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I placed some empty HDPE plastic vitamin bottles in a sealed closet with moth balls, (naphthalene, d-diclorobenzne.) Years later I found the mothball smell had somehow gotten into the bottles, and no amount of airing them out would get rid of it. I assume the naphthalene etc. has actually been absorbed by the HDPE itself and is there to stay, no?

Come to think about it, it all makes sense: when deploying mothballs one can simply toss their plastic packages into the closet, not bothering to tear open their wrappers. The smell gets out of the bag and into the closet just about the same as if one tore them open.

Dan Jacobson
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    As it had years to come in the HDPE, it would have years to come out. There is also the question why to store vitamines for years, unless just being empty bottles. – Poutnik Mar 11 '24 at 11:58
  • Yes, and now the bottles are useless for storing vitamins, spices, etc. Even for storing mothballs themselves, as we now see while water cannot pass through their walls, naphthalene can! – Dan Jacobson Mar 11 '24 at 12:03
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    PE is famous for absorbing smells. In communist era, when original bottles for bicycles were not easy to get, my colleage and me often used some empty PE bottles. (PETS were not common yet at all). After months, they got all various smells one cannot get rid of, so then had to be replaced. – Poutnik Mar 11 '24 at 12:47
  • @Poutnik. Please explain your experiment with plastic bottle in the communist regime. For exemple, what is a "bottle for bicycles" ? Were they in or not in PE ? Why did you replace them by PE bottles ? Were PE bottles easier to find ? Were they used for doing chemistry experiments ? Or for keeping beverages for a long time ? What sort of beverages ? Did you find differences in behavior if you compared PE bottles and the other bottles ? – Maurice Mar 11 '24 at 13:33
  • @Maurice It is rare one simple comment brings so many questions.. :-) // It was not an experiement, rather practical necessity due availability. I assume bottles placed in bicycle holders are, at least mostly, PE/PP, the replacements may be just of different qualities. I also assume all these bottles capture smells in long term, especially if not cleaned properly, being nonpolar and absorbing nonpolar/little polar molecules of smalls. PET as more polar plastic is far less vulnerable to catch smells. – Poutnik Mar 11 '24 at 15:44
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    BTW, polyethylene also absorbs some natural pigments well. Store tomato products in a polythene container and lycopene will permanently permeate into and stain the plastic. Some plant pigments are also quite stable: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0031018288900612 – DrMoishe Pippik Mar 11 '24 at 17:00
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    @DrMoishePippik Or carotens from carrots. – Poutnik Mar 11 '24 at 17:37

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