Identification and human risk assessment of key active chemicals released from plastic food packaging: integrating lipidomics and suspect screening

Humans are chronically exposed to chemicals released from plastic food packaging (CPFPs), leading to an increasing potential health risk. However, the diversity and complexity of CPFPs make it challenging to identify harmful components. This study integrated lipidomics with high-throughput suspect screening and various statistical approaches to identify key active CPFPs in the general population (n = 1373). Using systematic screening criteria, a total of 173 potential candidates were selected from a CPFP suspect database (n = 1176), among which 27 showed significant associations with alterations in serum lipid levels. Further validation using fragment information and chemical standards confirmed 13 of these candidates as key active CPFPs. Exposure characteristics of eight CPFPs with available standards were further evaluated in representative population (n = 106), with detection frequencies ranging from 43.0 % to 100 % and median concentrations between 0.100 and 45,200 ng/mL. Notably, exposure assessments indicated that seven of these CPFPs (i.e., dibutyl adipate, perfluorooctanoic acid, sorbitan monopalmitate, abietic acid, lauric acid, erucic acid, and 2,4,7,9-tetramethyldec-5-yne-4,7-diol) may have potential health risks (HQ_cs: 0.030-17.0) for humans, particularly for adults. These findings highlight the need for continuous biomonitoring and stricter regulatory oversight of food packaging additives to mitigate long-term health risks associated with CPFP exposure.