Chemical Characterization of Recycled Consumer Products Using Suspect Screening Analysis

Recycled
materials are found in many consumer products as part
of a circular economy; however, the chemical content of recycled products
is generally uncharacterized. A suspect screening analysis using two-dimensional
gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-TOFMS)
was applied to 210 products (154 recycled, 56 virgin) across seven
categories. Chemicals in products were tentatively identified using
a standard spectral library or confirmed using chemical standards.
A total of 918 probable chemical structures identified (112 of which
were confirmed) in recycled materials versus 587 (110 confirmed) in
virgin materials. Identified chemicals were characterized in terms
of their functional use and structural class. Recycled paper products
and construction materials contained greater numbers of chemicals
than virgin products; 733 identified chemicals had greater occurrence
in recycled compared to virgin materials. Products made from recycled
materials contained greater numbers of fragrances, flame retardants,
solvents, biocides, and dyes. The results were clustered to identify
groups of chemicals potentially associated with unique chemical sources,
and identified chemicals were prioritized for further study using
high-throughput hazard and exposure information. While occurrence
is not necessarily indicative of risk, these results can be used to
inform the expansion of existing models or identify exposure pathways
currently neglected in exposure assessments.