Background and Objectives: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most widely used containers in both the packaging and food industries. Despite having convenient features, components of the PET polymer structure may migrate into food, and the accumulation of PET in the human body may cause health problems.

Material and Methods: 27 samples of rose water with 1 liter volume were collected from one of the factories of Fars Province, Iran. Levels of monomer migration were measured by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with three repetitions at 4, 25 and 42 °C temperatures and at 2-day, 2-week and 2-month timings using the air assisted liquid liquid micro-extraction method.

Results: On the second day, with an increase of temperature from 4˚C to 25˚C, the migrations of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) and di-butyl phthalate (DBP) increased from 14.76 to 24.55 ppb and 131.9 to 149.6 ppb, respectively. When increasing the temperature further to 42 °C, the migration levels increased 8.9 and 29.4 ppb, respectively. Finally, at the end of the second month, migration of DMP and DBP at 4, 25 and 42 °C reached 38.6, 67.8 and 83.05 ppb & 173.7, 181.1 and 268.7 ppb, respectively.

Conclusion: PET containers are not suitable for storing distillates. Additionally, measuring migration in glass containers has demonstrated that the plastic reservoirs, in which distillates are stored are important factors in monomer migration. Therefore, in order to raise public health levels, it is recommended that alternative reservoirs made of glass and stainless steel be used.

Keywords: Migration, Dimethyl phthalate, Dibutyl phthalate, Rose water, PET