Exploring the pyrolytic degradation of seventeen phthalate esters using the non-targeted regions of interest-multivariate curve resolution (ROIMCR) chemometric method

• Pyrolysis-GC-Orbitrap-MS as a plastic waste reactor simulator. • PAEs degradation behavior studied at different temperatures. • Non-targeted identification using the ROIMCR chemometric method. • Pyrolysis was proved to be an efficient degradation method. The global use of phthalate esters (PAEs) in plastic production entails a need for developing effective remediation strategies to minimize exposure and health risks. In this study, pyrolysis degradation processes are evaluated for 17 different PAEs that were analyzed by high-resolution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Pyr-GC-Orbitrap-MS) at different temperatures (300 °C, 400 °C, 500 °C, 600 °C, 700 °C, 800 °C) both in electron ionization (EI) and positive chemical ionization (PCI) mode. All the analytical data generated have been processed with the Regions of Interest Multivariate Curve Resolution (ROIMCR) chemometrics method. A preliminary selection of the Mass Spectrometry Regions of Interest (ROIs) coupled to a bilinear factor decomposition method (MCR-ALS) allowed the identification of 4 principal components, which were used to define the thermal degradation process. ROIMCR method is a powerful tool for non-targeted analysis which allows the resolution of the elution and spectral profiles of the different constituents present in the analyzed samples, which were confirmed using PCI. Moreover, ROIMCR was used to resolve and identify the different products generated during the studied degradation processes. As a result, 10 new thermal degradation products were identified in the analysis of the different sample sets. Finally, the degradation efficiencies higher than 99.8 % were obtained for all the PAEs at 800 °C, except for benzoic acid-benzyl ester, whose removal efficiency decreased to 94.8 %. As phthalates are widespread and toxic compounds for the environment and for humans, there is a need for new remediation technologies. This study provides new knowledge to understand their elimination through thermal processes. We combine mass spectrometric data with powerful chemometric processing to determine the removal efficiency, to understand the degradation process and to identify the degradation compounds formed through thermal decomposition.