infrastructure.

Rayleigh-Taylor instability in a visco-plastic fluid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demianov, A Yu; Doludenko, A N; Son, E E; Inogamov, N A

2010-01-01

The Rayleigh-Taylor and Richtmyer-Meshkov instabilities of a visco-plastic fluid are discussed. The Bingham model is used as an effective rheological model which takes into account plastic effects. For the purposes of numerical simulation a one-mode disturbance of the contact surface between two fluids is considered. The main goal of this work is to construct numerical 2D and 3D models and to obtain the relationship between yield stress and the development of instability.

Rayleigh-Taylor instability in a visco-plastic fluid

Science.gov (United States)

Demianov, A. Yu; Doludenko, A. N.; Inogamov, N. A.; Son, E. E.

2010-12-01

The Rayleigh-Taylor and Richtmyer-Meshkov instabilities of a visco-plastic fluid are discussed. The Bingham model is used as an effective rheological model which takes into account plastic effects. For the purposes of numerical simulation a one-mode disturbance of the contact surface between two fluids is considered. The main goal of this work is to construct numerical 2D and 3D models and to obtain the relationship between yield stress and the development of instability.

Extraction of Organochlorine Pesticides from Plastic Pellets and Plastic Type Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Pflieger, Marilyne; Makorič, Petra; Kovač Viršek, Manca; Koren, Špela

2017-07-01

Plastic resin pellets, categorized as microplastics (≤5 mm in diameter), are small granules that can be unintentionally released to the environment during manufacturing and transport. Because of their environmental persistence, they are widely distributed in the oceans and on beaches all over the world. They can act as a vector of potentially toxic organic compounds (e.g., polychlorinated biphenyls) and might consequently negatively affect marine organisms. Their possible impacts along the food chain are not yet well understood. In order to assess the hazards associated with the occurrence of plastic pellets in the marine environment, it is necessary to develop methodologies that allow for rapid determination of associated organic contaminant levels. The present protocol describes the different steps required for sampling resin pellets, analyzing adsorbed organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and identifying the plastic type. The focus is on the extraction of OCPs from plastic pellets by means of a pressurized fluid extractor (PFE) and on the polymer chemical analysis applying Fourier Transform-InfraRed (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The developed methodology focuses on 11 OCPs and related compounds, including dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its two main metabolites, lindane and two production isomers, as well as the two biologically active isomers of technical endosulfan. This protocol constitutes a simple and rapid alternative to existing methodology for evaluating the concentration of organic contaminants adsorbed on plastic pieces.

Computational plasticity algorithm for particle dynamics simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Krabbenhoft, K.; Lyamin, A. V.; Vignes, C.

2018-01-01

The problem of particle dynamics simulation is interpreted in the framework of computational plasticity leading to an algorithm which is mathematically indistinguishable from the common implicit scheme widely used in the finite element analysis of elastoplastic boundary value problems. This algorithm provides somewhat of a unification of two particle methods, the discrete element method and the contact dynamics method, which usually are thought of as being quite disparate. In particular, it is shown that the former appears as the special case where the time stepping is explicit while the use of implicit time stepping leads to the kind of schemes usually labelled contact dynamics methods. The framing of particle dynamics simulation within computational plasticity paves the way for new approaches similar (or identical) to those frequently employed in nonlinear finite element analysis. These include mixed implicit-explicit time stepping, dynamic relaxation and domain decomposition schemes.

Doses rate in contact with plastic syringes of 1, 2 and 5 mL for different beta and gamma emitting radionuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torres Berdeguez, Mirta; Ayra Pardo, Enrique; Falcon, Lazaro

2008-01-01

The objective of this paper is to calculate the dose rate in contact with plastic syringes of 1, 2 and 5 m L volume, unshielded and the dose rate in the same syringes after a lead or a Lucite shield of various thickness has been installed, depending on the emission of the radionuclide used. The radionuclides involved in the assessment were 32 P, 51 Cr, 90 Y, 99m Tc, 125 I, 131 I, 153 Sm, 186 Re, 188 Re, 169 Er and 177 Lu. The code used was the MCNP4C. The results are intended to be used by a Radiation Protection Officer wherever the radionuclides in question are handled to rapidly assess the dose in hands of the operators. (author)

Dynamic frictional contact for elastic viscoplastic material

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenneth L. Kuttler

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Using a general theory for evolution inclusions, existence and uniqueness theorems are obtained for weak solutions to a frictional dynamic contact problem for elastic visco-plastic material. An existence theorem in the case where the friction coefficient is discontinuous is also presented.

[Determination of phthalate plasticizers in foods by high performance liquid chromatography with gel permeation chromatographic clean-up].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Chunyu; Wang, Hui; Zhang, Xiaohui; Ma, Zhongqiang; Deng, Wanmei; Hu, Ke; Ding, Mingyu

2011-12-01

A method of gel permeation chromatography-high performance liquid chromatography (GPC-HPLC) was established for the simultaneous determination of 5 main phthalate plasticizers in foods (edible oil, instant noodles, fried pastries, Saqima, etc.). The samples were extracted with petroleum ether in an ultrasonator, purified by a GPC column, and analyzed by HPLC. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a Labtech-C18 column (250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm) using acetonitrile and water mixture as the mobile phases in a gradient elution mode. The developed method exhibited a linear correlation coefficient of more than 0.997 and the detection limits of 3.25 - 13.4 microg/L. The spike recoveries were between 70.4% and 113.6% with the relative standard deviations (RSDs, n = 3) of 0.3% - 5.8% at the spiked level of 50 mg/L. This method is simple, rapid and practical, and can be used for the simultaneous determination of PAEs in grease food samples.

Porous Aromatic Framework 48/Gel Hybrid Material Coated Solid-Phase Microextraction Fiber for the Determination of the Migration of Styrene from Polystyrene Food Contact Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Yuanyuan; Li, Zhongyue; Yang, Lei; Xu, Jun; Zhao, Le; Li, Zhonghao; Niu, Jiajia

2017-01-17

A novel solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber was fabricated by a porous aromatic framework 48 (PAF-48)/gel hybrid material through a sol-gel process. PAF-48 is a porous organic framework (POF) material that was polymerized from 1,3,5-triphenylbenzene. The uniform pore structure, high surface area, continuous conjugate network, and hydrophobicity make PAF-48 expected to have special abilities to absorb and extract styrene as well as some other harmful volatile aromatic compounds (VACs). The PAF-48/gel-coated fiber was explored for the extraction of styrene and six VACs (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) from aqueous food simulants followed by gas chromatography (GC) separation. The fiber was found to be very sensitive for the determination of the target molecules with wide linear ranges (0.1-200 or 500 μg·kg -1 ), low limits of detection (LODs, 0.003-0.060 μg·kg -1 ), acceptable precisions (intraday relative standard deviation, RSD 200 times). Particularly for styrene, the PAF-48/gel-coated fiber exhibited a much lower LOD (0.006 μg·kg -1 ) compared with most of the reported fibers. Moreover, the PAF-48/gel-coated fiber had a high extraction selectivity for styrene and VACs over alcohols, phenols, aromatic amines, and alkanes and show a molecular sieving effect for the different molecule sizes. Finally, the PAF-48/gel-coated SPME fiber was successfully applied in GC for the determination of the specific migrations of styrene and VACs from polystyrene (PS) plastic food contact materials (FCMs).

Plastic debris in the open ocean

KAUST Repository

Cozar, Andres

2014-06-30

There is a rising concern regarding the accumulation of floating plastic debris in the open ocean. However, the magnitude and the fate of this pollution are still open questions. Using data from the Malaspina 2010 circumnavigation, regional surveys, and previously published reports, we show a worldwide distribution of plastic on the surface of the open ocean, mostly accumulating in the convergence zones of each of the five subtropical gyres with comparable density. However, the global load of plastic on the open ocean surface was estimated to be on the order of tens of thousands of tons, far less than expected. Our observations of the size distribution of floating plastic debris point at important size-selective sinks removing millimeter-sized fragments of floating plastic on a large scale. This sink may involve a combination of fast nano-fragmentation of the microplastic into particles of microns or smaller, their transference to the ocean interior by food webs and ballasting processes, and processes yet to be discovered. Resolving the fate of the missing plastic debris is of fundamental importance to determine the nature and significance of the impacts of plastic pollution in the ocean.

Plastic debris in the open ocean.

Science.gov (United States)

Cózar, Andrés; Echevarría, Fidel; González-Gordillo, J Ignacio; Irigoien, Xabier; Ubeda, Bárbara; Hernández-León, Santiago; Palma, Alvaro T; Navarro, Sandra; García-de-Lomas, Juan; Ruiz, Andrea; Fernández-de-Puelles, María L; Duarte, Carlos M

2014-07-15

There is a rising concern regarding the accumulation of floating plastic debris in the open ocean. However, the magnitude and the fate of this pollution are still open questions. Using data from the Malaspina 2010 circumnavigation, regional surveys, and previously published reports, we show a worldwide distribution of plastic on the surface of the open ocean, mostly accumulating in the convergence zones of each of the five subtropical gyres with comparable density. However, the global load of plastic on the open ocean surface was estimated to be on the order of tens of thousands of tons, far less than expected. Our observations of the size distribution of floating plastic debris point at important size-selective sinks removing millimeter-sized fragments of floating plastic on a large scale. This sink may involve a combination of fast nano-fragmentation of the microplastic into particles of microns or smaller, their transference to the ocean interior by food webs and ballasting processes, and processes yet to be discovered. Resolving the fate of the missing plastic debris is of fundamental importance to determine the nature and significance of the impacts of plastic pollution in the ocean.

Plastic debris in the open ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Cózar, Andrés; Echevarría, Fidel; González-Gordillo, J. Ignacio; Irigoien, Xabier; Úbeda, Bárbara; Hernández-León, Santiago; Palma, Álvaro T.; Navarro, Sandra; García-de-Lomas, Juan; Ruiz, Andrea; Fernández-de-Puelles, María L.; Duarte, Carlos M.

2014-01-01

There is a rising concern regarding the accumulation of floating plastic debris in the open ocean. However, the magnitude and the fate of this pollution are still open questions. Using data from the Malaspina 2010 circumnavigation, regional surveys, and previously published reports, we show a worldwide distribution of plastic on the surface of the open ocean, mostly accumulating in the convergence zones of each of the five subtropical gyres with comparable density. However, the global load of plastic on the open ocean surface was estimated to be on the order of tens of thousands of tons, far less than expected. Our observations of the size distribution of floating plastic debris point at important size-selective sinks removing millimeter-sized fragments of floating plastic on a large scale. This sink may involve a combination of fast nano-fragmentation of the microplastic into particles of microns or smaller, their transference to the ocean interior by food webs and ballasting processes, and processes yet to be discovered. Resolving the fate of the missing plastic debris is of fundamental importance to determine the nature and significance of the impacts of plastic pollution in the ocean. PMID:24982135

Silver speciation and characterization of nanoparticles released from plastic food containers by single particle ICPMS.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos, K; Gómez-Gómez, M M; Cámara, C; Ramos, L

2016-05-01

Silver migration from a commercial baby feeding bottle and a food box containing AgNPs, as confirmed by SEM-EDX analysis, was evaluated using food simulant solutions [i.e., water, 3% (v/v) acetic acid, and 10% and 90% (v/v) ethanol]. Silver release was investigated at temperatures in the 20-70°C range using contact times of up to 10 days. Migration of silver from the food box was in all cases 2 to 3 orders of magnitude higher than that observed for the baby bottle, although the total silver content in the original box material was half of that found in the baby bottle. As expected, for both food containers, silver migration depended on both the nature of the tested solution and the applied conditions. The highest release was observed for 3% acetic acid at 70°C for 2h, corresponding to 62ngdm(2) and 1887ngdm(-2) of silver for the baby bottle and the food box, respectively. Single particle-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SP-ICPMS) was used to characterise and quantify AgNPs in the food simulants extracts. Sample preparation was optimized to preserve AgNPs integrity. The experimental parameters affecting AgNPs detection, sizing and quantification by SP-ICPMS were also optimised. Analyses of water and acidic extracts revealed the presence of both dissolved silver and AgNPs. Small AgNPs (in the 18-30nm range) and particle number concentrations within the 4-1510 10(6)L(-1) range were detected, corresponding to only 0.1-8.6% of the total silver released from these materials. The only exception was AgNPs migrated into water at 40°C and 70°C from the food box, which accounted for as much as 34% and 69% of the total silver content, respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transforming plastic surfaces with electrophilic backbones from hydrophobic to hydrophilic.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Samuel; Bowen, Raffick A R; Zare, Richard N

2015-01-28

We demonstrate a simple nonaqueous reaction scheme for transforming the surface of plastics from hydrophobic to hydrophilic. The chemical modification is achieved by base-catalyzed trans-esterification with polyols. It is permanent, does not release contaminants, and causes no optical or mechanical distortion of the plastic. We present contact angle measurements to show successful modification of several types of plastics including poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and polycarbonate (PC). Its applicability to blood analysis is explored using chemically modified PET blood collection tubes and found to be quite satisfactory. We expect this approach will reduce the cost of manufacturing plastic devices with optimized wettability and can be generalized to other types of plastic materials having an electrophilic linkage as its backbone.

The contact sport of rough surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Carpick, Robert W.

2018-01-01

Describing the way two surfaces touch and make contact may seem simple, but it is not. Fully describing the elastic deformation of ideally smooth contacting bodies, under even low applied pressure, involves second-order partial differential equations and fourth-rank elastic constant tensors. For more realistic rough surfaces, the problem becomes a multiscale exercise in surface-height statistics, even before including complex phenomena such as adhesion, plasticity, and fracture. A recent research competition, the “Contact Mechanics Challenge” (1), was designed to test various approximate methods for solving this problem. A hypothetical rough surface was generated, and the community was invited to model contact with this surface with competing theories for the calculation of properties, including contact area and pressure. A supercomputer-generated numerical solution was kept secret until competition entries were received. The comparison of results (2) provides insights into the relative merits of competing models and even experimental approaches to the problem.

Elastic–plastic adhesive contact of non-Gaussian rough surfaces

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Grinding, milling, honing and abrasion processes produce grooved surfaces with negative ... This may be defined as λ = π2RH4σ/(18K2γ2) where H is the hardness ... The effect of surface roughness on adhesion at the contact of rough solids ...

Contact parameter identification for vibrational response variability prediction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Creixell Mediante, Ester; Brunskog, Jonas; Jensen, Jakob Søndergaard

2018-01-01

industry, where the vibrational behavior of the structures within the hearing frequency range is critical for the performance of the devices. A procedure to localize the most probable contact areas and determine the most sensitive contact points with respect to variations in the modes of vibration......Variability in the dynamic response of assembled structures can arise due to variations in the contact conditions between the parts that conform them. Contact conditions are difficult to model accurately due to randomness in physical properties such as contact surface, load distribution...... or geometric details. Those properties can vary for a given structure due to the assembly and disassembly process, and also across nominally equal items that are produced in series. This work focuses on modeling the contact between small light-weight plastic pieces such as those used in the hearing aid...

Effects of gamma irradiation on food contact polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene. Volatiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawamura, Yoko; Sayama, Kayo; Yamada, Takashi

2000-01-01

The effects of gamma irradiation on the generation of volatiles from food contact polyethylene and polypropylene were investigated using head space (HS)/GC/MS. All samples generated volatiles such as acetic acid, propionic acid, butanoic acid, 2,2-dimethylpropionic acid, acetone, 2-butanone, 2-propanol, 2-methyl-2-propanol, hydrocarbons, etc., due to the gamma irradiation. Especially, acetic acid and acetone were formed in greatest amounts. Since these volatiles did not exist before irradiation and their amounts increased with increasing irradiation dose, they should be degradation products from the polymer or additives by irradiation. Polypropylene generated more kinds and larger amounts of volatiles than polyethylene, which showed that polypropylene is more sensitive to irradiation. Polystyrene contained styrene and ethylbenzene as monomers before irradiation and their amounts decreased after irradiation. Polystyrene generated few degradation products during the irradiation. (author)

High-throughput dietary exposure predictions for chemical migrants from food contact substances for use in chemical prioritization.

Science.gov (United States)

Biryol, Derya; Nicolas, Chantel I; Wambaugh, John; Phillips, Katherine; Isaacs, Kristin

2017-11-01

Under the ExpoCast program, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) researchers have developed a high-throughput (HT) framework for estimating aggregate exposures to chemicals from multiple pathways to support rapid prioritization of chemicals. Here, we present methods to estimate HT exposures to chemicals migrating into food from food contact substances (FCS). These methods consisted of combining an empirical model of chemical migration with estimates of daily population food intakes derived from food diaries from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). A linear regression model for migration at equilibrium was developed by fitting available migration measurements as a function of temperature, food type (i.e., fatty, aqueous, acidic, alcoholic), initial chemical concentration in the FCS (C 0 ) and chemical properties. The most predictive variables in the resulting model were C 0 , molecular weight, log K ow , and food type (R 2 =0.71, pchemicals identified via publicly-available data sources as being present in polymer FCSs were predicted for 12 food groups (combinations of 3 storage temperatures and food type). The model was parameterized with screening-level estimates of C 0 based on the functional role of chemicals in FCS. By combining these concentrations with daily intakes for food groups derived from NHANES, population ingestion exposures of chemical in mg/kg-bodyweight/day (mg/kg-BW/day) were estimated. Calibrated aggregate exposures were estimated for 1931 chemicals by fitting HT FCS and consumer product exposures to exposures inferred from NHANES biomonitoring (R 2 =0.61, pchemicals), they can provide critical refinement to aggregate exposure predictions used in risk-based chemical priority-setting. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Occupational protein contact dermatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Barbaud, Annick; Poreaux, Claire; Penven, Emmanuelle; Waton, Julie

2015-01-01

Occupational contact dermatitis is generally caused by haptens but can also be induced by proteins causing mainly immunological contact urticaria (ICU); chronic hand eczema in the context of protein contact dermatitis (PCD). In a monocentric retrospective study, from our database, only 31 (0.41%) of patients with contact dermatitis had positive skin tests with proteins: 22 had occupational PCD, 3 had non-occupational PCD, 5 occupational ICU and 1 cook had a neutrophilic fixed food eruption (NFFE) due to fish. From these results and analysis of literature, the characteristics of PCD can be summarized as follows. It is a chronic eczematous dermatitis, possibly exacerbated by work, suggestive if associated with inflammatory perionyxix and immediate erythema with pruritis, to be investigated when the patient resumes work after a period of interruption. Prick tests with the suspected protein-containing material are essential, as patch tests have negative results. In case of multisensitisation revealed by prick tests, it is advisable to analyse IgE against recombinant allergens. A history of atopy, found in 56 to 68% of the patients, has to be checked for. Most of the cases are observed among food-handlers but PCD can also be due to non-edible plants, latex, hydrolysed proteins or animal proteins. Occupational exposure to proteins can thus lead to the development of ICU. Reflecting hypersensitivity to very low concentrations of allergens, investigating ICU therefore requires caution and prick tests should be performed with a diluted form of the causative protein-containing product. Causes are food, especially fruit peel, non-edible plants, cosmetic products, latex, animals.

Determination of Pesticide Dermal Transfer to Operators & Agricultural Workers through Contact with Sprayed Hard Surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsakirakis, Angelos N; Kasiotis, Konstantinos M; Anastasiadou, Pelagia; Charistou, Agathi N; Gerritsen-Ebben, Rianda; Glass, C Richard; Machera, Kyriaki

2018-05-20

In the present study, the dermal transfer rate of pesticides to agricultural workers occurring via contact with sprayed hard surfaces was investigated. Cotton gloves were used as dosimeters to collect residues from hard surfaces contaminated by pesticides in greenhouses. Dosimeters, either dry or moistened, were in contact with wood, metal and plastic surfaces previously sprayed. The experimental approach applied mimicked the typical hand contact. Moistened cotton gloves were used to simulate hand moisture from dew/condensation or rainfall. The effect of total duration of contact on the final hand exposure via transfer was investigated. The higher duration contact tested (50-sec) resulted in the higher transfer rates for metal and plastic surfaces; no such effect was noted in case of the wood surface. The pesticide amount transferred from the metal and plastic surfaces to wet gloves was greater than the one transferred to dry gloves. Such trend was not observed for the wood surface. Transfer rates varied from 0.46-77.62% and 0.17-16.90% for wet and dry samples, respectively. The current study has generated new data to quantify the proportion of pesticide deposits dislodged from three different non-crop surfaces when in contact with dry or wet gloves. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Compact assembly generates plastic foam, inflates flotation bag

Science.gov (United States)

1965-01-01

Device for generating plastic foam consists of an elastomeric bag and two containers with liquid resin and a liquid catalyst. When the walls of the containers are ruptured the liquids come into contact producing foam which inflates the elastomeric bag.

Uzawa algorithm to solve elastic and elastic-plastic fretting wear problems within the bipotential framework

Science.gov (United States)

Ning, Po; Feng, Zhi-Qiang; Quintero, Juan Antonio Rojas; Zhou, Yang-Jing; Peng, Lei

2018-03-01

This paper deals with elastic and elastic-plastic fretting problems. The wear gap is taken into account along with the initial contact distance to obtain the Signorini conditions. Both the Signorini conditions and the Coulomb friction laws are written in a compact form. Within the bipotential framework, an augmented Lagrangian method is applied to calculate the contact forces. The Archard wear law is then used to calculate the wear gap at the contact surface. The local fretting problems are solved via the Uzawa algorithm. Numerical examples are performed to show the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed approach. The influence of plasticity has been discussed.

Gallate Contact Dermatitis: Product Update and Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Holcomb, Zachary E; Van Noord, Megan G; Atwater, Amber Reck

Allergic contact dermatitis related to cosmetic use can result from allergens not routinely evaluated by standard patch test protocols. Propyl, octyl, and dodecyl gallates are commonly used antioxidant preservatives with reports of associated allergic contact dermatitis in the literature. The objectives of this review were to investigate the role of gallates in allergic contact dermatitis and to explore products containing these preservatives. A systematic review of the literature through April 2016 was performed to explore cases of reported gallate allergy. Food and cosmetic product databases were searched for products containing gallates. Seventy-four cases of gallate contact allergy have been reported. In addition, a variety of commercially available cosmetic products and foods contain gallate chemicals. Propyl gallate is the most commonly reported gallate contact allergen and often causes facial and/or hand dermatitis.

Analysis of melamine migration from melamine food contact articles.

Science.gov (United States)

Chik, Z; Haron, D E Mohamad; Ahmad, E D; Taha, H; Mustafa, A M

2011-01-01

Migration of melamine has been determined for 41 types of retail melamine-ware products in Malaysia. This study was initiated by the Ministry of Health, Malaysia, in the midst of public anxiety on the possibility of melamine leaching into foods that come into contact with the melamine-ware. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the level of melamine migration in melamine utensils available on the market. Samples of melamine tableware, including cups and plates, forks and spoons, tumblers, bowls, etc., were collected from various retail outlets. Following the test guidelines for melamine migration set by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN 2004) with some modifications, the samples were exposed to two types of food simulants (3% acetic acid and distilled water) at three test conditions (25°C (room temperature), 70 and 100°C) for 30 min. Melamine analysis was carried out using LC-MS/MS with a HILIC column and mobile phase consisting of ammonium acetate/formic acid (0.05%) in water and ammonium acetate/formic acid (0.05%) in acetonitrile (95 : 5, v/v). The limit of quantification (LOQ) was 5 ng/ml. Melamine migration was detected from all samples. For the articles tested with distilled water, melamine migration were [median (interquartile range)] 22.2 (32.6), 49.3 (50.9), 84.9 (89.9) ng/ml at room temperature (25°C), 70 and 100°C, respectively. In 3% acetic acid, melamine migration was 31.5 (35.7), 81.5 (76.2), 122.0 (126.7) ng/ml at room temperature (25°C), 70 and 100°C, respectively. This study suggests that excessive heat and acidity may directly affect melamine migration from melamine-ware products. However the results showed that melamine migration in the tested items were well below the specific migration limit (SML) of 30 mg/kg (30,000 ng/ml) set out in European Commission Directive 2002/72/EC.

The Synergy between Scuba Diving and Household Behaviour: Testing Plastic and Food Waste "The use of natural habitats for tourism education"

OpenAIRE

Soares Mota, Luís Cândido

2014-01-01

The activity of scuba diving is used for studying behaviours of U.S. visitors to a popular tourist destination in Mexico. The impact created by human activity can produce marine debris and therefore affect the marine environment. The subpopulation of 181 divers was tested for their current household practices regarding discarding plastic and food waste, providing quantitative statistics for divers’ referential behaviour. Prior to partaking in scuba diving, certified, trainee, and “one-day-exp...

Hazardous and other element characterization of new and used domestic plastic food containers using INAA and AAS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waheed, S.; Rahman, S.; Husnain, S.M.; Siddique, N.

2012-01-01

Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy methodology was developed to characterize the hazardous and other inorganic trace element constituents in new and used domestic plastic food containers. INAA due to its non destructive, highly sensitive, multielement and low detection limits characteristics was found to be a good technique for the characterization of polymeric products. Through the variation of irradiation, cooling and counting protocols Al, Ba, Br, Co, Cr, Eu, Fe, Hg, K, Mn, Na, Nd, Sb, Sc, Th, Ti, V and Zn were determined, while Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy was used as complementary technique to quantify toxic inorganic elements such as Cd, Pb and Cu. These elements are thought to originate from the polymer manufacturing processes. It was found that there was gradual increase in the concentration of most of these elements from new to used plastic samples. Moreover it was also observed that these inorganic elements are present in higher concentrations in the lower grade containers as compared to the high quality containers. It was also observed that the good quality containers even with the long usage do not degrade to such an extent as the low quality containers. (author)

modelingthe effect the effect of contact and seepage forces

African Journals Online (AJOL)

eobe

This research work has investigated the contribution of contact force and seepage force to the ... e equilibrium model has deduced an expression for the safe hydraulic head during well ...... Plastic deformation of soils simulation using DEM,.

Manufacturing involving forging of multiple objects in contact

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Chris Valentin; Zhang, W.; Martins, P.A.F.

and dissimilar materials. While being plastically deformed against each other under increasing forging load, the parts dynamically develop their mutual contact interfaces. Comparisons of the final geometry as well as force-displacement curves are evaluated. The potential of simulated applications are discussed...

Granular dynamics, contact mechanics and particle system simulations a DEM study

CERN Document Server

Thornton, Colin

2015-01-01

This book is devoted to the Discrete Element Method (DEM) technique, a discontinuum modelling approach that takes into account the fact that granular materials are composed of discrete particles which interact with each other at the microscale level. This numerical simulation technique can be used both for dispersed systems in which the particle-particle interactions are collisional and compact systems of particles with multiple enduring contacts. The book provides an extensive and detailed explanation of the theoretical background of DEM. Contact mechanics theories for elastic, elastic-plastic, adhesive elastic and adhesive elastic-plastic particle-particle interactions are presented. Other contact force models are also discussed, including corrections to some of these models as described in the literature, and important areas of further research are identified. A key issue in DEM simulations is whether or not a code can reliably simulate the simplest of systems, namely the single particle oblique impact wit...

The optimization of phthalate analysis from plastic matrices by using GC/MS related techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Pusfitasari, Eka Dian; Hendarsyah, Hendris; Athaillah, Zatil Afrah

2017-11-01

Indication of malicious acts conducted by food vendors has been reported in many places in Indonesia and has been worrying the population. One of the issues is the indication that frying oil used by the vendors has been added with food packaging plastic to impart more crispy texture of the fried foods. One of the challenges for the monitoring process is to find suitable analytical method to identify this type of food adulteration. Because some food packaging, particularly from polyethylene group, contains plasticizer diethylhexylphthalate (DEHP), we intended to investigate the adulteration by detecting the phthalate compound. In this preliminary study, we focused on the optimization of GC equipment as well as the optimization of plastic extraction process with various types of solvents (hexane, dichloromethane, and acetonitrile) and extraction time (24, 48, and 72 hours). For 72-hour duration, treatment with solvent refreshment was also conducted to minimize solvent saturation effect. Our findings suggested that LOD and LOQ of the GC/MS instrument used for the DEHP analysis were 19.6 ng and 65.5 ng, respectively. In addition, it could be concluded that the process of plastic extraction through sonication for five minutes with n-hexane as a solvent resulted in the optimal value.

Plastic debris in the open ocean

KAUST Repository

Cozar, Andres; Echevarrí a, Fidel; Gonzaĺez-Gordillo, Juan Igná cio; Irigoien, Xabier; Ú beda, Bá rbara; Hernandez-Leon, Santiago; Palma, Á lvaro T.; Navarro, Sandra; Garcí a-de-Lomas, Juan; Ruiz, Andrea; Ferná ndez De Puelles, Ma Luz; Duarte, Carlos M.

2014-01-01

of floating plastic on a large scale. This sink may involve a combination of fast nano-fragmentation of the microplastic into particles of microns or smaller, their transference to the ocean interior by food webs and ballasting processes, and processes yet

An adaptive EFG-FE coupling method for elasto-plastic contact of rough surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Lan; Liu Geng; Tong Ruiting; Jin Saiying

2010-01-01

Differing from Finite Element Method, the meshless method does not need any mesh information and can arrange nodes freely which is perfectly suitable for adaptive analysis. In order to simulate the contact condition factually and improve computational efficiency, an adaptive procedure for Element-free Galerkin-Finite Element (EFG-FE) coupling contact model is established and developed to investigate the elastoplastic contact performance for engineering rough surfaces. The local adaptive refinement strategy combined with the strain energy gradient-based error estimation model is employed. The schemes, including principle explanation, arithmetic analysis and programming realization, are introduced and discussed. Furthermore, some related parameters on adaptive convergence criterion are researched emphatically, including adaptation-stop criterion, refinement or coarsening criterion which are guided by the relative error in total strain energy with two adjacent stages. Based on pioneering works of the EFG-FE coupling method for contact problems, an adaptive EFG-FE model for asperity contact is studied. Compared with the solutions obtained from the uniform refinement model, the adaptation results indicate that the adaptive method presented in this paper is capable of solving asperity contact problems with excellent calculation accuracy and computational efficiency.

Prospects for microbiological solutions to environmental pollution with plastics.

Science.gov (United States)

Krueger, Martin C; Harms, Hauke; Schlosser, Dietmar

2015-11-01

Synthetic polymers, commonly named plastics, are among the most widespread anthropogenic pollutants of marine, limnic and terrestrial ecosystems. Disruptive effects of plastics are known to threaten wildlife and exert effects on natural food webs, but signs for and knowledge on plastic biodegradation are limited. Microorganisms are the most promising candidates for an eventual bioremediation of environmental plastics. Laboratory studies have reported various effects of microorganisms on many types of polymers, usually by enzymatic hydrolysis or oxidation. However, most common plastics have proved to be highly recalcitrant even under conditions known to favour microbial degradation. Knowledge on environmental degradation is yet scarcer. With this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge on microbiological degradation of several of the most common plastic types. Furthermore, we illustrate the analytical challenges concerning the evaluation of plastic biodegradation as well as constraints likely standing against the evolution of effective biodegradation pathways.

radioactive survey on the contact zone (paleogene - neogene) in Ad-Daww basin of Syria, using alpha sensitive plastic film technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mouty, M.; Al-Hilal, M.; Kattaa, B.

1995-01-01

A detailed radon survey has been carried out over the contact zone of marine Paleogene and continental Neogene Formations in Ad-Daww basin (Central Syria), for the purpose of uranium exploration. Radon measurements were performed in a grid pattern using alpha sensitive plastic film technique, type 1B CN-85. Radon concentrations in soil were monitored across the aforementioned zone for 1.5 year, from April 93 to July 94, and their average has been calculated. Alpha Track density was found to be varying from 81 to 227 T/mm2 in Qarytein station, 65 to 124 T/mm2 in Bardeh station and 101 to 196 T/mm2 in Tyas station. The results of this work showed that the anomalous radon values were found to be corresponded to the Oligocene-Miocene geological surface in the study area. These relatively high values are most likely related to scattered uranium mineralization precipitated on surface along a chemically reducing zone where surface water of terrestrial and marine origin intermingled. A comparison between gamma count rate and trak etch density revealed a fairly good correlation, which indicates that the uranium occurrences on the geological contact (Oli - Mio) in Ad-Daww basin are of surficial nature. However, this may give a preliminary indication of probable subsurface extension of these occurrences preserved at depth away from surfacial weathering. (author). 6 refs., 2 tabs

Production of Methane and Water from Crew Plastic Waste

Science.gov (United States)

Captain, Janine; Santiago, Eddie; Parrish, Clyde; Strayer, Richard F.; Garland, Jay L.

2008-01-01

Recycling is a technology that will be key to creating a self sustaining lunar outpost. The plastics used for food packaging provide a source of material that could be recycled to produce water and methane. The recycling of these plastics will require some additional resources that will affect the initial estimate of starting materials that will have to be transported from earth, mainly oxygen, energy and mass. These requirements will vary depending on the recycling conditions. The degredation products of these plastics will vary under different atmospheric conditions. An estimate of the the production rate of methane and water using typical ISRU processes along with the plastic recycling will be presented.

Order of 12 August 1986 on treatment by ionizing radiation of material and objects in contact with foods and beverages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-01-01

This Order applies to packaging material and articles in contact with foods and beverages, when they are treated by cobalt 60 or caesium 137 gamma rays, accelerated electrons of the energy lower than or equal to 10 MeV and X rays of the energy lower than or equal to 10 MeV. (NEA) [fr

Field evidence for transfer of plastic debris along a terrestrial food chain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huerta Lwanga, Esperanza; Mendoza Vega, Jorge; Ku Quej, Victor; Angeles Chi, de los Jesus; Sanchez del Cid, Lucero; Chi, Cesar; Escalona Segura, Griselda; Gertsen, Henny; Salánki, Tamás; Ploeg, van der Martine; Koelmans, Bart; Geissen, Violette

2017-01-01

Although plastic pollution happens globally, the micro- (<5 mm) and macroplastic (5–150 mm) transfer of plastic to terrestrial species relevant to human consumption has not been examined. We provide first-time evidence for micro- and macroplastic transfer from soil to chickens in traditional

[Street food: analysis of hygienic and sanitary conditions of food handlers].

Science.gov (United States)

de Souza, Giovanna Carbonera; dos Santos, Celso Tadeu Barbosa; Andrade, Anderson Assunção; Alves, Luciene

2015-08-01

The consumption of street food is an economical and practical alternative for the population. However, concerns regarding the safety of these foods are increasing. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the hygienic and sanitary conditions of the street food trade in Uberaba in the State of Minas Gerais. For this purpose, 30 street vending sites were evaluated using a structured questionnaire and microbiological analysis of food handlers' hands and food contact recipients and surfaces. The findings showed low adequacy of street food regarding hand hygiene and food contact surfaces. With respect to surfaces, the results for mesophilic aerobic microorganisms revealed that only 23.3% had satisfactory sanitary conditions. The level of contamination of hands by fecal thermotolerant coliforms and/or Coagulase positive Staphylococci was unsatisfactory in approximately 47% of food handlers. The conclusion drawn is that the hygienic and sanitary conditions of food handlers in Uberaba are poor. It is therefore necessary to adopt effective and permanent training programs on food safety for food handlers urgently.

Nanoparticles from Degradation of Biodegradable Plastic Mulch

Science.gov (United States)

Flury, Markus; Sintim, Henry; Bary, Andy; English, Marie; Schaefer, Sean

2017-04-01

Plastic mulch films are commonly used in crop production. They provide multiple benefits, including control of weeds and insects, increase of soil and air temperature, reduction of evaporation, and prevention of soil erosion. The use of plastic mulch film in agriculture has great potential to increase food production and security. Plastic mulch films must be retrieved and disposed after usage. Biodegradable plastic mulch films, who can be tilled into the soil after usage offer great benefits as alternative to conventional polyethylene plastic. However, it has to be shown that the degradation of these mulches is complete and no micro- and nanoparticles are released during degradation. We conducted a field experiment with biodegradable mulches and tested mulch degradation. Mulch was removed from the field after the growing season and composted to facilitate degradation. We found that micro- and nanoparticles were released during degradation of the mulch films in compost. This raises concerns about degradation in soils as well.

Energy recycling of plastic and rubber wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussain, R.

2003-01-01

Major areas for applications of plastics and rubbers are building and construction, packaging, transportation, automobiles, furniture, house wares, appliances, electrical and electronics. Approximately 20% of all the plastics produced are utilized by the building and construction industry/sup (1-3)/. Categories of polymers mostly used in the above industries include poly (vinyl chloride), polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene phenolics, acrylics and urethanes. Tyres and tubes are almost exclusively made up of rubbers. One third of total consumption of plastics finds applications, like films, bottles and packaging, in food-products that have a maximum life-span of two years, after which these find way to waste dumps. As the polymer industry in Pakistan is set to grow very rapidly in the near future the increase in utilization of plastic products in synchronous with the advent of computers and information technology. About 0.60 Kg per capita of waste generated daily in Lahore /(7.14)/ contains considerable quantity of plastics. (AB)

Attachment behaviour of Escherichia coli K12 and Salmonella Typhimurium P6on food contact surfaces for food transportation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abban, Stephen; Jakobsen, Mogens; Jespersen, Lene

2012-01-01

The role of cargo container lining materials aluminium, a fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) and stainless steel in bacterial cross contamination during transport was assessed. For this, attachment and detachment of Escherichia coli K12 and Salmonella Typhimurium P6 on the three surfaces in the absence....... Typhimurium P6 respectively. Correlation with roughness average was poor; r = -0.425 and -0.413 respectively for E. coli K12 and S. Typhimurium P6. Presence of residue caused significant reduction (p ... material sections of the same surfaces. We report these observations for the first time for aluminium and the FRP material and in part for stainless steel. The S. Typhimurium P6 strain also had significantly higher level of attachment than the E. coli K12 strain. Our findings show that food residue...

75 FR 17145 - Food Additives; Bisphenol A; Availability

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-05

...] Food Additives; Bisphenol A; Availability AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice... contact materials. Uses of BPA were approved by FDA under its food additive regulations in the early 1960s..., Division of 2009 Food Contact Notifications, Office of Food Additive Safety, Center for Food Safety and...

The second green revolution? Production of plant-based biodegradable plastics.

Science.gov (United States)

Mooney, Brian P

2009-03-01

Biodegradable plastics are those that can be completely degraded in landfills, composters or sewage treatment plants by the action of naturally occurring micro-organisms. Truly biodegradable plastics leave no toxic, visible or distinguishable residues following degradation. Their biodegradability contrasts sharply with most petroleum-based plastics, which are essentially indestructible in a biological context. Because of the ubiquitous use of petroleum-based plastics, their persistence in the environment and their fossil-fuel derivation, alternatives to these traditional plastics are being explored. Issues surrounding waste management of traditional and biodegradable polymers are discussed in the context of reducing environmental pressures and carbon footprints. The main thrust of the present review addresses the development of plant-based biodegradable polymers. Plants naturally produce numerous polymers, including rubber, starch, cellulose and storage proteins, all of which have been exploited for biodegradable plastic production. Bacterial bioreactors fed with renewable resources from plants--so-called 'white biotechnology'--have also been successful in producing biodegradable polymers. In addition to these methods of exploiting plant materials for biodegradable polymer production, the present review also addresses the advances in synthesizing novel polymers within transgenic plants, especially those in the polyhydroxyalkanoate class. Although there is a stigma associated with transgenic plants, especially food crops, plant-based biodegradable polymers, produced as value-added co-products, or, from marginal land (non-food), crops such as switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), have the potential to become viable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics and an environmentally benign and carbon-neutral source of polymers.

Colored Contact Lens Dangers

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... contact lenses , from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Are the colored lenses you are considering buying approved by ... 23, 2018 Solar Eclipse Inflicts Damage in the Shape of ...

An evaluation on the effect of reversed plastic zone on the fatigue crack opening behavior under 2-D plane stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Hyeon Chang

2005-01-01

The relationship between fatigue crack opening behavior and the reversed plastic zone sizes is studied. An elastic-plastic Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is performed to examine the opening behavior of fatigue crack, where the contact elements are used in the mesh of the crack tip area. The smaller element size than reversed plastic zone size is used for evaluating the distribution of reversed plastic zone. In the author's previous results the FEA could predict the crack opening level, which crack tip elements were in proportion to the theoretical reversed plastic zone size. It is found that the calculated reversed plastic zone size is related to the theoretical reversed plastic zone size and crack opening level. The calculated reversed plastic zone sizes are almost equal to the reversed plastic zone considering crack opening level obtained by experimental results. It can be possible to predict the crack opening level from the reversed plastic zone size calculated by finite element method. We find that the experimental crack opening levels correspond with the opening values of contact nodes on the calculated reversed plastic zone of finite element simulation

The use of prophylactic antibiotics in plastic surgery: update in 2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Hauck, Randy M; Nogan, Stephen

2013-01-01

The indications for prophylactic antibiotics in plastic surgery remain controversial. No recent survey has been reported on the use of prophylactic antibiotics by plastic surgeons in clinical practice. This survey was designed to assess the current use of prophylactic antibiotics by plastic surgeons and to compare trends with previous studies. All members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons with an e-mail address on the Society's website were contacted via an e-mail and sent a link to a SurveyMonkey questionnaire. To survey only in those subspecialty areas that they practice in, surgeons were queried only on the procedures that they perform. Within each section, a list of common representative procedures was included, with questions about the use of antibiotic prophylaxis. A total of 3824 American Society of Plastic Surgeons members were contacted. Of the 3613, 910 with working e-mail addresses responded to the survey for a response rate of 25%. And 833 or 91.5% completed the survey. Survey data cover the percentage of surgeons reporting their use of antibiotics in procedures that they currently perform. The percentage of plastic surgeons who use prophylactic antibiotics in almost all procedures studied has increased significantly when compared with earlier studies. The use of prophylactic antibiotics by plastic surgeons has increased considerably since the prior studies by Krizek et al (Plast Reconstr Surg. 1975;55:21-32 and 1985;76:953-963). Some of these uses are appropriate because of the use in procedures involving implants and longer operations. The elevated rates for clean procedures are not part of the evidence-based practice.

The pulverization and handling of soft plastics for energy recovery; Soenderdelning och hantering av mjuka plaster foer energiutvinning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wiklund, Sven-Erik

2000-10-01

The purpose of the project has primarily been to investigate suitable equipment (mills, crushers, shredders) for the pulverization of different types of soft plastics from the agricultural sector (large sacks and silage plastic) and the peat extraction industry (plastic covers) with the aim of being able to use the plastic material as fuel in conventional solid waste-fired plants. Many of the mills that are used for pulverizing different types of biofuel have proved not to be particularly suitable for soft plastics. The project has comprised the following: * Contact with a number of plant owners with different types of plants (grate, CFB and BFB boilers) for a review of existing fuel handling and fuel feed equipment as well as the demands they make on the fuel that is to be fired. * Contact with Trio Plast concerning previous tests carried out in connection with the collection, baling, handling, pulverization and combustion of plastics from the agricultural sector. * Contact with mill suppliers for participation in the tests and for feedback on experience gained in connection with the pulverization of soft plastics. * Choice of a suitable plant for practical trials based on contact with the above plant owners as a reference group. * Practical trials in 5 mills with the pulverization of soft plastics from agriculture (silage plastic and large sacks) as well as plastic from peat extraction (plastic covers) and * Evaluation of technical, economic, energy-related and environmental preconditions. Following contact with several owners of solid waste-fired combustion plants, and after hearing their opinions, it became clear that many of them were doubtful about the combustion of plastic. They are primarily afraid of tripping superheaters, etc. Consequently, two plants without superheaters, one in Oestersund and the other in Malmoe, were chosen for the tests. The mills that were tested were: * A SIM mill from WahIkvist, Oedeshoeg Plant - a mobile slow-action pulverizer for

Systemic contact dermatitis due to nickel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taruli Olivia

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Systemic contact dermatitis (SCD is a systemic reactivation of a previous allergic contact dermatitis. The initial exposure may usually be topical, followed by oral, intravenous or inhalation exposure leading to a systemic hypersensitivity reaction. A case of a 27 year-old male with SCD due to nickel is reported Case Report: A 27 year-old male presented with recurrent pruritic eruption consist of deep seated vesicles on both palmar and left plantar since 6 months before admission. This complaint began after patient consumed excessive amounts of chocolate, canned food, and beans. The patient worked as a technician in a food factory. History of allergy due to nickel was acknowledged since childhood. The clinical presentation was diffuse deep seated vesicles, and multiple erythematous macules to plaques, with collarette scale. Patch test using the European standard showed a +3 result to nickel. The patient was diagnosed as systemic contact dermatitis due to nickel. The treatments were topical corticosteroid and patient education of avoidance of both contact and systemic exposure to nickel. The patient showed clinical improvement after 2 weeks. Discussion: SCD was diagnosed due to the history of massive consumption of food containing nickel in a patient who had initial sensitization to nickel, with clinical features and the patch test result. Advice to be aware of nickel and its avoidance is important in SCD management.

Analysis of water sorption isotherms of amorphous food materials by solution thermodynamics with relevance to glass transition: evaluation of plasticizing effect of water by the thermodynamic parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimazaki, Eriko; Tashiro, Akiko; Kumagai, Hitomi; Kumagai, Hitoshi

2017-04-01

Relation between the thermodynamic parameters obtained from water sorption isotherms and the degree of reduction in the glass transition temperature (T g ), accompanied by water sorption, was quantitatively studied. Two well-known glassy food materials namely, wheat gluten and maltodextrin were used as samples. The difference between the chemical potential of water in a solution and that of pure water ([Formula: see text]), the difference between the chemical potential of solid in a solution and that of a pure solid ([Formula: see text]), and the change in the integral Gibbs free energy ([Formula: see text]) were obtained by analyzing the water sorption isotherms using solution thermodynamics. The parameter [Formula: see text] correlated well with ΔT g (≡T g  - T g0 ; where T g0 is the glass transition temperature of dry material), which had been taken to be an index of plasticizing effect. This indicates that plasticizing effect of water on foods can be evaluated through the parameter [Formula: see text].

Colored Contact Lens Dangers

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... use of colored contact lenses , from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Are the colored lenses ... 2018 By Dan T. Gudgel Do you know what the difference is between ophthalmologists and optometrists? A ...

Colored Contact Lens Dangers

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... colored contact lenses , from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Are the colored lenses you are ... this month in the New England Journal of Medicine. Unfortunately, this kind of injury is all too ...

Colored Contact Lens Dangers

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... use of colored contact lenses , from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Are the colored lenses you are considering buying approved by the ... Service For Advertisers For Media Ophthalmology Job Center © American ...

Food contact surfaces coated with nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide: effect on Listeria monocytogenes survival under different light sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodrigues, D.; Teixeira, P.; Tavares, C.J.; Azeredo, J.

2013-01-01

Improvement of food safety is a very important issue, and is on the basis of production and application of new/modified food contact surfaces. Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) and, more recently, nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (N-TiO 2 ) coatings are among the possible forms to enhance food contact surfaces performance in terms of higher hygiene and easier sanitation. In this context, the present work aimed at evaluating the bactericidal activity of an N-TiO 2 coating on glass and stainless steel under two different sources of visible light – fluorescent and incandescent – and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Listeria monocytogenes was chosen as representative of major foodborne pathogens and its survival was tested on N-TiO 2 coated coupons. In terms of survival percentage, good results were obtained after exposure of coated surfaces to all light types since, apart from the value obtained after exposing glass to fluorescent light (56.3%), survival rates were always below 50%. However, no effective disinfection was obtained, given that for a disinfectant or sanitizing agent to be claimed as effective it needs to be able to promote at least a 3-log reduction of the microbial load, which was not observed for any of the experimental conditions assessed. Even so, UV irradiation was the most successful on eliminating cells on coated surfaces, since the amount of bacteria was reduced to 1.49 × 10 6 CFU/ml on glass and 2.37 × 10 7 on stainless steel. In contrast, both visible light sources had only slightly decreased the amount of viable cells, which remained in the range of 8 log CFU/ml. Hence, although some bactericidal effect was accomplished under visible light, UV was the most effective light source on promoting photocatalytic reactions on N-TiO 2 coated coupons and none of the experimental conditions have reached a satisfactory disinfection level. Thus, this surface coating needs further research and improvement in order to become truly effective against foodborne

Food contact surfaces coated with nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide: effect on Listeria monocytogenes survival under different light sources

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigues, D.; Teixeira, P.; Tavares, C. J.; Azeredo, J.

2013-04-01

Improvement of food safety is a very important issue, and is on the basis of production and application of new/modified food contact surfaces. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and, more recently, nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (N-TiO2) coatings are among the possible forms to enhance food contact surfaces performance in terms of higher hygiene and easier sanitation. In this context, the present work aimed at evaluating the bactericidal activity of an N-TiO2 coating on glass and stainless steel under two different sources of visible light - fluorescent and incandescent - and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Listeria monocytogenes was chosen as representative of major foodborne pathogens and its survival was tested on N-TiO2 coated coupons. In terms of survival percentage, good results were obtained after exposure of coated surfaces to all light types since, apart from the value obtained after exposing glass to fluorescent light (56.3%), survival rates were always below 50%. However, no effective disinfection was obtained, given that for a disinfectant or sanitizing agent to be claimed as effective it needs to be able to promote at least a 3-log reduction of the microbial load, which was not observed for any of the experimental conditions assessed. Even so, UV irradiation was the most successful on eliminating cells on coated surfaces, since the amount of bacteria was reduced to 1.49 × 106 CFU/ml on glass and 2.37 × 107 on stainless steel. In contrast, both visible light sources had only slightly decreased the amount of viable cells, which remained in the range of 8 log CFU/ml. Hence, although some bactericidal effect was accomplished under visible light, UV was the most effective light source on promoting photocatalytic reactions on N-TiO2 coated coupons and none of the experimental conditions have reached a satisfactory disinfection level. Thus, this surface coating needs further research and improvement in order to become truly effective against foodborne pathogens and

Poly(hydroxyalkanoates for Food Packaging: Application and Attempts towards Implementation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Koller

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Plastics are well-established for convenient and safe packaging and distribution of food and feed goods. At present, this special sector of the plastic market displays remarkably increasing quantities of its annual production. Caused by the ongoing limitation and strongly fluctuating prices of fossil feedstocks, classically used for plastic production, there is an evident trend to switch towards so-called “bio-plastics”. Especially for bulk applications such as food packaging, a broad implementation of “bio-plastics” constitutes a future-oriented strategy to restrict the dependence of global industry on fossil feedstocks, and to diminish current problematic environmental issues arising from plastic disposal. However, food packaging demands a great deal of the utilized packaging material. This encompasses tailored mechanical properties such as low brittleness and adequate tensile strength, a sufficient barrier for oxygen, CO2, and aromatic flavors, high UV-resistance, and high water retention-capacity to block the food´s moisture content, or to prevent humidity, respectively. Due to their hydrophobic character and the broad flexibility of their mechanical features, prokaryotic poly(hydroxyalkanoates (PHAs are considered as promising materials to compete with petro-plastics on the food-packaging market. Nevertheless, short-comings in particular aspects of their material performance and economics of their biosynthesis and purification constitute stumbling blocks on the long way towards broad implementation of PHAs for food packaging. This article discusses advantages and drawbacks of PHAs as food packaging materials, and demonstrates how desired properties can be improved by the designing of novel composite materials, and also encompassing techniques by applying nanoparticles.

Structural and Functional Plasticity within the Nucleus Accumbens and Prefrontal Cortex Associated with Time-Dependent Increases in Food Cue-Seeking Behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Dingess, Paige M; Darling, Rebecca A; Derman, Rifka C; Wulff, Shaun S; Hunter, Melissa L; Ferrario, Carrie R; Brown, Travis E

2017-11-01

Urges to consume food can be driven by stimuli in the environment that are associated with previous food experience. Identifying adaptations within brain reward circuits that facilitate cue-induced food seeking is critical for understanding and preventing the overconsumption of food and subsequent weight gain. Utilizing electrophysiological, biochemical, and DiI labeling, we examined functional and structural changes in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) associated with time-dependent increases in food craving ('incubation of craving'). Rats self-administered 60% high fat or chow 45 mg pellets and were then tested for incubation of craving either 1 or 30 days after training. High fat was chosen for comparison to determine whether palatability differentially affected incubation and/or plasticity. Rats showed robust incubation of craving for both food rewards, although responding for cues previously associated with high fat was greater than chow at both 1 and 30 days. In addition, previous experience with high-fat consumption reduced dendritic spine density in the PFC at both time points. In contrast, incubation was associated with an increase in NAc spine density and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR)-mediated transmission at 30 days in both groups. Finally, incubation of craving for chow and high fat was accompanied by an increase in calcium-permeable and calcium-impermeable AMPARs, respectively. Our results suggest that incubation of food craving alters brain reward circuitry and macronutrient composition specifically induces cortical changes in a way that may facilitate maladaptive food-seeking behaviors.

The failure of poly (ether ether ketone) in high speed contacts

Science.gov (United States)

Briscoe, B. J.; Stuart, B. H.; Sebastian, S.; Tweedale, P. J.

1993-04-01

The paper describes an experimental study, with an associated analysis incorporating supplementary data, of the anti-boundary lubricating action of an alkane-aliphatic carboxylic acid lubricant system in a poly (ether ether ketone)-mild steel contact. The experiments involve progressively increasing the load in a contact formed between a polymer plate and a rotating steel shaft and estimating the frictional work dissipated. Scuffing is identified when a rapid increase in frictional work is noted at a characteristic normal load. It is shown that the additive induces premature scuffing. Subsidiary data is provided using Raman spectroscopy and hardness probes, and confirms that certain additives such as decanoic acid and dodecylamine will induce surface plasticization in poly (ether ether ketone). The trends in the frictional data have been interpreted using the adhesive model of friction in conjunction with temperature-dependent interfacial theology and bulk mechanical property data. It is proposed that the scuffing process is induced prematurely as a consequence of excessive additive-induced subsurface plasticization. Restricted surface plasticization in this system provides an enhanced self-lubricating capacity.

Colored Contact Lens Dangers

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... use of colored contact lenses , from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Are the colored lenses ... away without suffering an eye injury. However, the natural protective mechanisms of the eye – such as the ...

Ammonia modification for flotation separation of polycarbonate and polystyrene waste plastics.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chong-Qing; Wang, Hui; Gu, Guo-Hua; Lin, Qing-Quan; Zhang, Ling-Ling; Huang, Luo-Luo; Zhao, Jun-Yao

2016-05-01

A promising method, ammonia modification, was developed for flotation separation of polycarbonate (PC) and polystyrene (PS) waste plastics. Ammonia modification has little effect on flotation behavior of PS, while it changes significantly that of PC. The PC recovery in the floated product drops from 100% to 3.17% when modification time is 13min and then rises to 100% after longer modification. The mechanism of ammonia modification was studied by contact angle, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements. Contact angle of PC indicates the decline of PC recovery in the floated product is ascribed to an increase in surface wettability. FT-IR and XPS spectra suggest that ammonia modification causes chemical reactions occurred on PC surface. Flotation behavior of ammonia-modified PC and PS was investigated with respect to flotation time, frother concentration and particle sizes. Flotation separation of PC and PS waste plastics was conducted based on the flotation behavior of single plastic. PC and PS mixtures with different particle sizes are separated efficiently, implying that the technology possesses superior applicability to particle sizes of plastics. The purity of PS and PC is up to 99.53% and 98.21%, respectively, and the recovery of PS and PC is larger than 92.06%. A reliable, cheap and effective process is proposed for separation of PC and PS waste plastics. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plastics in the marine environment: the dark side of a modern gift.

Science.gov (United States)

Hammer, Jort; Kraak, Michiel H S; Parsons, John R

2012-01-01

. Recent studies emphasize the important role of microplastics as they are easily ingestible by small organisms, such as plankton species, and form a pathway for contaminants to enter the food web. Contaminants leached from plastics tend to bioaccumulate in those organisms that absorb them, and chemical concentrations are often higher at higher trophic levels. This causes a threat to the basis of every food web and can have serious and far-reaching effects, even on nonmarine species such as polar bears and humans, who consume marine-grown food. Therefore, resolving the plastic debris problem is important to human kind for two reasons: we are both creator, and victim of the plastic pollution problem. Solutions to the plastic debris problem can only be achieved through a combination of actions. Such actions include the following: Legislation against marine pollution by plastics must be enforced, recycling must be accentuated, alternatives (biodegradable) to current plastic products must be found, and clean-up of debris must proceed, if the marine plastic pollution problem is to eventually be resolved. Governments cannot accomplish this task on their own, and will need help and initiative from the public. Moreover, resolving this long-standing problem will require time, money, and energy from many individuals now living and those of future generations, if a safer and cleaner marine environment is to be achieved.

Adhesion along metal-polymer interfaces during plastic deformation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Tijum, R.; Vellinga, W. P.; De Hosson, J. Th. M.

In this paper a numerical study is presented that concentrates on the influence of the interface roughness that develops during plastic deformation of a metal, on the work of adhesion and on the change of interface energy upon contact with a glassy polymer. The polymer coating is described with a

Plastic zone size for nanoindentation of irradiated Fe–9%Cr ODS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dolph, Corey K. [Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725 (United States); Silva, Douglas J. da [Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725 (United States); Federal University of São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luís, km 235 - SP-310, São Carlos, São Paulo (Brazil); Swenson, Matthew J. [Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725 (United States); Wharry, Janelle P., E-mail: jwharry@purdue.edu [Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725 (United States); Purdue University, 400 Central Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907 (United States)

2016-12-01

The objective of this study is to determine irradiation effects on the nanoindentation plastic zone morphology in a model Fe–9%Cr ODS alloy. Specimens are irradiated to 50 displacements per atom at 400°C with Fe{sup ++} self-ions or to 3 dpa at 500°C with neutrons. The as-received specimen is also studied as a control. The nanoindentation plastic zone size is calculated using two approaches: (1) an analytical model based on the expanding spherical cavity analogy, and (2) finite element modeling (FEM). Plastic zones in all specimen conditions extend radially outward from the indenter, ∼4–5 times the tip radius, indicative of fully plastic contact. Non-negligible plastic flow in the radial direction requires the experimentalist to consider the plastic zone morphology when nanoindenting ion-irradiated specimens; a single nanoindent may sample non-uniform irradiation damage, regardless of whether the indent is made top-down or in cross-section. Finally, true stress-strain curves are generated.

Food irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roberts, P.B.

1997-01-01

Food can be provided with extra beneficial properties by physical processing. These benefits include a reduced possibility of food poisoning, or an increased life of the food. We are familiar with pasteurisation of milk, drying of vegetables, and canning of fruit. These physical processes work because the food absorbs energy during treatment which brings about the changes needed. The energy absorbed in these examples is heat energy. Food irradiation is a less familiar process. It produces similar benefits to other processes and it can sometimes be applied with additional advantages over conventional processing. For example, because irradiation causes little heating, foods may look and taste more natural. Also, treatment can take place with the food in its final plastic wrappers, reducing the risk of re-contamination. (author). 1 ref., 4 figs., 1 tab

Plastics and environmental health: the road ahead.

Science.gov (United States)

North, Emily J; Halden, Rolf U

2013-01-01

Plastics continue to benefit society in innumerable ways, even though recent public focus on plastics has centered mostly on human health and environmental concerns, including their endocrine-disrupting properties and the long-term pollution they represent. The benefits of plastics are particularly apparent in medicine and public health. Plastics are versatile, cost-effective, require less energy to produce than alternative materials like metal or glass, and can be manufactured to have many different properties. Due to these characteristics, polymers are used in diverse health applications like disposable syringes and intravenous bags, sterile packaging for medical instruments as well as in joint replacements, tissue engineering, etc. However, not all current uses of plastics are prudent and sustainable, as illustrated by the widespread, unwanted human exposure to endocrine-disrupting bisphenol A (BPA) and di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), problems arising from the large quantities of plastic being disposed of, and depletion of non-renewable petroleum resources as a result of the ever-increasing mass production of plastic consumer articles. Using the health-care sector as example, this review concentrates on the benefits and downsides of plastics and identifies opportunities to change the composition and disposal practices of these invaluable polymers for a more sustainable future consumption. It highlights ongoing efforts to phase out DEHP and BPA in the health-care and food industry and discusses biodegradable options for plastic packaging, opportunities for reducing plastic medical waste, and recycling in medical facilities in the quest to reap a maximum of benefits from polymers without compromising human health or the environment in the process.

Plastics and Environmental Health: The Road Ahead

Science.gov (United States)

North, Emily J.; Halden, Rolf U.

2013-01-01

Plastics continue to benefit society in innumerable ways, even though recent public focus on plastics has centered mostly on human health and environmental concerns, including endocrine-disrupting properties and long-term pollution. The benefits of plastics are particularly apparent in medicine and public health. Plastics are versatile, cost-effective, require less energy to produce than alternative materials – such as metal or glass – and can be manufactured to have many different properties. Due to these characteristics, polymers are used in diverse health applications, such as disposable syringes and intravenous bags, sterile packaging for medical instruments as well as in joint replacements, tissue engineering, etc. However, not all current uses of plastics are prudent and sustainable, as illustrated by widespread, unwanted human exposure to endocrine-disrupting bisphenol-A (BPA) and di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), problems arising from the large quantities of plastic being disposed of, and depletion of non-renewable petroleum resources as a result of ever increasing mass-production of plastic consumer articles. By example of the healthcare sector, this review concentrates on benefits and downsides of plastics and identities opportunities to change the composition and disposal practices of these invaluable polymers for a more sustainable future consumption. It highlights ongoing efforts to phase out DEHP and BPA in the healthcare and food industry, and discusses biodegradable options for plastic packaging, opportunities for reducing plastic medical waste, and recycling in medical facilities in the quest to reap a maximum of benefits from polymers without compromising human health or the environment in the process. PMID:23337043

Phenotypic Plasticity in Gut Length in the Planktivorous Filter-Feeding Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhixin Ke

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Phenotypic plasticity widely exists in the external morphology of animals as well as the internal traits of organs. In the present study, we studied the gut length plasticity of planktivorous filter-feeding silver carp under different food resources in large-net cage experiments in Meiliang Bay of Lake Taihu in 2004 and 2005. There was a significant difference in stocking density between these 2 years. Under a low stocking density and abundant food resources, silver carp increased their energy intake by feeding on more zooplankton. Meanwhile, silver carp adjusted their gut length to match the digestive requirements of food when exposed to different food resources. In the main growth seasons (from April to October, silver carp significantly increased their relative gut length when feeding on more phytoplankton in 2005 (p < 0.01, 9.23 ± 1.80 in 2004 and 10.77 ± 2.05 in 2005, respectively. There was a nearly significant negative correlation between zooplankton proportion in the diet and the relative gut length when silver carp were stocked in a high density (p = 0.112. It appears that silver carp might have evolved plasticity to change their gut length rapidly to facilitate efficient utilization of food resources. Such resource polymorphisms in the gut may be a good indication of temporal adaptation to resource conditions. Our work provided field evidence for understanding the functional basis of resource polymorphisms and the evolution of phenotypic plasticity in planktivorous filter-feeding fish.

Rapid purification and plasticization of D-glutamate-containing poly-γ-glutamate from Japanese fermented soybean food natto.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashiuchi, Makoto; Oike, Shota; Hakuba, Hirofumi; Shibatani, Shigeo; Oka, Nogiho; Wakamatsu, Taisuke

2015-12-10

Poly-γ-glutamate (PGA) is a major component of mucilage derived from natto, a Japanese fermented food made from soybeans, and PGAs obtained under laboratory's conditions contain numerous d-glutamyl residues. Natto foods are thus promising as a source for nutritionally safe d-amino acids present in intact and digested polymers, although there is little information on the stereochemistry of PGA isolated directly from natto. Here, we describe the development of a new process for rapid purification of PGA using alum and determined the D-glutamate content of natto PGA by chiral high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis. Further, using hexadecylpyridinium cation (HDP(+)), which is a compound of toothpaste, we chemically transformed natto PGA into a new thermoplastic material, called DL-PGAIC. (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance and calorimetric measurements indicate that DL-PGAIC is a stoichiometric complex of natto PGA and HDP(+) with glass transition points of -16.8 °C and -3.1 °C. Then, DL-PGAIC began decomposing at 210°C, suggesting thermal stability suitable for use as a supramolecular soft plastic. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Brain damage and behavioural disorders in fish induced by plastic nanoparticles delivered through the food chain

OpenAIRE

Mattsson, Karin; Johnson, Elyse V.; Malmendal, Anders; Linse, Sara; Hansson, Lars-Anders; Cedervall, Tommy

2017-01-01

The tremendous increases in production of plastic materials has led to an accumulation of plastic pollution worldwide. Many studies have addressed the physical effects of large-sized plastics on organisms, whereas few have focused on plastic nanoparticles, despite their distinct chemical, physical and mechanical properties. Hence our understanding of their effects on ecosystem function, behaviour and metabolism of organisms remains elusive. Here we demonstrate that plastic nanoparticles reduc...

Toxicity testing and chemical analyses of recycled fibre-based paper for food contact

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Binderup, Mona-Lise; Pedersen, Gitte Alsing; Vinggaard, Anne

2002-01-01

of different qualities as food-contact materials and to Perform a preliminary evaluation of their suitability from a safety point of view, and, second, to evaluate the use of different in vitro toxicity tests for screening of paper and board. Paper produced from three different categories of recycled fibres (B...... of the paper products were extracted with either 99% ethanol or water. Potential migrants in the extracts were identified and semiquantified by GC-1R-MS or GC-HRMS. In parallel to the chemical analyses, a battery of four different in vitro toxicity tests with different endpoints were applied to the same...... was less cytotoxic than the extracts prepared from paper made from recycled fibres, and extracts prepared from C was the most cytotoxic. None of the extracts showed mutagenic activity No conclusion about the oestrogenic activity could be made, because all extracts were cytotoxic to the test organism (yeast...

21 CFR 886.5925 - Soft (hydrophilic) contact lens.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Soft (hydrophilic) contact lens. 886.5925 Section 886.5925 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... against the cornea and adjacent limbal and scleral areas of the eye to correct vision conditions or act as...

A radiotracer technique for the migration of inorganic contaminants into dry food from packaging made from recycled paper and board

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aston, D.S.J.; Parry, S.J.

2005-01-01

A radiotracer method, initially developed to analyze migration from retail plastic food packaging into food simulants, has been developed to assess the measurement of inorganic contaminants migrating from recycled paper and board into real food. This new radiotracer method has been applied to the study of 10 food samples and their corresponding recycled paper and board packaging. Samples of paper and board were irradiated in a thermal neutron flux of 1.26 x 10 16 n x m -2 x s -1 for 15 hours to activate elements of interest. After a decay period of 10 days the paper and board was placed in contact with the corresponding foodstuff. The food was analyzed for any radioactivity migrating from the packaging by gamma-ray spectrometry. Samples were analyzed regularly during the 90 days contact time. Detection limits for the determination of migration was as low as a few μg/kg in the food. Results from the migration study have shown that, of the 60 elements measured, only Zn and Fe were detected in food, at concentrations of 0.012-0.25, and 0.045-0.11 mg/kg, respectively. This was despite the recycled paper and board samples being highly elevated in many other elements such as Cr (0.9-15.1 mg/kg) and Ba (3.3-75.4 mg/kg). The level of migration of Zn and Fe into food from packaging was insignificant compared to the UK recommended daily allowances of 15 mg, and, therefore, represented no hazard to human health. (author)

Separation of polycarbonate and acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene waste plastics by froth flotation combined with ammonia pretreatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Chong-qing; Wang, Hui; Liu, Qun; Fu, Jian-gang; Liu, You-nian

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Ammonia treatment changes selectively floatability of PC. • The effects of ammonia on PC were investigated through contact angle and XPS. • Reactions between ammonia and PC surface make PC more hydrophilic. • PC and ABS mixtures with different particle sizes were separated effectively. - Abstract: The objective of this research is flotation separation of polycarbonate (PC) and acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) waste plastics combined with ammonia pretreatment. The PC and ABS plastics show similar hydrophobicity, and ammonia treatment changes selectively floatability of PC plastic while ABS is insensitive to ammonia treatment. The contact angle measurement indicates the dropping of flotation recovery of PC is ascribed to a decline of contact angle. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrates reactions occur on PC surface, which makes PC surface more hydrophilic. Separation of PC and ABS waste plastics was conducted based on the flotation behavior of single plastic. At different temperatures, PC and ABS mixtures were separated efficiently through froth flotation with ammonia pretreatment for different time (13 min at 23 °C, 18 min at 18 °C and 30 min at 23 °C). For both PC and ABS, the purity and recovery is more than 95.31% and 95.35%, respectively; the purity of PC and ABS is up to 99.72% and 99.23%, respectively. PC and ABS mixtures with different particle sizes were separated effectively, implying that ammonia treatment possesses superior applicability

Separation of polycarbonate and acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene waste plastics by froth flotation combined with ammonia pretreatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Chong-qing; Wang, Hui, E-mail: huiwang1968@163.com; Liu, Qun; Fu, Jian-gang; Liu, You-nian, E-mail: liuyounian@csu.edu.cn

2014-12-15

Highlights: • Ammonia treatment changes selectively floatability of PC. • The effects of ammonia on PC were investigated through contact angle and XPS. • Reactions between ammonia and PC surface make PC more hydrophilic. • PC and ABS mixtures with different particle sizes were separated effectively. - Abstract: The objective of this research is flotation separation of polycarbonate (PC) and acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) waste plastics combined with ammonia pretreatment. The PC and ABS plastics show similar hydrophobicity, and ammonia treatment changes selectively floatability of PC plastic while ABS is insensitive to ammonia treatment. The contact angle measurement indicates the dropping of flotation recovery of PC is ascribed to a decline of contact angle. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrates reactions occur on PC surface, which makes PC surface more hydrophilic. Separation of PC and ABS waste plastics was conducted based on the flotation behavior of single plastic. At different temperatures, PC and ABS mixtures were separated efficiently through froth flotation with ammonia pretreatment for different time (13 min at 23 °C, 18 min at 18 °C and 30 min at 23 °C). For both PC and ABS, the purity and recovery is more than 95.31% and 95.35%, respectively; the purity of PC and ABS is up to 99.72% and 99.23%, respectively. PC and ABS mixtures with different particle sizes were separated effectively, implying that ammonia treatment possesses superior applicability.

Quantitative assessment and prediction of the contact area development during spherical tip indentation of glassy polymers.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pelletier, C.G.N.; Toonder, den J.M.J.; Govaert, L.E.; Hakiri, N.; Sakai, M.

2008-01-01

This paper describes the development of the contact area during indentation of polycarbonate. The contact area was measured in situ using an instrumented indentation microscope and compared with numerical simulations using an elasto-plastic constitutive model. The parameters in the model were

Clinical update on contact allergy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Uter, Wolfgang; Johansen, Jeanne Duus; Orton, David I

2005-01-01

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim of this article is to review recent findings in contact allergy, regarding clinical research. RECENT FINDINGS: The biocide methyldibromo glutaronitrile was identified to be an important sensitizer. Subsequently, it was banned from leave-on cosmetics in the European Union....... Another group of important allergens that have been studied extensively included the fragrances oak moss absolute, isoeugenol, hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde and farnesol. A new fragrance mix II has been developed for standard testing, which includes the two latter compounds. Dose response...... a classification of newly introduced chemicals; increasingly, the local lymph node assay is supplementing and potentially replacing the guinea pig maximization test. Recent advances in occupational contact allergy include, for example, some attempts to improve diagnostics for epoxy resin and other plastic, glue...

Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service

Science.gov (United States)

... Standard Forms FSIS United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service About FSIS District Offices Careers Contact Us Ask ... Reports Fact Sheets Food Defense and Emergency Response Food Safety Education FSIS ... Assistance Contact Centers Cooperative Agreements Email Subscription ...

Industrial Production of Food Plastic Packaging and the Use of Irradiation for Modifying Some Film Properties. Chapter 5

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ortiz, A. V.; Moura, E. A.B., [Nuclear and Energy Research Institute - IPEN - São Paulo (Brazil); Nuclear and Energy National Commission – CNEN, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

2014-07-15

The four main industrial processes needed to produce a plastic packaging structure are: cast extrusion, blown extrusion, injection moulding, and blown moulding. Since one polymer may not offer all the protection and marketing properties required for a specific food product, multilayer films can be produced. Each layer will be composed of a different polymer and additives to meet all the requirements. Ionizing radiation plays an important role in the packaging industry, especially in the heat shrinkable barrier film production process. In this process, irradiating the film structure is aimed mostly at the crosslinking of the polyolefin. Cross-linked polyolefin-based films can withstand higher stretching rates, be better stabilized, and will both have a high degree of shrinkage and higher shrinking forces. This leads to very thin structures with very well balanced cost-benefit ratios and better final packaging presentation. The use of ionizing radiation for cross-linking polymers is one of the most successful cases of irradiation used by the industry. Besides cross-linking, scission may also occur in the polymeric structure, and it may liberate toxic or unwanted substances that can be transferred to the food. Therefore, irradiated food packaging materials should be thoroughly assessed according to active legislation to guarantee that it will not harm the consumer’s health either in the short or the long term. (author)

Field evidence for transfer of plastic debris along a terrestrial food chain

OpenAIRE

Huerta Lwanga, Esperanza; Mendoza Vega, Jorge; Ku Quej, Victor; Chi, Jesus de los Angeles; Sanchez del Cid, Lucero; Chi, Cesar; Escalona Segura, Griselda; Gertsen, Henny; Salánki, Tamás; van der Ploeg, Martine; Koelmans, Albert A.; Geissen, Violette

2017-01-01

Although plastic pollution happens globally, the micro- (<5 mm) and macroplastic (5–150 mm) transfer of plastic to terrestrial species relevant to human consumption has not been examined. We provide first-time evidence for micro- and macroplastic transfer from soil to chickens in traditional Mayan home gardens in Southeast Mexico where waste mismanagement is common. We assessed micro- and macroplastic in soil, earthworm casts, chicken feces, crops and gizzards (used for human consumption)....

Plastic debris in great skua (Stercorarius skua) pellets corresponds to seabird prey species.

Science.gov (United States)

Hammer, S; Nager, R G; Johnson, P C D; Furness, R W; Provencher, J F

2016-02-15

Plastic is a common item in marine environments. Studies assessing seabird ingestion of plastics have focused on species that ingest plastics mistaken for prey items. Few studies have examined a scavenger and predatory species that are likely to ingest plastics indirectly through their prey items, such as the great skua (Stercorarius skua). We examined 1034 regurgitated pellets from a great skua colony in the Faroe Islands for plastics and found approximately 6% contained plastics. Pellets containing remains of Northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) had the highest prevalence of plastic. Our findings support previous work showing that Northern fulmars have higher loads of plastics than other sympatric species. This study demonstrates that marine plastic debris is transferred from surface feeding seabird species to predatory great skuas. Examination of plastic ingestion in species that do not ingest plastics directly can provide insights into how plastic particles transfer vertically within the food web. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determination of the migration of a plasticizer by 14C-labelled compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Troparevsky, Alejandro; Pisarello de Troparevsky, M.L.; Mitta, A.E.A.

1975-05-01

The migration rate of a plasticizer (dioctyl phthlate 14 C) from a P.V.C. film, with different media in contact with it, was determined by measurements of radioactivity in the extraction liquids. Mineral oil, vegetal, oil aliphatic hidrocarbon and detergent solution were used for this purpose. The resulting figures were compared to those obtained from weight loss determinations and in some cases the percentage of ''swelling'' of the plastic could be established. (author)

Plastic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong Gi Hyeon

1987-04-01

This book deals with plastic, which includes introduction for plastic, chemistry of high polymers, polymerization, speciality and structure of a high molecule property of plastic, molding, thermosetting plastic, such as polyethylene, polyether, polyamide and polyvinyl acetyl, thermal plastic like phenolic resins, xylene resins, melamine resin, epoxy resin, alkyd resin and poly urethan resin, new plastic like ionomer and PPS resin, synthetic laminated tape and synthetic wood, mixed materials in plastic, reprocessing of waste plastic, polymer blend, test method for plastic materials and auxiliary materials of plastic.

In vitro toxicity assessment of extracts derived from sol-gel coatings on polycarbonate intended to be used in food contact applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Séverin, Isabelle; Lionti, Krystelle; Dahbi, Laurence; Loriot, Catherine; Toury, Bérangère; Chagnon, Marie-Christine

2016-07-01

Polycarbonate is a widely used polymer in food contact applications all around the world. However, due to the potential release of Bisphenol A (BPA) during repeated washing cycles, its use becomes compromised as BPA is known for being an endocrine disruptor for rodents. In order to tackle this issue, sol-gel coatings based on organoalkoxysiloxane were developed on PC, to act as a physical barrier. To this end, two sol-gel systems based on tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) and 3-glycidyloxypropyltriethoxysilane (GPTES), three common sol-gel precursors, were prepared. The coatings derived from the latter two systems were then studied with regards to their potential toxicity in vitro. Migration tests were performed in food simulants, and the maximal migration was obtained in ethanol 10% (v/v) for one system and in isooctane for the other one. In vitro genotoxicity was assessed with the Ames test (OECD 471) and the micronucleus assay (OECD 487), and no genotoxic effect was observed. Moreover, the estrogenic activity of the extracts was studied with a transcriptional activation assay using transient transfection in human cells; none of the extracts was found estrogenic. These negative in vitro results are highly promising for the future use of these new barrier coating formulations onto food contact materials. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nano selenium as antioxidant agent in a multilayer food packaging material.

Science.gov (United States)

Vera, Paula; Echegoyen, Yolanda; Canellas, Elena; Nerín, Cristina; Palomo, María; Madrid, Yolanda; Cámara, Carmen

2016-09-01

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) were incorporated in a flexible multilayer plastic material using a water-base adhesive as vehicle for SeNPs. The antioxidant performance of the original solutions containing spherical SeNPs of 50-60 nm diameter, the adhesive containing these SeNPs, and the final multilayer plastic material to be used as food packaging were quantitatively measured. The radical scavenging capacity due to SeNPs was quantified by a free radical assay developed in the laboratory and by the diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method. DPPH was not efficient to measure the scavenging capacity in the multilayer when the free radical scavenger is not in the surface in contact with it. Several multilayer laminated structures composed by [PET (20 m)-adhesive-LDPE (with variable thickness from 35 to 90 μm)] were prepared and measured, demonstrating for the first time that free radicals derived from oxygen (OH·, O2·, and O2H) cross the PE layer and arrive at the adhesive. SeNPs remain as such after manufacture and the final laminate is stable after 3 months of storage. The antioxidant multilayer is a non-migrating efficient free radical scavenger, able to protect the packaged product versus oxidation and extending the shelf life without being in direct contact with the product. Migration tests of both Se and SeNPs to simulants and hazelnuts demonstrated the non-migrating performance of this new active packaging. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Separation of polycarbonate and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene waste plastics by froth flotation combined with ammonia pretreatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chong-Qing; Wang, Hui; Liu, Qun; Fu, Jian-Gang; Liu, You-Nian

2014-12-01

The objective of this research is flotation separation of polycarbonate (PC) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) waste plastics combined with ammonia pretreatment. The PC and ABS plastics show similar hydrophobicity, and ammonia treatment changes selectively floatability of PC plastic while ABS is insensitive to ammonia treatment. The contact angle measurement indicates the dropping of flotation recovery of PC is ascribed to a decline of contact angle. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrates reactions occur on PC surface, which makes PC surface more hydrophilic. Separation of PC and ABS waste plastics was conducted based on the flotation behavior of single plastic. At different temperatures, PC and ABS mixtures were separated efficiently through froth flotation with ammonia pretreatment for different time (13 min at 23 °C, 18 min at 18 °C and 30 min at 23 °C). For both PC and ABS, the purity and recovery is more than 95.31% and 95.35%, respectively; the purity of PC and ABS is up to 99.72% and 99.23%, respectively. PC and ABS mixtures with different particle sizes were separated effectively, implying that ammonia treatment possesses superior applicability. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The ecology and evolution of animal medication: genetically fixed response versus phenotypic plasticity.

Science.gov (United States)

Choisy, Marc; de Roode, Jacobus C

2014-08-01

Animal medication against parasites can occur either as a genetically fixed (constitutive) or phenotypically plastic (induced) behavior. Taking the tritrophic interaction between the monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus, its protozoan parasite Ophryocystis elektroscirrha, and its food plant Asclepias spp. as a test case, we develop a game-theory model to identify the epidemiological (parasite prevalence and virulence) and environmental (plant toxicity and abundance) conditions that predict the evolution of genetically fixed versus phenotypically plastic forms of medication. Our model shows that the relative benefits (the antiparasitic properties of medicinal food) and costs (side effects of medicine, the costs of searching for medicine, and the costs of plasticity itself) crucially determine whether medication is genetically fixed or phenotypically plastic. Our model suggests that animals evolve phenotypic plasticity when parasite risk (a combination of virulence and prevalence and thus a measure of the strength of parasite-mediated selection) is relatively low to moderately high and genetically fixed medication when parasite risk becomes very high. The latter occurs because at high parasite risk, the costs of plasticity are outweighed by the benefits of medication. Our model provides a simple and general framework to study the conditions that drive the evolution of alternative forms of animal medication.

EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF) ; Scientific Opinion on Flavouring Group Evaluation 305 (FGE.305): L - Methionylglycine of chemical group 34

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beltoft, Vibe Meister; Binderup, Mona-Lise; Frandsen, Henrik Lauritz

use in foods that are not heated or intended to be heated. Besides the safety assessment of the flavouring substance, the specifications for the material of commerce have also been considered. Adequate specifications including complete purity criteria and identity for the material of commerce have......The Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids of the European Food Safety Authority was requested to evaluate one flavouring substance, the dipeptide L-methionylglycine [FL-no: 17.037], in the Flavouring Group Evaluation 305, using the Procedure in Commission...... been provided for the candidate substance. © European Food Safety Authority, 2013...

Food contact surfaces coated with nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide: effect on Listeria monocytogenes survival under different light sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodrigues, D.; Teixeira, P. [Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga (Portugal); Tavares, C.J. [Center of Physics, University of Minho, Campus de Azurém, 4800-058 Guimarães (Portugal); Azeredo, J., E-mail: jazeredo@deb.uminho.pt [Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga (Portugal)

2013-04-01

Improvement of food safety is a very important issue, and is on the basis of production and application of new/modified food contact surfaces. Titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) and, more recently, nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (N-TiO{sub 2}) coatings are among the possible forms to enhance food contact surfaces performance in terms of higher hygiene and easier sanitation. In this context, the present work aimed at evaluating the bactericidal activity of an N-TiO{sub 2} coating on glass and stainless steel under two different sources of visible light – fluorescent and incandescent – and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Listeria monocytogenes was chosen as representative of major foodborne pathogens and its survival was tested on N-TiO{sub 2} coated coupons. In terms of survival percentage, good results were obtained after exposure of coated surfaces to all light types since, apart from the value obtained after exposing glass to fluorescent light (56.3%), survival rates were always below 50%. However, no effective disinfection was obtained, given that for a disinfectant or sanitizing agent to be claimed as effective it needs to be able to promote at least a 3-log reduction of the microbial load, which was not observed for any of the experimental conditions assessed. Even so, UV irradiation was the most successful on eliminating cells on coated surfaces, since the amount of bacteria was reduced to 1.49 × 10{sup 6} CFU/ml on glass and 2.37 × 10{sup 7} on stainless steel. In contrast, both visible light sources had only slightly decreased the amount of viable cells, which remained in the range of 8 log CFU/ml. Hence, although some bactericidal effect was accomplished under visible light, UV was the most effective light source on promoting photocatalytic reactions on N-TiO{sub 2} coated coupons and none of the experimental conditions have reached a satisfactory disinfection level. Thus, this surface coating needs further research and improvement in order to become truly

Marine microplastics - Method development for detection of plastic particles from sea water down to 10 μm

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lenz, Robin; Enders, Kristina

2014-01-01

During the past few years and especially in 2014, plastic pollution has gained a lot of media attention and public awareness is rising. Management plans and policies start to adopt strategies for mitigating effects and reducing entry of marine litter and beached plastic. Strangled seals or plastic...... ingesting seabirds are perceived easily by the broad public through emotionally charged photographs and personal experiences on beaches all around the globe. Monitoring programs, beach clean-ups, source elimination, and societal changes such as local bans of single-use plastic bags or outphasing...... on the bottom of the food web, whose existence and importance we are rarely aware of. There are chances for severe impacts in plastic accumulating ocean gyres which are of oligotrophic nature and consequently low food availability. So far the concentrations, biological impact and the fate of disintegrating...

GREEN PLASTIC: A NEW PLASTIC FOR PACKAGING

OpenAIRE

Mr. Pankaj Kumar*, Sonia

2016-01-01

This paper gives a brief idea about a new type of plastic called as bio-plastic or green plastic. Plastic is used as a packaging material for various products, but this plastic is made up of non renewable raw materials. There are various disadvantages of using conventional plastic like littering, CO2 production, non-degradable in nature etc. To overcome these problems a new type of plastic is discovered called bio-plastic or green plastic. Bio-plastic is made from renewable resources and also...

Transfer of a cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet through a long flexible plastic tube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostov, Konstantin G; Prysiazhnyi, Vadym; Honda, Roberto Y; Machida, Munemasa

2015-01-01

This work proposes an experimental configuration for the generation of a cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet at the downstream end of a long flexible plastic tube. The device consists of a cylindrical dielectric chamber where an insulated metal rod that serves as high-voltage electrode is inserted. The chamber is connected to a long (up to 4 m) commercial flexible plastic tube, equipped with a thin floating Cu wire. The wire penetrates a few mm inside the discharge chamber, passes freely (with no special support) along the plastic tube and terminates a few millimeters before the tube end. The system is flushed with Ar and the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) is ignited inside the dielectric chamber by a low frequency ac power supply. The gas flow is guided by the plastic tube while the metal wire, when in contact with the plasma inside the DBD reactor, acquires plasma potential. There is no discharge inside the plastic tube, however an Ar plasma jet can be extracted from the downstream tube end. The jet obtained by this method is cold enough to be put in direct contact with human skin without an electric shock. Therefore, by using this approach an Ar plasma jet can be generated at the tip of a long plastic tube far from the high-voltage discharge region, which provides the safe operation conditions and device flexibility required for medical treatment. (paper)

EFSA CEF Panel (EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids), 2013. Scientific Opinion on Flavouring Group Evaluation 76, Revision 1 (FGE.76Rev1)

OpenAIRE

Beltoft, Vibe Meister; Binderup, Mona-Lise; Frandsen, Henrik Lauritz; Lund, Pia; Nørby, Karin Kristiane

2013-01-01

The Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids of the European Food Safety Authority was requested to consider evaluations of flavouring substances assessed since 2000 by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), and to decide whether further evaluation is necessary, as laid down in Commission Regulation (EC) No 1565/2000. The present opinion concerns a group of 26 sulphur-containing heterocyclic compounds evaluated by the JECFA at the 59th m...

Prediction of fretting fatigue behavior under elastic-plastic conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, Ki Su

2009-01-01

Fretting fatigue generally leads to the degradation of the fatigue strength of a material due to cyclic micro-slip between two contacting materials. Fretting fatigue is regarded as an important issue in designing aerospace structures. While many studies have evaluated fretting fatigue behavior under elastic deformation conditions, few have focused on fretting fatigue behavior under elastic-plastic deformation conditions, especially the crack orientation and fatigue life prediction for Ti-6Al-4V. The primary goal of this study was to characterize the fretting fatigue crack initiation behavior in the presence of plasticity. Experimental tests were performed using pad configurations involving elastic-plastic deformations. To calculate stress distributions under elastic-plastic fretting fatigue conditions, FEA was also performed. Several parametric approaches were used to predict fretting fatigue life along with stress distribution resulting from FEA. However, those parameters using surface stresses were unable to establish an equivalence between elastic fretting fatigue data and elastic-plastic fretting fatigue data. Based on this observation, the critical distance methods, which are commonly used in notch analysis, were applied to the fretting fatigue problem. In conclusion, the effective strain range method when used in conjunction with the SMSSR parameter showed a good correlation of data points between the pad configurations involving elastic and elastic plastic deformations

21 CFR 886.1385 - Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) diagnostic contact lens.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) diagnostic contact lens. 886.1385 Section 886.1385 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND... directly on the globe or cornea of the eye for diagnosis or therapy of intraocular abnormalities. (b...

Novel Additive Manufacturing Pneumatic Actuators and Mechanisms for Food Handling Grippers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Blanes

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Conventional pneumatic grippers are widely used in industrial pick and place robot processes for rigid objects. They are simple, robust and fast, but their design, motion and features are limited, and they do not fulfil the final purpose. Food products have a wide variety of shapes and textures and are susceptible to damaged. Robot grippers for food handling should adapt to this wide range of dimensions and must be fast, cheap, reasonably reliable, and with cheap and reasonable maintenance costs. They should not damage the product and must meet hygienic conditions. The additive manufacturing (AM process is able to manufacture parts without significant restrictions, and is Polyamide approved as food contact material by FDA. This paper presents that, taking the best of plastic flexibility, AM allows the implementation of novel actuators, original compliant mechanisms and practical grippers that are cheap, light, fast, small and easily adaptable to specific food products. However, if they are not carefully designed, the results can present problems, such as permanent deformations, low deformation limits, and low operation speed. We present possible solutions for the use of AM to design proper robot grippers for food handling. Some successful results, such as AM actuators based on deformable air chambers, AM compliant mechanisms, and grippers developed in a single part will be introduced and discussed.

State of the safety assessment and current use of nanomaterials in food and food production

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bouwmeester, H.; Brandhoff, P.N.; Marvin, H.J.P.; Weigel, S.; Peters, R.J.B.

2014-01-01

Nanomaterials are developed for and applied in food, food additives, supplements and food contact materials. In an inventory of internet databases 140 products in the food and food-related sectors were identified that claim to contain nanomaterials. A great diversity of nanomaterials is applied,

Interaction between staining and degradation of a composite resin in contact with colored foods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Debora Soares-Geraldo

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Composite resins might be susceptible to degradation and staining when in contact with some foods and drinks. This study evaluated color alteration and changes in microhardness of a microhybrid composite after immersion in different colored foods and determined whether there was a correlation between these two variables. Eighty composite disks were randomly divided into 8 experimental groups (n = 10: kept dry; deionized water; orange juice; passion fruit juice; grape juice; ketchup; mustard and soy sauce. The disks were individually immersed in their respective test substance at 37 ºC, for a period of 28 days. Superficial analysis of the disk specimens was performed by taking microhardness measurements (Vickers, 50 g load for 45 seconds and color alterations were determined with a spectrophotometer (CINTRA 10- using a CIEL*a*b* system, 400-700 nm wavelength, illuminant d65 and standard observer of 2º at the following times: baseline (before immersion, 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. Results were analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey's test (p < 0.05. Both variables were also submitted to Pearson's correlation test (p < 0.05. The passion fruit group underwent the greatest microhardness change, while the mustard group suffered the greatest color alteration. Significant positive correlation was found between the two variables for the groups deionized water, grape juice, soy sauce and ketchup. Not all color alteration could be associated with surface degradation.

21 CFR 886.5916 - Rigid gas permeable contact lens.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Rigid gas permeable contact lens. 886.5916 Section 886.5916 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... against the cornea of the eye to correct vision conditions. The device is made of various materials, such...

76 FR 37291 - Food Labeling; Calorie Labeling of Articles of Food in Vending Machines; Correction

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-27

.... FDA-2011-F-0171] Food Labeling; Calorie Labeling of Articles of Food in Vending Machines; Correction... certain articles of food sold from vending machines. The document published with several errors including... FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel Y. Reese, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (HFS-820), Food...

EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF); Scientific Opinion on Flavouring Group Evaluation 300 (FGE.300): One cyclo-aliphatic amide from chemical group 33

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, John Christian; Nørby, Karin Kristiane; Beltoft, Vibe Meister

The Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids of the European Food Safety Authority was requested to evaluate a flavouring substance in the Flavouring Group Evaluation 300 using the Procedure in Commission Regulation (EC) No 1565/2000. The substance was not conside......The Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids of the European Food Safety Authority was requested to evaluate a flavouring substance in the Flavouring Group Evaluation 300 using the Procedure in Commission Regulation (EC) No 1565/2000. The substance...... was not considered to have genotoxic potential. The substance was evaluated through a stepwise approach (the Procedure) that integrates information on structure-activity relationships, intake from current uses, toxicological threshold of concern, and available data on metabolism and toxicity. The Panel concluded...... that for the substance [FL-no: 16.115] evaluated through the Procedure, no appropriate NOAEL was available and additional data are required. Besides the safety assessment of this flavouring substance, the specifications for the materials of commerce have also been considered. The composition of the stereoisomeric...

Physico-chemical modifications of plastics by ionization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rouif, S.

2002-01-01

The industrial use of ionizing radiations (beta and gamma), initially for the sterilization of medico-surgical instruments and for the preservation of food products, has led to the development of the chemistry of polymers under radiations. Ionizing radiations can initiate chemical reactions (chain cutting, poly-additions, polymerization etc..) thanks to the formation of free radicals. The main applications concerns the degradation of plastics, the reticulation of plastics and of woods impregnated with resin, and the grafting of polymers. The processing of plastic materials was initially performed with low energy electron accelerators (0.1 to 3 MeV), allowing only surface treatments, while recent high energy accelerators (10 MeV) and gamma facilities allow the treatment in depth of materials (from few cm to 1 m). This article describes the industrial treatments performed with such high energy facilities: 1 - action of ionizing radiations on plastic materials: different types of ionizing radiations, action of beta and gamma radiations, chemical changes induced by beta and gamma radiations; 2 - reticulation of plastic materials submitted to beta and gamma radiations: radio-'reticulable' polymers and reticulation co-agents, modification of the properties of reticulated plastic materials under beta and gamma radiations; 3 - industrial aspects of reticulation under beta and gamma radiation: industrial irradiation facilities, dosimetry and radio-reticulation control, applications; 4 - conclusion. (J.S.)

Static-transmission-error vibratory-excitation contributions from plastically deformed gear teeth caused by tooth bending-fatigue damage

Science.gov (United States)

Mark, W. D.; Reagor, C. P.

2007-02-01

To assess gear health and detect gear-tooth damage, the vibratory response from meshing gear-pair excitations is commonly monitored by accelerometers. In an earlier paper, strong evidence was presented suggesting that, in the case of tooth bending-fatigue damage, the principal source of detectable damage is whole-tooth plastic deformation; i.e. yielding, rather than changes in tooth stiffness caused by tooth-root cracks. Such plastic deformations are geometric deviation contributions to the "static-transmission-error" (STE) vibratory excitation caused by meshing gear pairs. The STE contributions caused by two likely occurring forms of such plastic deformations on a single tooth are derived, and displayed in the time domain as a function of involute "roll distance." Example calculations are provided for transverse contact ratios of Qt=1.4 and 1.8, for spur gears and for helical-gear axial contact ratios ranging from Qa=1.2 to Qa=3.6. Low-pass- and band-pass-filtered versions of these same STE contributions also are computed and displayed in the time domain. Several calculations, consisting of superposition of the computed STE tooth-meshing fundamental harmonic contribution and the band-pass STE contribution caused by a plastically deformed tooth, exhibit the amplitude and frequency or phase modulation character commonly observed in accelerometer-response waveforms caused by damaged teeth. General formulas are provided that enable computation of these STE vibratory-excitation contributions for any form of plastic deformation on any number of teeth for spur and helical gears with any contact ratios.

Do plastic particles affect microalgal photosynthesis and growth?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sjollema, S.B.; Redondo-Hasselerharm, P.; Leslie, H.A.; Kraak, M.H.S.; Vethaak, A.D.

2016-01-01

The unbridled increase in plastic pollution of the world's oceans raises concerns about potential effects these materials may have on microalgae, which are primary producers at the basis of the food chain and a major global source of oxygen. Our current understanding about the potential modes and

Environmental risk and influence of chemicals from plastic materials on children’s health – the challenge also for paediatricians

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zbigniew Rudkowski

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Chemicals artificially synthesized and leaching into a common environment are a toxicological risk particularly in prenatal period and in early childhood. The risk exists due to the contact with xenogenic substances from maternal breast milk and other food, polluted air and water, plastic materials, cosmetics. All endocrine and neurological disruptors (EDC pass across placenta, then can cause hormonal, neurological or metabolic disorders mainly due to estrogenic action. Bisphenol A is one of endocrine disruptors leaching from polychlorobiphenyl plastic (PCB, present commonly in baby polycarbonate bottles. Phtalates like DEHP, DOP, DINP, DIDP, DIPB, DBP or BBP are used as plasticizers making plastics softer and more flexible. Flame retardants f, ex, PBDE (polybrominated diphenyleter are added to polyurethane foams, and HBCD (hexabromocyclododecane is a compound of polystyrene electric insulation. Perfluorinated compounds (PFC are some hundreds substancies and mostly used is PFOS (Perfluoroacetate sulphonate and PFOA (perfluoroacetic acid repelling water, grease and dirt; they are used as impregnating and cleaning agents, and PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylen known as Teflon or Goretex. The toxicity of xenogens for experimental animals is confirmed., but a harmful effect on humans is still discussed what is based only on epidemiological but not experimental studies. Epidemiological studies link human EDC exposure with hormonal, neurological and behavioural distorders f.ex. early maturation of girls, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes, and likely weakening of postvaccinal immunity. The awareness on environmental risks is essential for rationale behaviour diminishing the exposition and also being an important element of contemporary health promotion

Contact mechanics at nanometric scale using nanoindentation technique for brittle and ductile materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Roa, J J; Rayon, E; Morales, M; Segarra, M

2012-06-01

In the last years, Nanoindentation or Instrumented Indentation Technique has become a powerful tool to study the mechanical properties at micro/nanometric scale (commonly known as hardness, elastic modulus and the stress-strain curve). In this review, the different contact mechanisms (elastic and elasto-plastic) are discussed, the recent patents for each mechanism (elastic and elasto-plastic) are summarized in detail, and the basic equations employed to know the mechanical behaviour for brittle and ductile materials are described.

Creating Methane from Plastic: Recycling at a Lunar Outpost

Science.gov (United States)

Santiago-Maldonado, Edgardo; Captain, Janine; Devor, Robert; Gleaton, Jeremy

2010-01-01

The high cost of re-supply from Earth demands resources to be utilized to the fullest extent for exploration missions. The ability to refuel on the lunar surface would reduce the vehicle mass during launch and provide excess payload capability. Recycling is a key technology that maximizes the available resources by converting waste products into useful commodities. One example of this is to convert crew member waste such as plastic packaging, food scraps, and human waste into fuel. This process thermally degrades plastic in the presence of oxygen producing CO2 and CO. The CO2 and CO are then reacted with hydrogen over catalyst (Sabatier reaction) producing methane. An end-to-end laboratory-scale system has been designed and built to produce methane from plastic, in this case polyethylene. This first generation system yields 12-16% CH4 by weight of plastic used.

Colored Contact Lens Dangers

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... MD, professor of ophthalmology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. "This is far from the truth." ... use of colored contact lenses , from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Are the colored lenses you are considering buying approved by the ... Service For Advertisers For Media Ophthalmology Job Center © American ...

[The role of balneology in plastic surgery].

Science.gov (United States)

Correia, N; Binet, A; Caliot, J; Poli Merol, M-L; Bodin, F; François-Fiquet, C

2016-02-01

Balneology can be part of the plastic surgery care sector. The objectives of this study were firstly to the state of knowledge about the hydrotherapy and specify the place reserved for hydrotherapy by surgeons as an adjunct in plastic and reconstructive surgery (adult and child). Multicentric national study by poll (Google Drive®) focused at plastic and/or pediatric surgeons. The following information was analyzed: frequency, timing of prescription, indications, the surgeon's feelings towards hydrotherapy and the differences between adult's and children's prescriptions. Fifty-four teams were contacted: 22 responses were received (15 "adult" plastic surgeons, 9 "pediatric" plastic surgeons, 6 pediatric surgeons, with 12 out of 22 working with burnt patients). Eighteen out of 22 prescribed hydrotherapy. Twenty out of 22 thought that hydrotherapy had a role as adjuvant therapy in plastic surgery. The indications were: burns (11/20), skin-graft hypertrophy (10/20), inflammatory and pruritic scar and cutaneous trophic disorders (9/20), psychological (3/20), retractions (2/20), weight loss and smoking (1/20). The timing of the prescription was: 6 months and 1 year (8/20) after surgery/trauma. Twenty out of 22 found a beneficial effect: physical (19/20): reduction of inflammatory signs, pruritus and pain, scar maturation, skin thinning improvement; psychological (14/20): positive for patient/family. Five out of 17 made the difference between child/adult, 10/17 made no difference but only treated adults or children. The respondents in the study are probably more sensitive to the effects of hydrotherapy that non-respondents. It is difficult to assess the real impact of hydrotherapy in plastic surgery because distinguishing spontaneous favorable evolution of a scar from one only due to the hydrotherapy or multidisciplinary management is difficult. However, hydrotherapy seems to have its role among multidisciplinary management. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All

Do plastic particles affect microalgal photosynthesis and growth?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sjollema, S.B.; Redondo-Hasselerharm, P.; Leslie, H.A.; Kraak, M.H.S.; Vethaak, A.D.

2016-01-01

The unbridled increase in plastic pollution of the world’s oceans raises concerns about potential effects these materials may have on microalgae, which are primary producers at the basis of the food chain and a major global source of oxygen. Our current understanding about the potential modes and

Plastic waste in the marine environment: A review of sources, occurrence and effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, W C; Tse, H F; Fok, L

2016-10-01

This review article summarises the sources, occurrence, fate and effects of plastic waste in the marine environment. Due to its resistance to degradation, most plastic debris will persist in the environment for centuries and may be transported far from its source, including great distances out to sea. Land- and ocean-based sources are the major sources of plastic entering the environment, with domestic, industrial and fishing activities being the most important contributors. Ocean gyres are particular hotspots of plastic waste accumulation. Both macroplastics and microplastics pose a risk to organisms in the natural environment, for example, through ingestion or entanglement in the plastic. Many studies have investigated the potential uptake of hydrophobic contaminants, which can then bioaccumulate in the food chain, from plastic waste by organisms. To address the issue of plastic pollution in the marine environment, governments should first play an active role in addressing the issue of plastic waste by introducing legislation to control the sources of plastic debris and the use of plastic additives. In addition, plastics industries should take responsibility for the end-of-life of their products by introducing plastic recycling or upgrading programmes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Elastic-plastic finite element analyses for reducers with constant-depth internal circumferential surface cracks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Szu-Ying; Tsai, Bor-Jiun; Chen, Jien-Jong

2015-01-01

In this study, a 3-D automatic elastic-plastic finite element mesh generator is established to accurately predict the J-integral value of an arbitrary reducer with a constant-depth internal circumferential surface crack under bending and axial force. The contact pairs are used on the crack surfaces to simulate the actual contact behaviors of the crack model under loadings. In order to verify the accuracy of the proposed elastic-plastic finite element model for a reducer with a surface crack, the cracked straight pipe models are generated according to a special modeling procedure for a flawed reducer. The J-integral values along the crack front of surface crack are calculated and compared with the straight pipe models which have been verified in the previous published studies. Based on the comparison of computed results, good agreements are obtained to show the accuracy of present numerical models. More confidence on using the 3-D elastic-plastic finite element analysis for reducers with internal circumferential surface cracks can be thus established in this work

House dust and storage mite contamination of dry dog food stored in open bags and sealed boxes in 10 domestic households.

Science.gov (United States)

Gill, Christina; McEwan, Neil; McGarry, John; Nuttall, Tim

2011-04-01

Dry pet food is a potential source of exposure to house dust and storage mite allergens in canine atopic dermatitis. This study evaluated contamination of house dust and dry dog food stored in paper bags, sealable plastic bags and sealable plastic boxes in 10 households for 90 days using Acarex(®) tests for guanine, a Der p 1 ELISA and mite flotation. Acarex(®) tests were negative in all the food samples but positive in all the house dust samples. The Der p 1 levels and mite numbers significantly increased in food from paper bags (P = 0.0073 and P = 0.02, respectively), but not plastic bags or boxes. Mite numbers and Der p 1 levels were 10-1000 times higher in house dust than the corresponding food samples (P bags (P = 0.003), and mite numbers in house dust and food from the paper bags (P = 0.0007). Bedding and carpets were significantly associated with Der p 1 levels in house dust (P = 0.015 and P = 0.01, respectively), and food from the paper (both P = 0.02) and plastic bags (P = 0.03 and P = 0.04, respectively). Mites were identified in six of 10 paper bag, three of 10 plastic bag, one of 10 plastic box and nine of 10 house dust samples. These comprised Dermatophagoides (54%), Tyrophagus (10%; all from food) and unidentified mites (36%). Storage of food in sealable plastic boxes largely prevented contamination for 3 months. Exposure to mites and mite proteins in all the stored food, however, appeared to be trivial compared with house dust. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 ESVD and ACVD.

Oral epithelial cell reaction after exposure to Invisalign plastic material.

Science.gov (United States)

Premaraj, Thyagaseely; Simet, Samantha; Beatty, Mark; Premaraj, Sundaralingam

2014-01-01

Invisalign plastic aligners (Align Technology, Santa Clara, Calif) are used to correct malocclusions. The aligners wrap around the teeth and are in contact with gingival epithelium during treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cellular responses of oral epithelium exposed to Invisalign plastic in vitro. Oral epithelial cells were exposed to eluate obtained by soaking Invisalign plastic in either saline solution or artificial saliva for 2, 4, and 8 weeks. Cells grown in media containing saline solution or saliva served as controls. Morphologic changes were assessed by light microscopy. The 3-[4, 5-dimethythiazol- 2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay and flow cytometry were used to determine cell viability and membrane integrity, respectively. Cellular adhesion and micromotion of epithelial cells were measured in real time by electrical cell-substrate impedance sensing. Cells exposed to saline-solution eluate appeared rounded, were lifted from the culture plates, and demonstrated significantly increased metabolic inactivity or cell death (P <0.05). Saliva eluates did not induce significant changes in cell viability compared with untreated cells. Flow cytometry and electric cell-substrate impedance sensing showed that cells treated with saline-solution eluate exhibited compromised membrane integrity, and reduced cell-to-cell contact and mobility when compared with saliva-eluate treatment. Exposure to Invisalign plastic caused changes in viability, membrane permeability, and adhesion of epithelial cells in a saline-solution environment. Microleakage and hapten formation secondary to compromised epithelial integrity might lead to isocyanate allergy, which could be systemic or localized to gingiva. However, these results suggest that saliva might offer protection. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Finite element analysis of cylindrical indentation for determining plastic properties of materials in small volumes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Y Charles; Kurapati, Siva N V R K; Yang Fuqian

2008-01-01

The cylindrical indentation is analysed, using the finite element method, for determining the plastic properties of elastic-plastic materials and the effect of strain hardening. The results are compared with those obtained from spherical indentation, the commonly used technique for measuring plastic properties of materials in small volumes. The analysis shows that the deformation under a cylindrical indenter quickly reaches a fully plastic state and that the size (diameter) of the plastic zone remains constant during further indentation. The indentation load is proportional to the indentation depth at large indentation depth, from which the indentation pressure P m at the onset of yielding can be readily extrapolated. The analysis of cylindrical indentation suggests that it does not need parameters such as impression radius (a) and contact stiffness (S) for determining the plastic behaviour of materials. Thus, the cylindrical indentation can suppress the uncertainties in measuring material properties

The significance of allergic contact urticaria to milk in children with cow's milk allergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Schichter-Konfino, Vered; Almog, Meital; Bamberger, Ellen; Berkowitz, Drora; Kessel, Aharon

2015-05-01

Cow's milk allergy (CMA) is the most common food allergy in infancy. Food allergy is generally triggered through ingestion, but can also be triggered through skin contact. We investigated the incidence and the clinical significance of cow's milk protein (CMP)-induced contact urticaria in individuals with CMA with and without atopic dermatitis (AD). A total of 157 children of whom 133 were diagnosed with CMA were participated. The study was based on observational data gathered in the course of patient care, including a skin prick test and a 'finger test', in which cow's milk is applied on the cheek by a physician's finger to detect contact urticaria. Eighty nine of 133 patients (66.9%) had IgE-mediated CMA. Forty of these 89 (44.9%) tested positive in the finger test. Family atopy was higher in those with positive contact urticaria [21/40 (52.5%) vs. 14/49 (28.5%), p = 0.029]. Patients with positive vs. negative CMP contact urticaria had higher incidence of multiple food allergies [20 of 40 (50%) vs. 7/49 (14.3%), p milk allergy and healthy control group did not have contact urticaria to CMP. CMP contact urticaria exists only in patients with IgE-mediated CMA. A 'finger test' to CMP should be part of the evaluation of CMA patients, and positivity suggests the potential for multiple food allergies, especially to sesame and egg. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Photomobile polymer materials towards eight driven plastic motors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomi Ikeda

2007-01-01

We present the first report of working photomechanical devices, and simple plastic motors, driven only by light. The size scale of the energy transduction systems here is mm for demonstration, but is not principle material-limited, so numerous applications on the nano-scale are possible where efficient power supply to mechanical systems is battery-free and non-contact. The photomobile polymers function with a minimum of moving parts which minimizes the friction and surface contact difficulties on the small scale, and one can further envisage applications as direct solar-to-mechanical energy conversion and storage systems, and use in devices requiring through-space power transmission such as microfluidic device control, bio-interfaces, or other remote power supply. (Author)

Economic Factors Impacting Food Allergen Management: Perspectives from the Food Industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Ruchi S; Taylor, Steve L; Baumert, Joseph L; Kao, Lauren M; Schuster, Erik; Smith, Bridget M

2017-10-01

Food allergies affect up to 8% of children in the United States and may occasionally lead to severe life-threatening reactions. Because there is currently no cure for food allergies, strict avoidance of the allergen-containing foods is the only means of preventing an allergic reaction. Consumers rely on food manufacturers to reliably track and declare the presence of food allergens in products. Over the past 10 to 20 years, the food industry has increasingly adopted allergen control approaches in its processing facilities. However, the major industry costs related to food allergen management have not been fully described. The objective of this study was to characterize the factors that contribute to the economic impact of food allergen control practices on the food industry. A focus group (n = 100) was conducted with food industry professionals to identify key areas of cost for food allergen management. A survey based on the domains identified was then developed and disseminated to a convenience sample (n = 50) of quality control food industry specialists with knowledge of their company's food allergen management practices. Nearly all companies (92%) produced food products containing one or more of the top eight allergenic foods recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or sesame seeds. Cleaning procedures, employee training, and the potential for a recall due to allergen cross-contact were most frequently rated as the important factors in food allergen management. Recalls due to food allergen cross-contact, cleaning procedures, equipment and premises design, and employee training were ranked as the greatest allergen management expenses. Although 96% of companies had a food allergen control plan in place, nearly half (42%) had at least one food allergen-related recall within the past 5 years. The industry appears to endorse a willingness to unify precautionary allergen labeling to communicate a clear message more effectively to consumers.

Identification of Microorganisms Isolated From Counterfeit and Unapproved Decorative Contact Lenses.

Science.gov (United States)

Land, Adrian D; Penno, Katie L; Brzezinski, Jennifer L

2018-03-01

All contact lenses (corrective/noncorrective) are considered Class II or Class III medical devices under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which also states that contact lenses can only be obtained with a prescription. The Forensic Chemistry Center of the US Food & Drug Administration has examined over 300 decorative, noncorrective contact lenses obtained without a prescription. Our observations indicate that 60% of the counterfeit lenses and 27% of the unapproved lenses examined were positive for microbial contamination. Twenty-nine different brands of noncorrective contact lenses were examined, and 48% of them had at least one sample positive for microbial contamination. Each microorganism was further identified using DNA sequencing. Contaminated contact lenses are associated with numerous health risks, including ocular infections and conjunctivitis leading to permanent visual impairment or blindness. These results support the contention that acquiring contact lenses without a prescription is a considerable threat to consumer health and safety. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Combination of Poly(lactic) Acid and Starch for Biodegradable Food Packaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Muller, Justine; González-Martínez, Chelo; Chiralt, Amparo

2017-08-15

The massive use of synthetic plastics, in particular in the food packaging area, has a great environmental impact, and alternative more ecologic materials are being required. Poly(lactic) acid (PLA) and starch have been extensively studied as potential replacements for non-degradable petrochemical polymers on the basis of their availability, adequate food contact properties and competitive cost. Nevertheless, both polymers exhibit some drawbacks for packaging uses and need to be adapted to the food packaging requirements. Starch, in particular, is very water sensitive and its film properties are heavily dependent on the moisture content, exhibiting relatively low mechanical resistance. PLA films are very brittle and offer low resistance to oxygen permeation. Their combination as blend or multilayer films could provide properties that are more adequate for packaging purposes on the basis of their complementary characteristics. The main characteristics of PLA and starch in terms of not only the barrier and mechanical properties of their films but also of their combinations, by using blending or multilayer strategies, have been analyzed, identifying components or processes that favor the polymer compatibility and the good performance of the combined materials. The properties of some blends/combinations have been discussed in comparison with those of pure polymer films.

Combination of Poly(lactic) Acid and Starch for Biodegradable Food Packaging

Science.gov (United States)

González-Martínez, Chelo; Chiralt, Amparo

2017-01-01

The massive use of synthetic plastics, in particular in the food packaging area, has a great environmental impact, and alternative more ecologic materials are being required. Poly(lactic) acid (PLA) and starch have been extensively studied as potential replacements for non-degradable petrochemical polymers on the basis of their availability, adequate food contact properties and competitive cost. Nevertheless, both polymers exhibit some drawbacks for packaging uses and need to be adapted to the food packaging requirements. Starch, in particular, is very water sensitive and its film properties are heavily dependent on the moisture content, exhibiting relatively low mechanical resistance. PLA films are very brittle and offer low resistance to oxygen permeation. Their combination as blend or multilayer films could provide properties that are more adequate for packaging purposes on the basis of their complementary characteristics. The main characteristics of PLA and starch in terms of not only the barrier and mechanical properties of their films but also of their combinations, by using blending or multilayer strategies, have been analyzed, identifying components or processes that favor the polymer compatibility and the good performance of the combined materials. The properties of some blends/combinations have been discussed in comparison with those of pure polymer films. PMID:28809808

Freezing and Food Safety

Science.gov (United States)

... proof plastic bag and immerse it in cold water. (If the bag leaks, bacteria from the air or surrounding environment could be introduced into the food. Tissues can also absorb water like a sponge, resulting in a watery product.) ...

SOME ASPECTS REGARDING THE DEGREE OF CONSERVATION OF THE CREAM PACKAED IN PLASTIC MATERIALS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ioana Rebenciuc

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The prolongation of the product shelf life is directly influenced by the quality of the relation established between thepacking method, package and product. In this situation, the package properties play a primary role in ensuring theprotection and preservation function. This paper’s purpose is to present and analyze cream and types of plastic foodpackage, in relation with the food product; plastic food package still being the most used for the packaging of diaryproducts.The cream packagings have been tested specifically: white polypropylene packagings and coloured sealingends as well. The security of food stuff packaging materials is based on the insurance of the fact that while coming intocontact with food, the unsafe chemical substances do not migrate into it. The substance quantity limit that can betransmitted to product must be determined and limited at a level that will not cause any changes in food stuff. Initiallyanalyses on the product as well as on the package have been made. Then, analyses at 7 day- intervals during a month ofstorage have been made.

Molecular dynamics simulation of subnanometric tool-workpiece contact on a force sensor-integrated fast tool servo for ultra-precision microcutting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai, Yindi; Chen, Yuan-Liu; Shimizu, Yuki; Ito, So; Gao, Wei; Zhang, Liangchi

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Subnanometric contact between a diamond tool and a copper workpiece surface is investigated by MD simulation. • A multi-relaxation time technique is proposed to eliminate the influence of the atom vibrations. • The accuracy of the elastic-plastic transition contact depth estimation is improved by observing the residual defects. • The simulation results are beneficial for optimization of the next-generation microcutting instruments. - Abstract: This paper investigates the contact characteristics between a copper workpiece and a diamond tool in a force sensor-integrated fast tool servo (FS-FTS) for single point diamond microcutting and in-process measurement of ultra-precision surface forms of the workpiece. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are carried out to identify the subnanometric elastic-plastic transition contact depth, at which the plastic deformation in the workpiece is initiated. This critical depth can be used to optimize the FS-FTS as well as the cutting/measurement process. It is clarified that the vibrations of the copper atoms in the MD model have a great influence on the subnanometric MD simulation results. A multi-relaxation time method is then proposed to reduce the influence of the atom vibrations based on the fact that the dominant vibration component has a certain period determined by the size of the MD model. It is also identified that for a subnanometric contact depth, the position of the tool tip for the contact force to be zero during the retracting operation of the tool does not correspond to the final depth of the permanent contact impression on the workpiece surface. The accuracy for identification of the transition contact depth is then improved by observing the residual defects on the workpiece surface after the tool retracting.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery: The Plastic Surgery Paradigm Shift.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartlett, Erica L; Zavlin, Dmitry; Friedman, Jeffrey D; Abdollahi, Aariane; Rappaport, Norman H

2017-12-14

With a focus on providing high quality care and reducing facility based expenses there has been an evolution in perioperative care by way of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS). ERAS allows for a multidisciplinary and multimodal approach to perioperative care which not only expedites recovery but maximizes patient outcomes. This paradigm shift has been generally accepted by most surgical specialties, including plastic surgery. The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of ERAS on outcomes in cosmetic plastic surgery. A prospective study consisting of phone call questionnaires was designed where patients from two senior plastic surgeons (N.H.R. and J.D.F.) were followed. The treatment group (n = 10) followed an ERAS protocol while the control group (n = 12) followed the traditional recovery after surgery which included narcotic usage. Patients were contacted on postoperative days (POD) 0 through 7+ and surveyed about a number of outcomes measures. The ERAS group demonstrated a significant reduction in postoperative pain on POD 0, 1, 2, and 3 (all P plastic surgery. The utility lies in the ability to expedite patient's recovery while still providing quality care. This study showed a reduction in postoperative complaints by avoiding narcotics without an increase in complications. Our findings signify the importance of ERAS protocols within cosmetic plastic surgery. 4. © 2017 The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc. Reprints and permission: journals.permissions@oup.com

EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF); Scientific Opinion on Flavouring Group Evaluation 25, Revision 2 (FGE.25Rev2): Aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons from chemical group 31

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, John Christian; Nørby, Karin Kristiane; Beltoft, Vibe Meister

The Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids of the European Food Safety Authority was requested to evaluate 37 flavouring substances in the Flavouring Group Evaluation 25, Revision 2, using the Procedure in Commission Regulation (EC) No 1565/2000. None of the sub......The Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids of the European Food Safety Authority was requested to evaluate 37 flavouring substances in the Flavouring Group Evaluation 25, Revision 2, using the Procedure in Commission Regulation (EC) No 1565/2000. None...... of the substances were considered to have genotoxic potential. The substances were evaluated through a stepwise approach (the Procedure) that integrates information on structure-activity relationships, intake from current uses, toxicological threshold of concern, and available data on metabolism and toxicity...... assessment of these flavouring substances, the specifications for the materials of commerce have also been considered. For five substances, the composition of the stereoisomeric mixture has to be specified further....

Finite element modeling of indentation-induced superelastic effect using a three-dimensional constitutive model for shape memory materials with plasticity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yijun; Cheng, Yang-Tse; Grummon, David S.

2007-01-01

Indentation-induced shape memory and superelastic effects are recently discovered thermo-mechanical behaviors that may find important applications in many areas of science and engineering. Theoretical understanding of these phenomena is challenging because both martensitic phase transformation and slip plasticity exist under complex contact loading conditions. In this paper, we develop a three-dimensional constitutive model of shape memory alloys with plasticity. Spherical indentation-induced superelasticity in a NiTi shape memory alloy was simulated and compared to experimental results on load-displacement curves and recovery ratios. We show that shallow indents have complete recovery upon unloading, where the size of the phase transformation region is about two times the contact radius. Deep indents have only partial recovery when plastic deformation becomes more prevalent in the indent-affected zone

Methods for Recovering Microorganisms from Solid Surfaces Used in the Food Industry: A Review of the Literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Perrine Gay-Perret

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Various types of surfaces are used today in the food industry, such as plastic, stainless steel, glass, and wood. These surfaces are subject to contamination by microorganisms responsible for the cross-contamination of food by contact with working surfaces. The HACCP-based processes are now widely used for the control of microbial hazards to prevent food safety issues. This preventive approach has resulted in the use of microbiological analyses of surfaces as one of the tools to control the hygiene of products. A method of recovering microorganisms from different solid surfaces is necessary as a means of health prevention. No regulation exists for surface microbial contamination, but food companies tend to establish technical specifications to add value to their products and limit contamination risks. The aim of this review is to present the most frequently used methods: swabbing, friction or scrubbing, printing, rinsing or immersion, sonication and scraping or grinding and describe their advantages and drawbacks. The choice of the recovery method has to be suitable for the type and size of the surface tested for microbiological analysis. Today, quick and cheap methods have to be standardized and especially easy to perform in the field.

The dependence of granular plasticity on particle shape

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Kieran; Jaeger, Heinrich

Granular materials plastically deform through reworking an intricate network of particle-particle contacts. Some particle rearrangements have only a fleeting effect before being forgotten while others set in motion global restructuring. How particle shape affects local interactions and how those, in turn, influence the nature of the aggregate's plasticity is far from clear, especially in three dimensions. Here we investigate the remarkably wide range of behaviors in the yielding regime, from quiescent flow to violent jerks, depending on particle shape. We study this complex dependence via uniaxial compression experiments on aggregates of 3D-printed particles, and complement stress-strain data with simultaneous x-ray videos and volumetric strain measurements. We find power law distributions of the slip magnitudes, and discuss their universality. Our data show that the multitude of small slips serves to gradually dilate the packing whereas the fewer large ones accompany significant compaction events. Our findings provide new insights into general features of granular materials during plastic deformation and highlight how small changes in particle shape can give rise to drastic differences in yielding behavior.

Surface coatings as xenon diffusion barriers on plastic scintillators : Improving Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty verification

OpenAIRE

Bläckberg, Lisa

2011-01-01

This thesis investigates the ability of transparent surface coatings to reduce xenon diffusion into plastic scintillators. The motivation for the work is improved radioxenon monitoring equipment, used with in the framework of the verification regime of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. A large part of the equipment used in this context incorporates plastic scintillators which are in direct contact with the radioactive gas to be detected. One problem with such setup is that radioxenon...

Analytical application of solid contact ion-selective electrodes for determination of copper and nitrate in various food products and drinking water.

Science.gov (United States)

Wardak, Cecylia; Grabarczyk, Malgorzata

2016-08-02

A simple, fast and cheap method for monitoring copper and nitrate in drinking water and food products using newly developed solid contact ion-selective electrodes is proposed. Determination of copper and nitrate was performed by application of multiple standard additions technique. The reliability of the obtained results was assessed by comparing them using the anodic stripping voltammetry or spectrophotometry for the same samples. In each case, satisfactory agreement of the results was obtained, which confirms the analytical usefulness of the constructed electrodes.

Efficient numerical methods for the large-scale, parallel solution of elastoplastic contact problems

KAUST Repository

Frohne, Jö rg; Heister, Timo; Bangerth, Wolfgang

2015-01-01

© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Quasi-static elastoplastic contact problems are ubiquitous in many industrial processes and other contexts, and their numerical simulation is consequently of great interest in accurately describing and optimizing production processes. The key component in these simulations is the solution of a single load step of a time iteration. From a mathematical perspective, the problems to be solved in each time step are characterized by the difficulties of variational inequalities for both the plastic behavior and the contact problem. Computationally, they also often lead to very large problems. In this paper, we present and evaluate a complete set of methods that are (1) designed to work well together and (2) allow for the efficient solution of such problems. In particular, we use adaptive finite element meshes with linear and quadratic elements, a Newton linearization of the plasticity, active set methods for the contact problem, and multigrid-preconditioned linear solvers. Through a sequence of numerical experiments, we show the performance of these methods. This includes highly accurate solutions of a three-dimensional benchmark problem and scaling our methods in parallel to 1024 cores and more than a billion unknowns.

Efficient numerical methods for the large-scale, parallel solution of elastoplastic contact problems

KAUST Repository

Frohne, Jörg

2015-08-06

© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Quasi-static elastoplastic contact problems are ubiquitous in many industrial processes and other contexts, and their numerical simulation is consequently of great interest in accurately describing and optimizing production processes. The key component in these simulations is the solution of a single load step of a time iteration. From a mathematical perspective, the problems to be solved in each time step are characterized by the difficulties of variational inequalities for both the plastic behavior and the contact problem. Computationally, they also often lead to very large problems. In this paper, we present and evaluate a complete set of methods that are (1) designed to work well together and (2) allow for the efficient solution of such problems. In particular, we use adaptive finite element meshes with linear and quadratic elements, a Newton linearization of the plasticity, active set methods for the contact problem, and multigrid-preconditioned linear solvers. Through a sequence of numerical experiments, we show the performance of these methods. This includes highly accurate solutions of a three-dimensional benchmark problem and scaling our methods in parallel to 1024 cores and more than a billion unknowns.

Ingestion and transfer of microplastics in the planktonic food web

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Setälä, Outi; Fleming-Lehtinen, Vivi; Lehtiniemi, Maiju

2014-01-01

Experiments were carried out with different Baltic Sea zooplankton taxa to scan their potential to ingest plastics. Mysid shrimps, copepods, cladocerans, rotifers, polychaete larvae and ciliates were exposed to 10 μm fluorescent polystyrene microspheres. These experiments showed ingestion of microspheres in all taxa studied. The highest percentage of individuals with ingested spheres was found in pelagic polychaete larvae, Marenzelleria spp. Experiments with the copepod Eurytemora affinis and the mysid shrimp Neomysis integer showed egestion of microspheres within 12 h. Food web transfer experiments were done by offering zooplankton labelled with ingested microspheres to mysid shrimps. Microscopy observations of mysid intestine showed the presence of zooplankton prey and microspheres after 3 h incubation. This study shows for the first time the potential of plastic microparticle transfer via planktonic organisms from one trophic level (mesozooplankton) to a higher level (macrozooplankton). The impacts of plastic transfer and possible accumulation in the food web need further investigations. -- Highlights: • Experiments show the potential of ingestion of plastics by various zooplankton taxa. • This ingestion of plastics can be indirect via other zooplankton organisms. • There may be several alternate routes for microplastic transfer in the food webs. -- Experiments with zooplankton and microspheres showed ingestion of spheres by zpl and the transfer of ingested microspheres to higher trophic level organisms via labelled zooplankton

Learning in an exotic social wasp while relocating a food source.

Science.gov (United States)

Lozada, Mariana; D'Adamo, Paola

2014-01-01

In this paper we review several studies on Vespulagermanica behavioral plasticity while relocating a food source in natural environments. This exotic social wasp, which has become established in many parts of the world, displays diverse cognitive abilities when foraging. Given its successful invasiveness worldwide, our initial hypothesis was that this species has great behavioral plasticity, which enables it to face environmental uncertainty. In our work we have analyzed foraging behavior associated with undepleted resources. Throughout several experiments, rapid learning was observed in this species; after few learning experiences they associate diverse contextual cues with a food source. However, by exploring wasp behavior when food suddenly disappeared, either because it had been removed or displaced, we found that they continued searching over a no longer rewarding site for a considerable period of time, suggesting that past experience can hinder new learning. Particularly surprising is the fact that when food was displaced nearby, wasps persisted in searching over the empty dish, ignoring the presence of food close by. We propose that this species could be a suitable model for studying cognitive plasticity in relation to environmental uncertainty. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

75 FR 47606 - General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-06

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0001] General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of... General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee scheduled for August...

Ocean acidification challenges copepod phenotypic plasticity

Science.gov (United States)

Vehmaa, Anu; Almén, Anna-Karin; Brutemark, Andreas; Paul, Allanah; Riebesell, Ulf; Furuhagen, Sara; Engström-Öst, Jonna

2016-11-01

Ocean acidification is challenging phenotypic plasticity of individuals and populations. Calanoid copepods (zooplankton) are shown to be fairly plastic against altered pH conditions, and laboratory studies indicate that transgenerational effects are one mechanism behind this plasticity. We studied phenotypic plasticity of the copepod Acartia sp. in the course of a pelagic, large-volume mesocosm study that was conducted to investigate ecosystem and biogeochemical responses to ocean acidification. We measured copepod egg production rate, egg-hatching success, adult female size and adult female antioxidant capacity (ORAC) as a function of acidification (fCO2 ˜ 365-1231 µatm) and as a function of quantity and quality of their diet. We used an egg transplant experiment to reveal whether transgenerational effects can alleviate the possible negative effects of ocean acidification on offspring development. We found significant negative effects of ocean acidification on adult female size. In addition, we found signs of a possible threshold at high fCO2, above which adaptive maternal effects cannot alleviate the negative effects of acidification on egg-hatching and nauplii development. We did not find support for the hypothesis that insufficient food quantity (total particulate carbon < 55 µm) or quality (C : N) weakens the transgenerational effects. However, females with high-ORAC-produced eggs with high hatching success. Overall, these results indicate that Acartia sp. could be affected by projected near-future CO2 levels.

Plasticizers increase adhesion of the deteriogenic fungus Aureobasidium pullulans to polyvinyl chloride.

Science.gov (United States)

Webb, J S; Van der Mei, H C; Nixon, M; Eastwood, I M; Greenhalgh, M; Read, S J; Robson, G D; Handley, P S

1999-08-01

Initial adhesion of fungi to plasticized polyvinyl chloride (pPVC) may determine subsequent colonization and biodeterioration processes. The deteriogenic fungus Aureobasidium pullulans was used to investigate the physicochemical nature of adhesion to both unplasticized PVC (uPVC) and pPVC containing the plasticizers dioctyl phthalate (DOP) and dioctyl adipate (DOA). A quantitative adhesion assay using image analysis identified fundamental differences in the mechanism of adhesion of A. pullulans blastospores to these substrata. Adhesion to pPVC was greater than that to uPVC by a maximum of 280% after a 4-h incubation with 10(8) blastospores ml(-1). That plasticizers enhance adhesion to PVC was confirmed by incorporating a dispersion of both DOA and DOP into the blastospore suspension. Adhesion to uPVC was increased by up to 308% in the presence of the dispersed plasticizers. Hydrophobic interactions were found to dominate adhesion to uPVC because (i) a strong positive correlation was observed between substratum hydrophobicity (measured by using a dynamic contact angle analyzer) and adhesion to a range of unplasticized polymers including uPVC, and (ii) neither the pH nor the electrolyte concentration of the suspension buffer, both of which influence electrostatic interactions, affected adhesion to uPVC. In contrast, adhesion to pPVC is principally controlled by electrostatic interactions. Enhanced adhesion to pPVC occurred despite a relative reduction of 13 degrees in the water contact angle of pPVC compared to that of uPVC. Furthermore, adhesion to pPVC was strongly dependent on both the pH and electrolyte concentration of the suspension medium, reaching maximum levels at pH 8 and with an electrolyte concentration of 10 mM NaCl. Plasticization with DOP and DOA therefore increases adhesion of A. pullulans blastospores to pPVC through an interaction mediated by electrostatic forces.

Void-Free Lid for Food Packaging

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, C. D.; Farris, W. P.

1986-01-01

Flexible cover eliminates air pockets in sealed container. Universal food-package lid formed from flexible plastic. Partially folded, lid unfolded by depressing center portion. Height of flat portion of lid above flange thereby reduced. Pressure of food against central oval depression pops it out, forming dome that provides finger grip for mixing contents with water or opening lid. Therefore food stays fresh, allows compact stacking of partially filled containers, and resists crushing. Originally developed for packaging dehydrated food for use in human consumption on Space Shuttle missions. Other uses include home canning and commercial food packaging.

Barrier function and natural moisturizing factor levels after cumulative exposure to a fruit-derived organic acid and a detergent: different outcomes in atopic and healthy skin and relevance for occupational contact dermatitis in the food industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Angelova-Fischer, Irena; Hoek, Anne-Karin; Dapic, Irena; Jakasa, Ivone; Kezic, Sanja; Fischer, Tobias W.; Zillikens, Detlef

2015-01-01

Fruit-derived organic compounds and detergents are relevant exposure factors for occupational contact dermatitis in the food industry. Although individuals with atopic dermatitis (AD) are at risk for development of occupational contact dermatitis, there have been no controlled studies on the effects

Conversion of food industrial wastes into bioplastics.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, P H; Chua, H; Huang, A L; Lo, W; Chen, G Q

1998-01-01

The usage of plastics in packaging and disposable products, and the generation of plastic waste, have been increasing drastically. Broader usage of biodegradable plastics in packaging and disposable products as a solution to environmental problems would heavily depend on further reduction of costs and the discovery of novel biodegradable plastics with improved properties. In the authors' laboratories, various carbohydrates in the growth media, including sucrose, lactic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, and various combinations of butyric and valeric acids, were utilized as the carbon (c) sources for the production of bioplastics by Alcaligenes eutrophus. As the first step in pursuit of eventual usage of industrial food wastewater as nutrients for microorganisms to synthesize bioplastics, the authors investigated the usage of malt wastes from a beer brewery plant as the C sources for the production of bioplastics by microorganisms. Specific polymer production yield by A. Latus DSM 1124 increased to 70% polymer/cell (g/g) and 32 g/L cell dry wt, using malt wastes as the C source. The results of these experiments indicated that, with the use of different types of food wastes as the C source, different polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymers could be produced with distinct polymer properties.

Impedance study of the ion-to-electron transduction process for carbon cloth as solid-contact material in potentiometric ion sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mattinen, Ulriika; Rabiej, Sylwia; Lewenstam, Andrzej; Bobacka, Johan

2011-01-01

Carbon cloth was studied as solid-contact material in potentiometric ion sensors by using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiometry. The ion-to-electron transduction process was studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy by using a two-electrode symmetrical cell where a liquid electrolyte was sandwiched between two solid electrodes, including bare glassy carbon (GC), GC/carbon cloth and GC/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene). Impedance data for different electrode/electrolyte combinations were evaluated and compared. Solid-contact K + -selective electrodes were fabricated by coating the carbon cloth with a conventional plasticized PVC-based K + -selective membrane via drop casting. These K + -sensors showed proper analytical performance and acceptable long-term potential stability (potential drift ≈ 1 mV/day). Solid contact reference electrodes were fabricated in an analogous manner by coating the carbon cloth with a plasticized PVC membrane containing a moderately lipophilic salt. The results indicate that carbon cloth can be used as a solid-contact material in potentiometric ion sensors and pseudo-reference electrodes.

Evaluation of Blast Resistance of Fiber Reinforced Composite Specimens under Contact Blast Load

Science.gov (United States)

Janota, O.; Foglar, M.

2017-09-01

This paper presents results of experimental programme which took place in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Experiments were focused on the resistance of full scale concrete panels subjected to contact blast loading. Specimens were loaded by contact blast by plastic explosive. All specimens were reinforced concrete slabs made of fiber concrete. Basalt mesh and textile sheets were added to some of the experiments for creating more heterogeneous material to achieve better resistance of the specimens. Evaluation of experiments was mainly focused on the damaged area on the contact side and soffit of the specimens. Dependency of the final damage of concrete panels on the weight of explosive and concrete strength was assessed.

78 FR 16684 - General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-18

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2013-N-0001] General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting... the public. Name of Committee: General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices...

77 FR 20642 - General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-05

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2012-N-0001] General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting... the public. Name of Committee: General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices...

76 FR 14415 - General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-16

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0002] General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting... the public. Name of Committee: General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices...

76 FR 65200 - General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee: Notice of...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-20

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0002] General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee: Notice of... Administration (FDA) is postponing the meeting of the General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical...

76 FR 62419 - General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-07

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0002] General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting... the public. Name of Committee: General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices...

75 FR 49940 - General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-16

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0001] General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting... the public. Name of Committee: General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices...

78 FR 30928 - General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-23

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2013-N-0001] General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting... the public. Name of Committee: General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices...

76 FR 39882 - General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-07

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0478] General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting... the public. Name of Committee: General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices...

Nanotechnology for Food Packaging and Food Quality Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Rossi, Marco; Passeri, Daniele; Sinibaldi, Alberto; Angjellari, Mariglen; Tamburri, Emanuela; Sorbo, Angela; Carata, Elisabetta; Dini, Luciana

Nanotechnology has paved the way to innovative food packaging materials and analytical methods to provide the consumers with healthier food and to reduce the ecological footprint of the whole food chain. Combining antimicrobial and antifouling properties, thermal and mechanical protection, oxygen and moisture barrier, as well as to verify the actual quality of food, e.g., sensors to detect spoilage, bacterial growth, and to monitor incorrect storage conditions, or anticounterfeiting devices in food packages may extend the products shelf life and ensure higher quality of foods. Also the ecological footprint of food chain can be reduced by developing new completely recyclable and/or biodegradable packages from natural and eco-friendly resources. The contribution of nanotechnologies to these goals is reviewed in this chapter, together with a description of portable devices ("lab-on-chip," sensors, nanobalances, etc.) which can be used to assess the quality of food and an overview of regulations in force on food contact materials. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Migração específica de antioxidante de embalagens plásticas para alimentos Specific migration of antioxidant from plastic packages for food

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leda Coltro

2011-01-01

Full Text Available O uso de aditivos em materiais plásticos é essencial para o processamento e desempenho dos plásticos, uma vez que os aditivos conferem características desejadas aos polímeros. No entanto, há restrições determinadas pela Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (ANVISA para as embalagens plásticas de alimentos, as quais devem ser avaliadas por meio de ensaios físicos, realizados por laboratório acreditado, para verificar se os requisitos estabelecidos pela ANVISA são atendidos. Sendo assim, o objetivo desse trabalho foi desenvolver metodologia que permita a avaliação da migração de 3-(3,5-di-terc-butil-4-hidroxifenil propionato de n-octadecila, antioxidante de nome comercial Irganox 1076, CAS 2082-79-3, presente em embalagens plásticas para contato com alimentos, empregando cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência. Esse estudo também teve como finalidade comprovar se o conteúdo de Irganox 1076 de amostras comerciais de filmes plásticos atende ao requisito de limite de migração específica estabelecido pela ANVISA para este aditivo. Os resultados obtidos indicam que a metodologia utilizada para os simulantes aquoso, ácido e gorduroso é satisfatória e adequada para a análise da migração específica do Irganox 1076, uma vez que todos os parâmetros necessários para a validação do método foram atingidos. As amostras de filme de PEBD e de EVA analisadas atendem ao limite de migração específica do Irganox 1076 para todos os simulantes avaliados.The use of additives in plastics is essential for the processing and performance of plastic products since the additives enhance the desired characteristics of the polymers. Nevertheless, there are restrictions established by the Brazilian Agency of Sanitary Surveillance (ANVISA for plastic packages intended to be in contact with foodstuffs which must be submitted to analyses at a proper laboratory in order to check the compliance with the requirements established

EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF); Scientific O pinion Flavouring Group Evaluation 23, Revision 4 (FGE.23Rev4): Aliphatic, alicyclic and aromatic ethers including anisole derivatives from chemical groups 15, 16, 22, 26 and 30

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beltoft, Vibe Meister; Binderup, Mona-Lise; Frandsen, Henrik Lauritz

The Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids of the European Food Safety Authority was requested to evaluate 21 flavouring substances in the Flavouring Group Evaluation 23, Revision 4, using the Procedure in Commission Regulation (EC) No 1565/2000. This revision i...... also been considered. Specifications including complete purity criteria and identity for the materials of commerce have been provided for all 21 candidate substances. © European Food Safety Authority, 2013......The Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids of the European Food Safety Authority was requested to evaluate 21 flavouring substances in the Flavouring Group Evaluation 23, Revision 4, using the Procedure in Commission Regulation (EC) No 1565/2000. This revision...

Effect of the cut off frequency on rough point and flat surface contacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meng, Fan Ming

2012-01-01

In the past years, contact between two bodies has been studied from various ways that do not consider the cut off frequency effect on the contact mechanism. This paper reports the correlation between rough point contact and flat surface contact at different cut off frequencies of filter. The similarity and difference between the two types of contact mechanisms are presented for materials with linear or elastic perfectly plastic deformation. The conjugate gradient method (CGM) is used for analysing the rough point contact, while the rough flat surface contact is studied with an improved CGM in which the influence coefficient for the elastic deformation of the rough flat surface is obtained with finite element method. Numerical results show that for the above two types of contacts, their von Mises stress and maximum shear stress are greatly affected by the cut-off frequency of a high pass filter. Moreover, a decrease in the cut-off frequency leads to an increase in the contact area and a decrease in the approach for the rough flat surface contact, while the opposite variations is for the point contact between rough bodies with the small radii

Finite element analysis of large elasto-plastic deformation for sealing ring in nuclear pressure vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao Xuejian; Chen Ruxin

1995-02-01

Based on the R. Hills incremental virtual power principle and the elasto-plastic constitution equation for large deformation and by considering physical nonlinear, geometric nonlinear and thermal effects, a plane and axisymmetric finite element equation for thermal large elasto-plastic deformation has been established in the Euler description. The corresponding analysis program ATLEPD has been also complied for thermal large elasto-plastic deformation process of O-ring in RPV. The variations of stress, strain, contact specific pressure, mesh deformation and the aspects of spring back in upsetting and spring back process have been also investigated. Numerical results are fairly consistent with experimental ones. (5 figs., 4 tabs.)

Individual susceptibility to occupational contact dermatitis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kezic, Sanja; Visser, Maaike J.; Verberk, Maarten M.

2009-01-01

Occupational Contact Dermatitis (OCD) is one of the most common work-related diseases. High risk occupations are in health care, hairdressing, food sector and metal industry. OCD tends to become chronic; persistent OCD often results in impaired quality of life and loss of work ability. The purpose

Leaching of Silver from Silver-Impregnated Food Storage Containers

Science.gov (United States)

Hauri, James F.; Niece, Brian K.

2011-01-01

The use of silver in commercial products has proliferated in recent years owing to its antibacterial properties. Food containers impregnated with micro-sized silver promise long food life, but there is some concern because silver can leach out of the plastic and into the stored food. This laboratory experiment gives students the opportunity to…

Grazer-induced chain lenght plasticity reduces grazing risk in a marine diatom

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bergkvist, Johanna; Thor, Peter; Jakobsen, Hans Henrik

2012-01-01

. marinoi was exposed to chemical cues from caged A. tonsa without physical contact with the responding cells. The reductions in chain length significantly reduced copepod grazing; grazing rates on chains (four cells or more) were several times higher compared to that of single cells. This suggests...... that chain length plasticity is a means for S. marinoi to reduce copepod grazing. In contrast, chain length was not suppressed in cultures exposed to the microzooplankton grazer Gyrodinium dominans. Size-selective predation may have played a key role in the evolution of chain formation and chain length...... plasticity in diatoms...

Social connectedness is associated with food security among peri-urban Peruvian Amazonian communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Gwenyth O; Surkan, Pamela J; Zelner, Jon; Paredes Olórtegui, Maribel; Peñataro Yori, Pablo; Ambikapathi, Ramya; Caulfield, Laura E; Gilman, Robert H; Kosek, Margaret N

2018-04-01

Food insecurity is a major global public health issue. Social capital has been identified as central to maintaining food security across a wide range of low- and middle-income country contexts, but few studies have examined this relationship through sociocentric network analysis. We investigated relationships between household- and community-level social connectedness, household food security, and household income; and tested the hypothesis that social connectedness modified the relationship between income and food security. A cross-sectional census with an embedded questionnaire to capture social relationships was conducted among eleven peri-urban communities. Community connectedness was related to study outcomes of food security and per-capita income through regression models. Of 1520 households identified, 1383 were interviewed (91.0%) and 1272 (83.9%) provided complete data. Households in the youngest communities had the most total contacts, and the highest proportion of contacts outside of the community. Household income was also associated with more outside-community contacts (0.05 more contacts per standard deviation increase in income, psecure households reported more contacts nearby (0.24 increase in household food insecurity access scale (HFIAS) for each additional contact, psecurity (-0.92 decrease in HFIAS for each one-unit increase in community mean degree, p=0.008). There was no evidence that social connectedness modified the relationship between income and food security such that lower-income households benefited more from community membership than higher-income households. Although households reported networks that spanned rural villages and urban centers, contacts within the community, with whom food was regularly shared, were most important to maintaining food security. Interventions that build within-community connectedness in peri-urban settings may increase food security.

Challenges and opportunities of biodegradable plastics: A mini review.

Science.gov (United States)

Rujnić-Sokele, Maja; Pilipović, Ana

2017-02-01

The concept of materials coming from nature with environmental advantages of being biodegradable and/or biobased (often referred to as bioplastics) is very attractive to the industry and to the consumers. Bioplastics already play an important role in the fields of packaging, agriculture, gastronomy, consumer electronics and automotive, but still they have a very low share in the total production of plastics (currently about 1% of the about 300 million tonnes of plastic produced annually). Biodegradable plastics are often perceived as the possible solution for the waste problem, but biodegradability is just an additional feature of the material to be exploited at the end of its life in specific terms, in the specific disposal environment and in a specific time, which is often forgotten. They should be used as a favoured choice for the applications that demand a cheap way to dispose of the item after it has fulfilled its job (e.g. for food packaging, agriculture or medical products). The mini-review presents the opportunities and future challenges of biodegradable plastics, regarding processing, properties and waste management options.

Quasi-static incremental behavior of granular materials: Elastic-plastic coupling and micro-scale dissipation

Science.gov (United States)

Kuhn, Matthew R.; Daouadji, Ali

2018-05-01

The paper addresses a common assumption of elastoplastic modeling: that the recoverable, elastic strain increment is unaffected by alterations of the elastic moduli that accompany loading. This assumption is found to be false for a granular material, and discrete element (DEM) simulations demonstrate that granular materials are coupled materials at both micro- and macro-scales. Elasto-plastic coupling at the macro-scale is placed in the context of thermomechanics framework of Tomasz Hueckel and Hans Ziegler, in which the elastic moduli are altered by irreversible processes during loading. This complex behavior is explored for multi-directional loading probes that follow an initial monotonic loading. An advanced DEM model is used in the study, with non-convex non-spherical particles and two different contact models: a conventional linear-frictional model and an exact implementation of the Hertz-like Cattaneo-Mindlin model. Orthotropic true-triaxial probes were used in the study (i.e., no direct shear strain), with tiny strain increments of 2 ×10-6 . At the micro-scale, contact movements were monitored during small increments of loading and load-reversal, and results show that these movements are not reversed by a reversal of strain direction, and some contacts that were sliding during a loading increment continue to slide during reversal. The probes show that the coupled part of a strain increment, the difference between the recoverable (elastic) increment and its reversible part, must be considered when partitioning strain increments into elastic and plastic parts. Small increments of irreversible (and plastic) strain and contact slipping and frictional dissipation occur for all directions of loading, and an elastic domain, if it exists at all, is smaller than the strain increment used in the simulations.

Analysis of Adipate Ester Contents in PVC Plastics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berg, Rolf W.

2006-01-01

Plasticizers are needed in flexible PVC (PolyVinylChloride) products. There is serious concern that commonly used phthalate esters may harm life reproduction systems. To avoid the problems, instead adipate di-esters (AEs) of C8 to C10 alcohols are used as higher prized alternatives; e.g. di-2......-ethylhexyl adipate or DEHA [103-23-1], also known as Adimoll® or di-octyl adipate, DOA, see Fig. 1. A widely used plasticizer in food (cling) films is DEHA, often in combination with polymers, epoxidized soya-bean oil, etcetera. DEHA also occurs in children toys. We have previously shown that the presence...... of phthalate esters in PVC can be rapidly analyzed by Fourier transform (FT-) Raman spectroscopy excited with a 1064 nm laser. Here in this project we report a similar study. The aim was to find out whether FT-Raman spectroscopy can be used to determine the presence of adipate esters (AEs) as plasticizers...

Integrating bioassays and analytical chemistry as an improved approach to support safety assessment of food contact materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Veyrand, Julien; Marin-Kuan, Maricel; Bezencon, Claudine; Frank, Nancy; Guérin, Violaine; Koster, Sander; Latado, Hélia; Mollergues, Julie; Patin, Amaury; Piguet, Dominique; Serrant, Patrick; Varela, Jesus; Schilter, Benoît

2017-10-01

Food contact materials (FCM) contain chemicals which can migrate into food and result in human exposure. Although it is mandatory to ensure that migration does not endanger human health, there is still no consensus on how to pragmatically assess the safety of FCM since traditional approaches would require extensive toxicological and analytical testing which are expensive and time consuming. Recently, the combination of bioassays, analytical chemistry and risk assessment has been promoted as a new paradigm to identify toxicologically relevant molecules and address safety issues. However, there has been debate on the actual value of bioassays in that framework. In the present work, a FCM anticipated to release the endocrine active chemical 4-nonyphenol (4NP) was used as a model. In a migration study, the leaching of 4NP was confirmed by LC-MS/MS and GC-MS. This was correlated with an increase in both estrogenic and anti-androgenic activities as measured with bioassays. A standard risk assessment indicated that according to the food intake scenario applied, the level of 4NP measured was lower, close or slightly above the acceptable daily intake. Altogether these results show that bioassays could reveal the presence of an endocrine active chemical in a real-case FCM migration study. The levels reported were relevant for safety assessment. In addition, this work also highlighted that bioactivity measured in migrate does not necessarily represent a safety issue. In conclusion, together with analytics, bioassays contribute to identify toxicologically relevant molecules leaching from FCM and enable improved safety assessment.

EFSA CEF Panel (EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids), 2013. Scientific Opinion on Flavouring Group Evaluation 21, Revision 4 (FGE.21Rev4)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beltoft, Vibe Meister; Binderup, Mona-Lise; Frandsen, Henrik Lauritz

The Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids of the European Food Safety Authority was requested to evaluate 59 flavouring substances in the Flavouring Group Evaluation 21, Revision 4, using the Procedure in Commission Regulation (EC) No 1565/2000. This revision...... of these flavouring substances, the specifications for the materials of commerce have also been considered. Adequate specifications including complete purity criteria and identity for the materials of commerce have been provided for all 41 candidate substances...

EFSA CEF Panel (EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids), 2013. Scientific Opinion on Flavouring Group Evaluation 24, Revision 2 (FGE.24Rev2)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beltoft, Vibe Meister; Binderup, Mona-Lise; Frandsen, Henrik Lauritz

The Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids of the European Food Safety Authority was requested to evaluate 24 flavouring substances in the Flavouring Group Evaluation 24, Revision 2, using the Procedure in Commission Regulation (EC) No 1565/2000. This revision...... the safety assessment of these flavouring substances, the specifications for the materials of commerce have also been considered. Adequate specifications including complete purity criteria and identity for the materials of commerce have been provided for all 24 candidate substances....

75 FR 1395 - General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Amendment of...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-11

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2009-N-0606] General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Amendment of Notice...) is announcing an amendment to the notice of a meeting of the General and Plastic Surgery Devices...

Plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems: macro-, meso-, and microplastic debris in a floodplain lake.

Science.gov (United States)

Blettler, Martin C M; Ulla, Maria Alicia; Rabuffetti, Ana Pia; Garello, Nicolás

2017-10-23

Plastic pollution is considered an important environmental problem by the United Nations Environment Programme, and it is identified, alongside climate change, as an emerging issue that might affect biological diversity and human health. However, despite research efforts investigating plastics in oceans, relatively little studies have focused on freshwater systems. The aim of this study was to estimate the spatial distribution, types, and characteristics of macro-, meso-, and microplastic fragments in shoreline sediments of a freshwater lake. Food wrappers (mainly polypropylene and polystyrene), bags (high- and low-density polyethylene), bottles (polyethylene terephthalate), and disposable Styrofoam food containers (expanded polystyrene) were the dominant macroplastics recorded in this study. Contrary to other studies, herein macroplastic item surveys would not serve as surrogates for microplastic items. This is disadvantageous since macroplastic surveys are relatively easier to conduct. Otherwise, an average of 25 mesoplastics (mainly expanded polystyrene) and 704 microplastic particles (diverse resins) were recorded per square meter in sandy sediments. Comparisons with other studies from freshwater and marine beaches indicated similar relevance of plastic contamination, demonstrating for the first time that plastic pollution is a serious problem in the Paraná floodplain lakes. This study is also valuable from a social/educational point of view, since plastic waste has been ignored in the Paraná catchment as a pollutant problem, and therefore, the outcome of the current study is a relevant contribution for decision makers.

Plasticity theory

CERN Document Server

Lubliner, Jacob

2008-01-01

The aim of Plasticity Theory is to provide a comprehensive introduction to the contemporary state of knowledge in basic plasticity theory and to its applications. It treats several areas not commonly found between the covers of a single book: the physics of plasticity, constitutive theory, dynamic plasticity, large-deformation plasticity, and numerical methods, in addition to a representative survey of problems treated by classical methods, such as elastic-plastic problems, plane plastic flow, and limit analysis; the problem discussed come from areas of interest to mechanical, structural, and

Isolated contact urticaria caused by immunoglobulin E-mediated fish allergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Onesimo, Roberta; Giorgio, Valentina; Pill, Stefania; Monaco, Serena; Sopo, Stefano Miceli

2012-01-01

Fish is a common cause of food allergy. The reactions usually occur after its ingestion. In most immunoglobulin E-mediated reactions, the allergens are gastroresistant and heat-stable proteins of low molecularweight (parvalbumin). On the other hand, isolated contact urticaria following the handling of raw fish but without symptoms after its ingestion was found among cooks and professional fish handlers. In these cases, the fish allergens are gastrosensitive and thermolabile, as demonstrated by the decrease in the diameter of the wheal in the skin-prick test using cooked fish. To the best of our knowledge isolated fish contact urticaria in children has not been previously reported. We analyze the features of three pediatric cases of contact urticaria from cod (one of them was sensitized to parvalbumin), with tolerance after ingestion of this fish on oral food challenge.

Exploring the chemistry of complex samples by tentative identification and semi-quantification: a food contact material case

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pieke, Eelco Nicolaas; Smedsgaard, Jørn; Granby, Kit

2017-01-01

to retrieve the most likely chemical match from a structure database. In addition, TOF-only data is used to estimate analyte concentration via semi-quantification. The method is demonstrated in recycled paper food contact material (FCM). Here, 585 chromatographic peaks were discovered, of which 117 were...... data. Overall, the described method is a valuable chemical exploration tool for non-identified substances, but also may be used as a preliminary prioritization tool for substances expected to have the highest health impact, for example in FCMs....... elucidation of a vast number of unknowns, of which only a fraction may be relevant. Here, we present an exploration and prioritization approach based on high resolution mass spectrometry. The method uses algorithm-based precursor/product-ion correlations on Quadrupole-Time of Flight (Q-TOF) MS/MS data...

Plastic in the Ocean: A Report on What It Is and a Short Survey on Miyazaki’s Seashore

OpenAIRE

Passos, Anderson; Martini, Erika; Mitsuo, Hiroshi; Hirai, Yu

2014-01-01

Plastic in the ocean is an environmental issue that has been gaining attention in recent years. It not only affects marine habitats, but ingestion or entanglement can also kill marine life. The final destination of plastic waste is not yet known, but some researchers believe that such debris may be entering our food chain as plastic molecules are broken down and absorbed by marine life. In this study, we are going to discuss some of the effects that plastic in the ocean may have on marine env...

Occupational food-related hand dermatoses seen over a 10-year period

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vester, Lotte; Thyssen, Jacob P; Menné, Torkil

2012-01-01

. A suggestion for diagnostic criteria is presented. Frequent risk occupations were cooking in restaurants, baking, and kitchen work. Substantially more patients reacted in skin prick testing with fresh foods than with food extracts. Conclusion. Protein contact dermatitis is a frequent disorder among patients...... who professionally handle foods, and should be considered to be a distinct clinical entity. When diagnosing protein contact dermatitis and in other food-related skin prick testing procedures, it is important to include fresh foods....

Implementation and applications of a finite-element model for the contact between rough surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulios, Konstantinos; Klit, Peder

2013-01-01

Due to the rough nature of real mechanical surfaces, the contact between elastic bodies occurs at several size-scales. Statistical and fractal contact models can take a wide range of roughness wavelengths into account, without additional computational cost. However, deterministic models are more ...... in the examples. Among the presented results one can find the distribution of the contact pressure at the interface and diagrams of the real area of contact as a function of the nominal contact pressure. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.......Due to the rough nature of real mechanical surfaces, the contact between elastic bodies occurs at several size-scales. Statistical and fractal contact models can take a wide range of roughness wavelengths into account, without additional computational cost. However, deterministic models are more...... straightforward to understand and easier to extend to more complex cases like contacting bodies that demonstrate elasto-plastic behavior. This paper presents a finite-element model for studying the frictionless contact between nominally flat rough surfaces. Apart from a description of the model implementation...

The Ecological Impacts of Marine Plastic Debris in the South Pacific Region

OpenAIRE

Chowra, Isabella

2013-01-01

The population in the Pacific Islands region is vastly dependant on their oceanic resources, for food, protection and economic income. Today the Pacific Ocean faces many threats that could risk the living hood of its population. This study aims to map the extent of plastic pollution in the South Pacific and possible measurements against it. The study will also be focused on plastic shopping bags and try to assess the most environmentally friendly option. This will be achieved by literature re...

EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF); Scientific Opinion on Flavouring Group Evaluation 96 (FGE.96): Consideration of 88 flavouring substances considered by EFSA for which EU production volumes / anticipated production volumes have been submitted

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, John Christian; Nørby, Karin Kristiane; Beltoft, Vibe Meister

The Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids of the European Food Safety Authority was requested to consider evaluations of flavouring substances assessed since 2000 by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (the JECFA), and to decide whether further...

Ocean acidification challenges copepod phenotypic plasticity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Vehmaa

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Ocean acidification is challenging phenotypic plasticity of individuals and populations. Calanoid copepods (zooplankton are shown to be fairly plastic against altered pH conditions, and laboratory studies indicate that transgenerational effects are one mechanism behind this plasticity. We studied phenotypic plasticity of the copepod Acartia sp. in the course of a pelagic, large-volume mesocosm study that was conducted to investigate ecosystem and biogeochemical responses to ocean acidification. We measured copepod egg production rate, egg-hatching success, adult female size and adult female antioxidant capacity (ORAC as a function of acidification (fCO2  ∼  365–1231 µatm and as a function of quantity and quality of their diet. We used an egg transplant experiment to reveal whether transgenerational effects can alleviate the possible negative effects of ocean acidification on offspring development. We found significant negative effects of ocean acidification on adult female size. In addition, we found signs of a possible threshold at high fCO2, above which adaptive maternal effects cannot alleviate the negative effects of acidification on egg-hatching and nauplii development. We did not find support for the hypothesis that insufficient food quantity (total particulate carbon < 55 µm or quality (C : N weakens the transgenerational effects. However, females with high-ORAC-produced eggs with high hatching success. Overall, these results indicate that Acartia sp. could be affected by projected near-future CO2 levels.

Ocean acidification challenges copepod reproductive plasticity

Science.gov (United States)

Vehmaa, A.; Almén, A.-K.; Brutemark, A.; Paul, A.; Riebesell, U.; Furuhagen, S.; Engström-Öst, J.

2015-11-01

Ocean acidification is challenging phenotypic plasticity of individuals and populations. Calanoid copepods (zooplankton) are shown to be fairly plastic against altered pH conditions, and laboratory studies indicate that transgenerational effects are one mechanism behind this plasticity. We studied phenotypic plasticity of the copepod Acartia bifilosa in the course of a pelagic, large-volume mesocosm study that was conducted to investigate ecosystem and biogeochemical responses to ocean acidification. We measured copepod egg production rate, egg hatching success, adult female size and adult female antioxidant capacity (ORAC) as a function of acidification (fCO2 ~ 365-1231 μatm), and as a function of quantity and quality of their diet. We used an egg transplant experiment to reveal if transgenerational effects can alleviate the possible negative effects of ocean acidification on offspring development. We found significant negative effects of ocean acidification on adult female copepod size and egg hatching success. In addition, we found a threshold of fCO2 concentration (~ 1000 μatm), above which adaptive maternal effects cannot alleviate the negative effects of acidification on egg hatching and nauplii development. We did not find support for the hypothesis that insufficient food quantity (total particulate carbon ~ 55 μm) or quality (C : N) weakens the transgenerational effects. However, females with high ORAC produced eggs with high hatching success. Overall, these results indicate that A. bifilosa could be affected by projected near future CO2 levels.

EFSA EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF); Scientific Opinion on Flavouring Group Evaluation 304 (FGE.304): Five carboxamides from chemical group 30

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, John Christian; Nørby, Karin Kristiane; Beltoft, Vibe Meister

The Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids of the European Food Safety Authority was requested to evaluate five flavouring substances in the Flavouring Group Evaluation 304, using the Procedure in Commission Regulation (EC) No 1565/2000. None of the substances...... data are required. Besides the safety assessment of these flavouring substances, the specifications for the materials of commerce have also been considered. Specifications including complete purity criteria and identity for the materials of commerce have been provided for all five candidate substances....

EFSA CEF Panel (EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids), 2013. Scientific Opinion on Flavouring Group Evaluation 21, Revision 4 (FGE.21Rev4)

OpenAIRE

Beltoft, Vibe Meister; Binderup, Mona-Lise; Frandsen, Henrik Lauritz; Lund, Pia; Nørby, Karin Kristiane

2013-01-01

The Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids of the European Food Safety Authority was requested to evaluate 59 flavouring substances in the Flavouring Group Evaluation 21, Revision 4, using the Procedure in Commission Regulation (EC) No 1565/2000. This revision is made due to the inclusion of the assessment of new toxicity data on one supporting substance 5,6-dihydro-2,4,6-tris(2-methylpropyl)-4H-1,3,5-dithiazine [FL-no: 15.113], which is considered to be str...

Numerical Modeling of Electrical Contact Conductance of Rough Bodies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. V. Murashov

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Since the beginning of the 20th century to the present time, efforts have been made to develop a model of the electrical contact conductance. The development of micro- and nanotechnologies make contact conductance problem more essential. To conduct borrowing from a welldeveloped thermal contact conductance models on the basis of thermal and electrical conductivity analogy is often not possible due to a number of fundamental differences. While some 3Dmodels of rough bodies deformation have been developed in one way or another, a 3D-model of the electrical conductance through rough bodies contact is still not. A spatial model of electrical contact of rough bodies is proposed, allows one to calculate the electrical contact conductance as a function of the contact pressure. Representative elements of the bodies are parallelepipeds with deterministic roughness on the contacting surfaces. First the non-linear elastic-plastic deformation of rough surface under external pressure is solved using the finite element software ANSYS. Then the solution of electrostatic problem goes on the same finite element mesh. Aluminum AD1 is used as the material of the contacting bodies with properties that account for cold work hardening of the surface. The numerical model is built within the continuum mechanics and nanoscale effects are not taken into account. The electrical contact conductance was calculated on the basis of the concept of electrical resistance of the model as the sum of the electrical resistances of the contacting bodies and the contact itself. It was assumed that there is no air in the gap between the bodies. The dependence of the electrical contact conductance on the contact pressure is calculated as well as voltage and current density distributions in the contact bodies. It is determined that the multi-asperity contact mode, adequate to real roughness, is achieved at pressures higher than 3MPa, while results within the single contact spot are

Control of Listeria species food safety at a poultry food production facility.

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Edward M; Wall, Patrick G; Fanning, Séamus

2015-10-01

Surveillance and control of food-borne human pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes, is a critical aspect of modern food safety programs at food production facilities. This study evaluated contamination patterns of Listeria species at a poultry food production facility, and evaluated the efficacy of procedures to control the contamination and transfer of the bacteria throughout the plant. The presence of Listeria species was studied along the production chain, including raw ingredients, food-contact, non-food-contact surfaces, and finished product. All isolates were sub-typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to identify possible entry points for Listeria species into the production chain, as well as identifying possible transfer routes through the facility. The efficacy of selected in-house sanitizers against a sub-set of the isolates was evaluated. Of the 77 different PFGE-types identified, 10 were found among two or more of the five categories/areas (ingredients, food preparation, cooking and packing, bulk packing, and product), indicating potential transfer routes at the facility. One of the six sanitizers used was identified as unsuitable for control of Listeria species. Combining PFGE data, together with information on isolate location and timeframe, facilitated identification of a persistent Listeria species contamination that had colonized the facility, along with others that were transient. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

7 CFR 58.715 - Cream, plastic cream and anhydrous milkfat.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Service 1 Quality Specifications for Raw Material § 58.715 Cream, plastic cream and anhydrous milkfat. These food products shall be pasteurized, sweet, have a pleasing and desirable flavor and be free from objectionable flavors, and shall be obtained from milk which complies with the quality requirements as specified...

Magical Engineering Plastic

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Gwang Ung

1988-01-15

This book introduces engineering plastic about advantage of engineering plastic, plastic material from processing method, plastic shock, plastic until now, background of making of engineering plastic, wonderful engineering plastic science such as a high molecule and molecule, classification of high molecule, difference between metal and high molecule, heat and high molecule materials, and property of surface, engineering plastic of dream like from linseed oil to aramid, small dictionary of engineering plastic.

Magical Engineering Plastic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Gwang Ung

1988-01-01

This book introduces engineering plastic about advantage of engineering plastic, plastic material from processing method, plastic shock, plastic until now, background of making of engineering plastic, wonderful engineering plastic science such as a high molecule and molecule, classification of high molecule, difference between metal and high molecule, heat and high molecule materials, and property of surface, engineering plastic of dream like from linseed oil to aramid, small dictionary of engineering plastic.

Bactericidal Effect of Calcium Oxide (Scallop-Shell Powder) Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm on Quail Egg Shell, Stainless Steel, Plastic, and Rubber.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Soo-Jin; Park, Shin Young; Kim, Seh Eun; Kang, Ike; Park, Jiyong; Lee, Jungwon; Kim, Chang-Min; Chung, Myung-Sub; Ha, Sang-Do

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the bactericidal effect of calcium oxide (CaO) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms on quail eggshells and major egg contacting surfaces (stainless steel, plastic, and rubber). The samples were subjected to CaO treatments (0%, 0.01%, 0.05%, 0.10%, 0.15%, 0.20%, 0.25%, and 0.30%) for 1 min. All the CaO treatments significantly reduced P. aeruginosa biofilms on all tested surfaces as compared to controls. In comparison of biofilm stability, the strongest and most resistant biofilm was formed on eggshell against the CaO treatment, followed by rubber, stainless steel, and plastic. In evaluation of bactericidal effect, the largest reduction (3.16 log CFU) was observed in plastic even at the lowest concentration of CaO (0.01%), whereas the least reduction was found in eggshells, regardless of CaO concentration. In addition, stainless steel showed a significant reduction in biofilm formation at all concentrations except 0.10% to 0.15% CaO. At 0.30% CaO, the reduction of P. aeruginosa in biofilms on stainless steel, plastic, rubber, and eggshell were 5.48, 6.37, 4.87, and 3.14 log CFU/cm 2 (CFU/egg), respectively. Biofilm reduction after CaO treatment was also observed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Based on the FE-SEM images, we observed that P. aeruginosa biofilms formed compact aggregations on eggshell surfaces with CaO treatments up to 0.30%. More specifically, a 0.20% CaO treatment resulted in the reductions of 3 to 6 log CFU in all materials. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Comparison of the migration of melamine from melamine-formaldehyde plastics ('melaware') into various food simulants and foods themselves

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bradley, E.L.; Castle, L.; Day, J.S.; Ebner, I.; Ehlert, K.; Helling, R.; Koster, S.; Leak, J.; Pfaff, K.

2010-01-01

A variety of melaware articles were tested for the migration of melamine into the food simulant 3% w/v acetic acid as a benchmark, and into other food simulants, beverages and foods for comparison. The results indicate that the acidity of the food simulant plays a role in promoting migration, but

Correlating Fluorescence and High-Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy (HRSEM) for the study of GABAA receptor clustering induced by inhibitory synaptic plasticity

KAUST Repository

Orlando, Marta

2017-10-17

Both excitatory and inhibitory synaptic contacts display activity dependent dynamic changes in their efficacy that are globally termed synaptic plasticity. Although the molecular mechanisms underlying glutamatergic synaptic plasticity have been extensively investigated and described, those responsible for inhibitory synaptic plasticity are only beginning to be unveiled. In this framework, the ultrastructural changes of the inhibitory synapses during plasticity have been poorly investigated. Here we combined confocal fluorescence microscopy (CFM) with high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM) to characterize the fine structural rearrangements of post-synaptic GABAA Receptors (GABAARs) at the nanometric scale during the induction of inhibitory long-term potentiation (iLTP). Additional electron tomography (ET) experiments on immunolabelled hippocampal neurons allowed the visualization of synaptic contacts and confirmed the reorganization of post-synaptic GABAAR clusters in response to chemical iLTP inducing protocol. Altogether, these approaches revealed that, following the induction of inhibitory synaptic potentiation, GABAAR clusters increase in size and number at the post-synaptic membrane with no other major structural changes of the pre- and post-synaptic elements.

Correlating Fluorescence and High-Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy (HRSEM) for the study of GABAA receptor clustering induced by inhibitory synaptic plasticity

KAUST Repository

Orlando, Marta; Ravasenga, Tiziana; Petrini, Enrica Maria; Falqui, Andrea; Marotta, Roberto; Barberis, Andrea

2017-01-01

Both excitatory and inhibitory synaptic contacts display activity dependent dynamic changes in their efficacy that are globally termed synaptic plasticity. Although the molecular mechanisms underlying glutamatergic synaptic plasticity have been extensively investigated and described, those responsible for inhibitory synaptic plasticity are only beginning to be unveiled. In this framework, the ultrastructural changes of the inhibitory synapses during plasticity have been poorly investigated. Here we combined confocal fluorescence microscopy (CFM) with high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM) to characterize the fine structural rearrangements of post-synaptic GABAA Receptors (GABAARs) at the nanometric scale during the induction of inhibitory long-term potentiation (iLTP). Additional electron tomography (ET) experiments on immunolabelled hippocampal neurons allowed the visualization of synaptic contacts and confirmed the reorganization of post-synaptic GABAAR clusters in response to chemical iLTP inducing protocol. Altogether, these approaches revealed that, following the induction of inhibitory synaptic potentiation, GABAAR clusters increase in size and number at the post-synaptic membrane with no other major structural changes of the pre- and post-synaptic elements.

Correlating Fluorescence and High-Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy (HRSEM) for the study of GABAA receptor clustering induced by inhibitory synaptic plasticity.

Science.gov (United States)

Orlando, Marta; Ravasenga, Tiziana; Petrini, Enrica Maria; Falqui, Andrea; Marotta, Roberto; Barberis, Andrea

2017-10-23

Both excitatory and inhibitory synaptic contacts display activity dependent dynamic changes in their efficacy that are globally termed synaptic plasticity. Although the molecular mechanisms underlying glutamatergic synaptic plasticity have been extensively investigated and described, those responsible for inhibitory synaptic plasticity are only beginning to be unveiled. In this framework, the ultrastructural changes of the inhibitory synapses during plasticity have been poorly investigated. Here we combined confocal fluorescence microscopy (CFM) with high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM) to characterize the fine structural rearrangements of post-synaptic GABA A Receptors (GABA A Rs) at the nanometric scale during the induction of inhibitory long-term potentiation (iLTP). Additional electron tomography (ET) experiments on immunolabelled hippocampal neurons allowed the visualization of synaptic contacts and confirmed the reorganization of post-synaptic GABA A R clusters in response to chemical iLTP inducing protocol. Altogether, these approaches revealed that, following the induction of inhibitory synaptic potentiation, GABA A R clusters increase in size and number at the post-synaptic membrane with no other major structural changes of the pre- and post-synaptic elements.

A Numerical Framework for Self-Similar Problems in Plasticity: Indentation in Single Crystals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juul, Kristian Jørgensen; Niordson, Christian Frithiof; Nielsen, Kim Lau

A new numerical framework specialized for analyzing self-similar problems in plasticity is developed. Self-similarity in plasticity is encountered in a number of different problems such as stationary cracks, void growth, indentation etc. To date, such problems are handled by traditional Lagrangian...... procedures that may be associated with severe numerical difficulties relating to sufficient discretization, moving contact points, etc. In the present work, self-similarity is exploited to construct the numerical framework that offers a simple and efficient method to handle self-similar problems in history...... numerical simulations [3] when possible. To mimic the condition for the analytical predictions, the wedge indenter is considered nearly flat and the material is perfectly plastic with a very low yield strain. Under these conditions, [1][2] proved analytically the existence of discontinuities in the slip...

Evaluation of metal ion absorptive characteristics of three types of plastic sample bags used for pecipitation sampling

Science.gov (United States)

Good, A.B.; Schroder, L.J.

1984-01-01

Simulated precipitation samples containing 16 metal ions were prepared at 4 pH values. Absorptive characteristics of polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyester/polyolefin sacks were evaluated at pH 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, and 5.0. Simulated precipitation was in contact with the sacks for 17 days, and subsamples were removed for chemical analysis at 3, 7, 10, 14, and 17 days after initial contact. All three types of plastic sacks absorbed Fe throughout the entire pH range. Polypropylene and polyethylene absorbed Pb throughout the entire pH range; polyester/polyolefin sacks absorbed Pb at pH 4.0 or greater. All plastic sacks also absorbed Cu, Mo, and V at pH 4.5 and 5.0. Leaching the plastic sacks with 0.7 percent HNO3 did not result in 100 percent of Cu, Fe, Pb, and V. These sacks would be suitable collection vessels for Ba, Be, Ca, Cd, Co, Li, Mg, Mn, Na Sr and Zn in precipitation through the pH range of 3.5 to 5.0.

International policies to reduce plastic marine pollution from single-use plastics (plastic bags and microbeads): A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Xanthos, Dirk; Walker, Tony R

2017-05-15

Marine plastic pollution has been a growing concern for decades. Single-use plastics (plastic bags and microbeads) are a significant source of this pollution. Although research outlining environmental, social, and economic impacts of marine plastic pollution is growing, few studies have examined policy and legislative tools to reduce plastic pollution, particularly single-use plastics (plastic bags and microbeads). This paper reviews current international market-based strategies and policies to reduce plastic bags and microbeads. While policies to reduce microbeads began in 2014, interventions for plastic bags began much earlier in 1991. However, few studies have documented or measured the effectiveness of these reduction strategies. Recommendations to further reduce single-use plastic marine pollution include: (i) research to evaluate effectiveness of bans and levies to ensure policies are having positive impacts on marine environments; and (ii) education and outreach to reduce consumption of plastic bags and microbeads at source. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plasticity of noddy parents and offspring to sea-surface temperature anomalies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carol A Devney

Full Text Available Behavioral and/or developmental plasticity is crucial for resisting the impacts of environmental stressors. We investigated the plasticity of adult foraging behavior and chick development in an offshore foraging seabird, the black noddy (Anous minutus, during two breeding seasons. The first season had anomalously high sea-surface temperatures and 'low' prey availability, while the second was a season of below average sea-surface temperatures and 'normal' food availability. During the second season, supplementary feeding of chicks was used to manipulate offspring nutritional status in order to mimic conditions of high prey availability. When sea-surface temperatures were hotter than average, provisioning rates were significantly and negatively impacted at the day-to-day scale. Adults fed chicks during this low-food season smaller meals but at the same rate as chicks in the unfed treatment the following season. Supplementary feeding of chicks during the second season also resulted in delivery of smaller meals by adults, but did not influence feeding rate. Chick begging and parental responses to cessation of food supplementation suggested smaller meals fed to artificially supplemented chicks resulted from a decrease in chick demands associated with satiation, rather than adult behavioral responses to chick condition. During periods of low prey abundance, chicks maintained structural growth while sacrificing body condition and were unable to take advantage of periods of high prey abundance by increasing growth rates. These results suggest that this species expresses limited plasticity in provisioning behavior and offspring development. Consequently, responses to future changes in sea-surface temperature and other environmental variation may be limited.

Optimized use of cooling holes to decrease the amount of thermal damage on a plastic gear tooth

OpenAIRE

Demagna Koffi; Alencar Bravo; Lotfi Toubal; Fouad Erchiqui

2016-01-01

The full potential of plastic gear usage is limited by not only poor mechanical properties but also equally poor temperature limits and poor heat conduction properties. Cooling holes were developed to decrease the amount of thermal damage on the contact surface. These cooling holes promote increased stress and tooth deflection, thus exerting a negative effect. This article compares various cooling holes for plastic gear configurations and proposes novel cooling holes. Thermal and mechanical s...

Long term durability of wood-plastic composites made with chemically modified wood

Science.gov (United States)

Rebecca E. Ibach; Craig M. Clemons

2017-01-01

Wood-plastic composites (WPCs) have slower moisture sorption than solid wood, but over time moisture can impact the strength, stiffness, and decay of the composite. These changes will become increasingly important if WPCs are used in more challenging environments such as in ground-contact applications. There are several options for mitigating the moisture sorption of...

Analysis of reaction products of food contaminants and ingredients: Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) in canned foods

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Coulier, L.; Bradley, E.L.; Bas, R.C.; Verhoeckx, K.C.M.; Driffield, M.; Harmer, N.; Castle, L.

2010-01-01

Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) is an epoxide that is used as a starting substance in the manufacture of can coatings for food-contact applications. Following migration from the can coating into food, BADGE levels decay and new reaction products are formed by reaction with food ingredients. The

Plastic-covered agriculture forces the regional climate to change

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, D.; Chen, J.; Chen, X.; Cao, X.

2016-12-01

The practice of plastic-covered agriculture as a solution to moderate the dilemma of global food shortage, meanwhile, brings great pressure to the local environment. This research was conducted to reveal the impacts of plastic-covered agritulture on regional climate change by experimenting in a plastic greenhouse (PG) dominated area - Weifang district, Shandong province, China. Based on a new plastic greenhouse index (PGI) proposed in this study, we reconstructed the spatial distribution of PG across 1995-2015 in the study area. With that, land surface temperature (LST) dataset combined with surface evapotranspiration, surface reflectance and precipitation data, was applied to the probe of PG's climatic impacts. Results showed that PG, in the study area, has experienced a striking spatial expansion during the past 20 years, and more important, the expansion correlated strongly to the local climate change. It showed that the annual precipitation, in the study area, decreased during these years, which constrasts to a slightly increasing trend of the adjacent districts without PG construction. In addition, resulting from the greenhouse effect, PG area presented a harsher increase of surface temperature compared to the non-PG areas. Our study also telled that the evapotranspiration of PG area has been largely cutted down ascribing to the gas tightness of plastic materials, showing a decline around 40%. This indicates a way that the development of plastic-covered agriculture may contribute to the change of the local climate.

Selection of contact bearing couple materials for hip prosthesis using finite element analysis under static conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Arirajan, K. A.; Chockalingam, K.; Vignesh, C.

2018-04-01

Implants are the artificial parts to replace the missing bones or joints in human anatomy to give mechanical support. Hip joint replacement is an important issue in orthopaedic surgery. The main concern limiting the long-run success of the total hip replacement is the limited service life. Hip replacement technique is widely used in replacing the femur head and acetabular cup by materials that are highly biocompatible. The success of the artificial hip replacement depends upon proper material selection, structure, and shape of the hip prosthesis. Many orthopaedic analyses have been tried with different materials, but ended with partial success on the application side. It is a critical task for selecting the best material pair in the hip prosthesis design. This work develops the finite element analysis of an artificial hip implant to study highest von Mises stress, contact pressure and elastic strain occurs for the dissimilar material combination. The different bearing couple considered for the analysis are Metal on Metal, Metal on Plastic, Metal on Ceramic, Ceramic on Plastic, Ceramic on Ceramic combinations. The analysis is carried out at different static positions of a human (i.e) standing, sitting. The results reveals that the combination with metal in contact with plastic (i.e) Titanium femoral head paired with Ultra High Molecular Weight Poly Ethylene acetabular cup reduces maximum von Mises stress and also it gives lowest contact pressure than other combination of bearing couples.

Thermal image analysis of plastic deformation and fracture behavior by a thermo-video measurement system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohbuchi, Yoshifumi; Sakamoto, Hidetoshi; Nagatomo, Nobuaki

2016-01-01

The visualization of the plastic region and the measurement of its size are necessary and indispensable to evaluate the deformation and fracture behavior of a material. In order to evaluate the plastic deformation and fracture behavior in a structural member with some flaws, the authors paid attention to the surface temperature which is generated by plastic strain energy. The visualization of the plastic deformation was developed by analyzing the relationship between the extension of the plastic deformation range and the surface temperature distribution, which was obtained by an infrared thermo-video system. Furthermore, FEM elasto-plastic analysis was carried out with the experiment, and the effectiveness of this non-contact measurement system of the plastic deformation and fracture process by a thermography system was discussed. The evaluation method using an infrared imaging device proposed in this research has a feature which does not exist in the current evaluation method, i.e. the heat distribution on the surface of the material has been measured widely by noncontact at 2D at high speed. The new measuring technique proposed here can measure the macroscopic plastic deformation distribution on the material surface widely and precisely as a 2D image, and at high speed, by calculation from the heat generation and the heat propagation distribution. (paper)

Hybrid selective surface hydrophilization and froth flotation separation of hazardous chlorinated plastics from E-waste with novel nanoscale metallic calcium composite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)