Organophosphate esters and phthalate esters in marine fishes from a coastal area of China: Occurrence, tissue distribution, trophic transfer, and human exposure

• Published in: Marine environmental research Vol. 208; p. 107135
• Main Authors: Su, Zi-Han, Wang, Can, Zhou, Xue, He, Ming-Jing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2025
• Subjects: Animals; bioaccumulation; China; coasts; Environmental Exposure - analysis; Environmental Exposure - statistics & numerical data; Esters - analysis; Fishes - metabolism; Flame Retardants - analysis; Humans; lipids; marine environment; marine fish; Organophosphate esters; Organophosphates - analysis; organophosphorus compounds; Phthalate esters; phthalates; Phthalic Acids - analysis; Plasticizers - analysis; Potential risk; Tissue bioaccumulation; tissue distribution; Trophic magnification; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism; Water Pollution, Chemical - statistics & numerical data; China; Organophosphate esters; Trophic magnification; Phthalate esters; Tissue bioaccumulation; Potential risk
• ISSN: 0141-1136; 1879-0291; 1879-0291
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2025.107135

Concern over the influences of constant addition of anthropogenic chemicals to the marine environment has attracted public attention. Organophosphate esters (OPEs) and phthalate esters (PAEs) were two emerging chemicals frequently added to a variety of products as flame retardants and plasticizers. However, limited information is available associated with their environmental behaviors in marine environment, and the tissue-specific bioaccumulation and biomagnification of OPEs and PAEs in fish remain subjects of ongoing debate. Hence, 12 OPE and 6 PA E analogues were analyzed in five marine fish species from the coast of Wenchang, Hainan province. The concentrations of Σ12OPEs and Σ6PAEs were in the range of 319–1790 ng/g lw and 400–1370 ng/g lw, respectively. Significantly negative correlations (p value < 0.05) were observed between the concentration of pollutants and their corresponding lipid contents of fish tissues. There were no obvious correlations between the logarithmic transformed concentrations of each OPE and PAE analogue with their corresponding Log KOW value in fish tissues, but OPE and PAE concentrations were likely to reach the highest when Log KOW values were around five. Significantly negative correlations (p value < 0.05) were found between logarithmic transformed concentrations of TCEP, TCP and BBP along with δ15N values in fish species, except for TDCIPP, TEHP and DBP which exhibited an increasing trend with the increasing of δ15N values. Furthermore, human exposure via fish intakes was assessed, and EDI ranged from 73.9 to 1910 ng/kg bw/day for ∑OPEs and 495–4550 ng/kg bw/day for ∑PAEs, respectively, which were both within the safe dose threshold, and the HI values of ΣOPEs and ΣPAEs were much lower than the boundary value of 1.00. This study contributes valuable insights into OPEs and PAEs present in marine organisms as well as robust evidence indicating that most OPE and PAE analogues undergo trophic dilution within marine fish. •12 OPEs (319–1790 ng/g lw) and 6 PAEs (400–1370 ng/g lw) were determined in marine fish from Hainan coast of China.•TCIPP and TDCIPP were the major OPE congeners, and DBP was the predominant PAE analogue in fish tissues.•TCEP, TCP and BBP showed trophic dilution in marine fish (p value < 0.05).•The HI values of ΣOPEs and ΣPAEs were much lower than the boundary value of 1.0.