Extrahierbare

Extrahierbare is a term used in material science and regulatory contexts to describe substances that can be removed from a material by solvent extraction under defined conditions. It refers to compounds that may be released from polymers, coatings or packaging when exposed to solvents that simulate use, such as water, ethanol or acetonitrile, under specified temperatures and times. The concept is central to risk assessment for products that contact humans or food, including packaging, medical devices and pharmaceutical containers.

The term contrasts with leachables in some contexts. Extrahierbare Substanzen are those that can be extracted from the material under certain laboratory conditions, whereas leachables (or migration products) are substances that actually migrate into a product under real-world use. In practice, regulations and industry practices sometimes use the terms interchangeably, but the distinction helps structure testing strategies: extraction tests identify potential substances, while migration tests assess actual exposure scenarios.

Methods for identifying extrahierbare substances typically involve an extraction step using chosen solvents and conditions that reflect intended use, followed by analytical techniques such as HPLC, GC-MS or LC-MS to identify and quantify the substances. Results are usually reported as concentrations in the extract (e.g., mg/kg or mg/dm2) and are used to evaluate material safety and compliance with regulatory limits.

Applications of extrahierbare substance assessment include food contact materials, pharmaceutical packaging, medical devices and coatings, where understanding potential extractables informs risk management and material selection.