Extraction Characteristics of PET Bottled Water Bottles under UV Radiation in Seoul: Storage Conditions

The concentrations of antimony, acetaldehyde, and formaldehyde in ten products distributed domestically in containers was analyzed considering the differences in storage conditions caused by ultraviolet (UV) exposure. The total amount of UV rays in Seoul was 3.87% in May, indicating the highest UV-A and UV-B in May. Under acceleration test conditions, antimony, acetaldehyde, and formaldehyde concentrates were 1.7, 436, and 382 <i>µ</i>g/L, respectively. Similar to the results of the acceleration test, considering temperature weights matching the total ultraviolet radiation dose in Seoul, each substance exhibited a good tendency with the outdoor exposure migration concentration result. The concentration of antimony in products exposed outdoors for one year was up to 2.1 <i>µ</i>g/L, and that in underground storage was 1.8 <i>µ</i>g/L, which was significantly lower than the standard for monitoring bottled water (15 <i>µ</i>g/L). For acetaldehyde, the concentrations were 195 <i>µ</i>g/L for outdoor exposure and 59 <i>µ</i>g/L for underground storage. Formaldehyde showed significantly lower concentration values compared to the bottled water monitoring standard, with 114 and 22 <i>µ</i>g/L under outdoor exposure and in underground storage, respectively. Consumers can have access to safe drinking water if distribution is thoroughly managed at retail stores because only storing bottled water in a space of ~ 20<sup>o</sup>C blocked from UV rays can significantly lower the migration of each substance.