A comprehensive assessment of human exposure to phthalates from environmental media and food in Tianjin, China

• Published in: Journal of hazardous materials Vol. 279; pp. 133 - 140
• Main Authors: Ji, Yaqin, Wang, Fumei, Zhang, Leibo, Shan, Chunyan, Bai, Zhipeng, Sun, Zengrong, Liu, Lingling, Shen, Boxiong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 30.08.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: absorption; Adolescent; Adult; air; Air Pollutants - analysis; air pollution; Applied sciences; Atmospheric pollution; average daily intake; Biological and medical sciences; breathing; Child; Child, Preschool; China; Daily intake; drinking water; Drinking water and swimming-pool water. Desalination; Dust - analysis; Environmental Exposure - adverse effects; Environmental media; Environmental Pollutants - toxicity; Exact sciences and technology; Exposure; Female; fish; Food; Food Analysis; Food Contamination - analysis; Food engineering; Food industries; food intake; Foods; fruits; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Human; Human exposure; Humans; Indoor; Indoor pollution and occupational exposure; Infant; Ingestion; Intakes; Male; meat; milk; Oryza sativa; particulates; Phthalates; Phthalic Acids - analysis; Phthalic Acids - toxicity; Pollution; Pollution sources; poultry; rice; soil; Soil Pollutants - analysis; vegetables; Water Supply - analysis; Water treatment and pollution; Young Adult; China; China, People's Rep; China, People's Rep., Tianjin; Environmental media; Phthalates; Human exposure; Food; Daily intake; Drinking water; Edible species; Water vapor; Inhalation; Coarse particle; Trophic chain; Dust; DBP; Health and environment; Food industry; Aerosols; Indoor pollution; Air pollution; Public health
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2014.06.055
• ISSN: 0304-3894; 1873-3336

•PAEs levels in various environmental media and food were studied.•PAEs daily intake was estimated via ingestion, inhalation and dermal absorption.•DBP and DEHP were the most frequently detected PAEs.•Contaminated air was another important exposure source except food and water. A total of 448 samples including foodstuffs (rice, steamed bun, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, milk and fruits), ambient PM10, drinking water, soil, indoor PM10 and indoor dust samples from Tianjin were obtained to determine the distribution of six priority phthalates (PAEs) and assess the human exposure to them. The results indicated that DBP and DEHP were the most frequently detected PAEs in these samples. The concentrations of PAEs in environmental media were higher than those in food. We estimated the daily intake (DI) of PAEs via ingestion, inhalation and dermal absorption from five sources (food, water, air, dust and soil). Dietary intake was the main exposure source to DEP, BBP, DEHP and DOP, whereas water ingestion/absorption was the major source of exposure to DBP, DEHP and DOP. Although food and water were the overwhelmingly predominant sources of PAEs intake by Tianjin population, contaminated air was another important source of DMP, DEP and DBP contributing to up to 45% of the exposure. The results of this study will help in understanding the major pathways of human exposure to PAEs. These findings also suggest that human exposure to phthalate esters via the environment should not be overlooked.