Determination of phthalates in olive oil from European market

Investigation of interaction mechanism between polyvinyl chloride microplastics and phthalate acid esters using APGC-MS/MS

Phthalate acid esters (PAEs) are a kind of typical endocrine disruptors chemicals (EDCs). PAEs can be enriched, migrated and released into organisms through microplastics (MPs), causing high toxicological risks. This study presented an atmospheric pressure gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (APGC-MS/MS) method for 10 PAEs trace analysis. Based on this method, the interaction mechanism between polyvinyl chloride microplastics (PVC MPs) and PAEs was explored. The established APGC-MS/MS method achieved 10 PAEs analysis in 14 min with the satisfied detection limit as low as 0.0025 μg/L and excellent linearity (R2 = 0.99868-0.99996). The interaction mechanism investigation showed that PVC MPs had high adsorption and desorption capacities for PAEs. The adsorption mechanism involves adsorption distribution, surface adsorption, hydrophobic interaction and intermolecular van der Waals force. Temperature, diffusion channels, pore filling, hydrophobicity and solubilization may be potential desorption mechanisms. Moreover, the intestinal environment of warm-blood organisms has the highest bioavailability of PAEs. Overall, this APGC-MS/MS method of PAEs had the virtue of simplicity, efficiency, reliability and sensitivity, and could serve as a potential tool for risk analysis of MPs and PAEs exposure.

A multi-technique approach for the quantification of 60 plasticizers and selected additives using GC- and LC-MS/MS and its application for beverages in the BfR MEAL study

The development of multi-analyte methods is always challenging, especially when the target compounds derive from many different substance classes. We present an approach to analyze up to 60 additives - mainly plasticizer - including 28 phthalates and 32 further compounds such as sebacates, adipates, citrates, fatty acid amides, among others. Our multi-analyte multi-technique approach combines a single sample preparation step with one GC-MS/MS and two LC-MS/MS quantification methods. We demonstrate the applicability for beverages by a full validation in tomato juice matrix and determining the recoveries in apple juice, mulled wine, and spirits. The approach features good reproducibilities and high precisions with limits of quantification in the low µg·kg-1 food range, enabling the method to be applied for enforcement and especially for exposure investigations. In course of the BfR MEAL study, 16 pooled beverage samples were examined and - if at all - analytes were found only in very low concentrations.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals in children's and their parents' urine: Is the exposure related to the Chinese and Western lifestyle?

Children are known to be more vulnerable to exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) compared to adults, but evaluating the exposure pathways can be challenging. This research employed target and non-target analysis (NTA) to examine the exposure characteristics of EDCs in spot urine samples collected from 46 children's (aged 3-12 years) and their parents in Hong Kong (Chinese/Western lifestyle) and Guangzhou (mainly Chinese lifestyle). The results revealed that the geometric mean concentrations of phthalate esters metabolites (mPAEs) and bisphenols (BPs) in children's urine were 127.3 μg/gcrea and 2.5 μg/gcrea in Guangzhou, and 93.7 μg/gcrea and 2.9 μg/gcrea in Hong Kong, respectively, which were consistent with global levels. NTA identified a total of 1069 compounds, including 106 EDCs, commonly detected in food, cosmetics, and drugs. Notable regional differences were observed between Guangzhou and Hong Kong with potential sources of EDCs including dietary and cosmetic additives, toys, flooring and dust, as well as differences in lifestyles, diet, and living environment. However, age was found to significantly impact EDC exposure. The quantified EDCs (mPAEs and BPs) posed possible health risks to 60% of the children. Moreover, the presence of caffeine in children's urine, which exhibited higher detection rates in children from Hong Kong (95.6%) and Guangzhou (44.4%), warrants further attention. The sources of EDCs exposure in these regions need to be fully confirmed.

Qualitative and quantitative studies of phthalates in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) combined with long short term memory (LSTM) neural network

Phthalates are commonly used plasticizers in the plastics industry, and have received extensive attention due to their reproductive toxicity. Since phthalates are lipophilic solutions, phthalates can easily migrate from packaging to edible oils. This study synthesized stable and sensitive Gold Nanostars as SERS substrates to conduct qualitative and quantitative analysis of two common phthalates, dibutyl phthalate and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate. Two ethanol standard solutions and actual oil solutions of phthalates at different concentrations (10, 5, 1, 0.5, 0.1, 0.02 mg/kg) were prepared. After dimension reduction, LSTM achieved the accuracy of 98% for pure EVOO and EVOO adulterated with different types of phthalates. In terms of quantification, LSTM demonstrates great predictive performance with Rp2 greater than 0.97 and the ratio of performance to deviation greater than 5. These results have certain guiding significance for the analysis of plasticizers in edible oil.

A Critical Review of Analytical Methods for the Quantification of Phthalates Esters in Two Important European Food Products: Olive Oil and Wine

Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) are a class of chemicals widely used as plasticizers. These compounds, considered toxic, do not bond to the polymeric matrix of plastic and can, therefore, migrate into the surrounding environment, posing a risk to human health. The primary source of human exposure is food, which can become contaminated during cultivation, production, and packaging. Therefore, it is imperative to control and regulate this exposure. This review covers the analytical methods used for their determination in two economically significant products: olive oil and wine. Additionally, it provides a summary and analysis of information regarding the characteristics, toxicity, effects on human health, and current regulations pertaining to PAEs in food. Various approaches for the extraction, purification, and quantification of these analytes are highlighted. Solvent and sorbent-based extraction techniques are reviewed, as are the chromatographic separation and other methods currently applied in the analysis of PAEs in wines and olive oils. The analysis of these contaminants is challenging due to the complexities of the matrices and the widespread presence of PAEs in analytical laboratories, demanding the implementation of appropriate strategies.

Long-term stability of several endocrine disruptors in the first morning urine samples and their associations with lifestyle characteristics

Parabens, triclosan (TCS), bisphenols, benzophenones, and phthalates are typical endocrine disruptors (EDs) with short half-lives in the human body. The concentration levels of those EDs in a spot urine sample are frequently used in exposure assessment studies, and the reproducibility of urinary levels of these nonpersistent EDs should be considered. In the present study, we consecutively collected 45-day first morning void (FMV) urine samples, as well as daily questionnaires, in six recruited participants and measured the urinary concentrations of six parabens, TCS, nine bisphenols, five benzophenones, and ten phthalate metabolites by using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. MeP, EtP, PrP, TCS, BPA, BPS, BPF, and most phthalate metabolites were frequently detected (over 62 % of samples). The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for ED concentrations in FMV urine samples ranged from fair to excellent for MeP (0.683), EtP (0.702), BPA (0.505), BPS (0.908), BPF (0.887), BP-3 (0.712), mMP (0.661), mEP (0.523), mBP (0.500), miBP (0.724), mBzP (0.961) and all metabolites of DEHP (0.867-0.957), whereas they were low for PrP (0.321) and TCS (0.306). After creatinine adjustment, the values of ICCs for most target EDs were increased with mild to significant improvement. The stability of ED concentrations was affected by daily diet (MeP, TCS, BPA, mMP, miBP, mBP and mBzP), food containers (PrP and mECPP), use of personal care products (HMWP metabolites), pharmaceuticals (EtP) and recorded activities (BPS, mEHP, mBzP, mEHHP and mEOHP), as confirmed by a general linear mixed model. Furthermore, extending the FMV sampling period improved the probability of acceptable reproducibility (ICCs > 0.40) of MeP, EtP, BP-3 and mEP concentrations. For BPS, BPF and HMWP metabolite concentrations showed high probabilities (>80 %) of acceptable reproducibility in the last three days, and the increasing sample size slowly improved the ability to discriminate the subjects. The results were exactly the opposite for BPA concentrations.

Direct analysis of phthalate esters in vegetable oils by means of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography combined with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry

Phthalic acid esters (PAEs), known as phthalates, have a variety of industrial applications, mainly related to their ability to increase plastic softness,flexibility, and durability. With regard to toxicological aspects, several studies suggest that phthalates would act as endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and they have been correlated to several forms of cancer. Since the analysis of PAEs in food is challenging, the aim of this study was the development of a simple and direct method, with no sample preparation (only dilution withsolvent), for the analysis of targeted phthalates in vegetable oils, by using cryogenic-modulation comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography combined with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. The method was characterized by good repeatability values, limit of quantification values ranging between 0.06 and 2.10 mg/kg, accuracy values ranging from -9.2 to 10.4%, and a matrix effectranging from -4 to 78%.The developed technique was used for the analysis of 27 vegetable oils.

Effect of Light on the Oxidative Stability and Phthalate Levels of Black Cumin Oil-Corn Oil Blends in Plastic and Glass Bottling

Black cumin oil (BC) contains certain phytochemicals, including phenolics, tocopherols, and sterols, which show strong oxidation stability. In this study, BC was blended with refined corn oil (CO) at two concentrations (5% and 10%, w/w) and stored in plastic and glass bottles under light and dark conditions. Under light-storage conditions, blended oils in plastic bottles showed lower peroxide value (PV) and conjugated diene value (CD) compared to the control sample than dark-storage. It was also aimed to examine the phthalate levels in oil samples and evaluate the products' safety. Five main phthalates, namely di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), butyl-benzylphthalate (BBP), diisononyl phthalate (DiNP), and diisodecyl phthalate (DiDP), were evaluated. In dark and light storage conditions, the phthalate level was determined below the LOQ value in CO without added BCO in the plastic and glass bottles. In the plastic-packaged blended samples, DEHP was determined above the LOQ value in dark storage, while BBP was detected in addition to DEHP in the samples stored under the light. On the other hand, phthalate values were determined below the LOQ value in all samples stored in glass packages under the light. DEHP was the most abundant phthalate in plastic-packaged blended oils under light storage, ranging from below the LOQ (0.23 mg/kg) to 0.83 mg/kg. Based on the present findings, BC improved the stability of CO under light storage, and the phthalate levels of blended oils did not exceed the specific migration limits (SMLs) for each phthalate.

Phthalates in the environment: characteristics, fate and transport, and advanced wastewater treatment technologies

Phthalates are well-known emerging contaminants that harm human health and the environment. Therefore, this review aims to discuss about the occurrence, fate, and phthalates concentration in the various environmental matrices (e.g., aquatic, sediment, soil, and sewage sludge). Hence, it is necessary to treat sources containing phthalates before discharging them to aqueous environment. Various advanced wastewater treatments including adsorption process (e.g., biochar, activated carbon), advanced oxidation processes (e.g., photo-fenton, ozonation, photocatalysis), and biological treatment (membrane bioreactor) have been successfully to address this issue with high removal efficiencies (70-95%). Also, the degradation mechanism was discussed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the phthalate removal for the reader. Additionally, key factors that influenced the phthalates removal efficiency of these technologies were identified and summarized with a view towards pilot-scale and industrial applications.

Comprehensive Insight from Phthalates Occurrence: From Health Outcomes to Emerging Analytical Approaches

Phthalates are a group of chemicals used in a multitude of important industrial products (e.g., medical devices, children's toys, and food packages), mainly as plasticizers to improve mechanical properties such as flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The wide occurrence of phthalates in many consumer products, including foods (e.g., bottled water, soft drinks, wine, milk, and meat) brings that most people are exposed to phthalates every day, which raises some concerns. Adverse health outcomes from phthalates exposure have been associated with endocrine disruption, deformities in the human reproductive system, increased risk of preterm birth, carcinogen exposure, among others. Apprehension related to the health risks and ubiquitous incidence of phthalates in foods inspires the development of reliable analytical approaches that allow their detection and quantification at trace levels. The purpose of the current review is to provide information related to the presence of phthalates in the food chain, highlighting the health risks associated with their exposure. Moreover, an overview of emerging extraction procedures and high-resolution analytical approaches for a comprehensive quantification of phthalates is presented.

Determination of phthalate concentrations in paper-based fast food packaging available on the U.S. market

Phthalates are one of many chemical compounds that are used as plasticisers. Packaging can transfer plasticisers to the surfaces of foods or other materials. A recent study suggested a link between fast food consumption and increased urine phthalate metabolites even though phthalates are most commonly found in food contact materials made of PVC while fast food packaging is most commonly composed of paper and paper board. Phthalates in PVC are usually present in percent concentrations. In non-PVC food contact materials, such as paper or paperboard, the concentrations, if any, are expected to be significantly lower which can greatly impact the analytical method used for their determination. Due to the widespread use of plasticised PVC in many commercial applications, background concentrations of phthalates are a concern for trace concentration analyses and background contamination must be avoided when performing these analyses. A glassware cleaning method was developed and a solvent extraction with dichloromethane and hexane was used to extract phthalates from paper-based food packaging. The extracts were then analysed using a GC-MS/MS. The minimum reporting concentrations for the method were determined to be 0.10-0.40 µg/g depending on the phthalate investigated. Phthalate concentrations in several different non-PVC printed and unprinted packaging are presented. Of the 54 packaging samples tested, 10 samples contained no reportable concentrations of any of the 6 phthalates investigated. Of those that were reportable, all measured lower than 10 µg/g and in fact, most had concentrations less than 1 µg/g. These data demonstrate that phthalates from fast food packaging do not significantly contribute to overall consumer exposure.

Determination of phthalates in fish fillets by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS): A comparison of direct immersion solid phase microextraction (SPME) versus ultrasonic assisted solvent extraction (UASE)

Due to the increasing presence of plastic and plastic associated contaminants in the aquatic environments, the monitoring of this contamination in fish products and the understanding of possible human health implications is considered urgent. However, data are still relatively scarce, mostly due to the methodological challenges in the chemical analysis: these contaminants are ubiquitous and procedural contamination from the laboratory is frequent. In this work, we compared solid-phase microextraction (SPME) to ultrasonic assisted solvent extraction (UASE) as sample preparation methods for the liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) determination of phthalates in fish fillets. UASE was carried out with an acetone-hexane (1:1) solution and according to a reference procedure aimed to obtain the exhaustive extraction of the target analytes. SPME was carried out by applying C18 fibers in direct immersion mode and by using water/methanol 20:80 mixture to desorb the aliquot required for the analysis. Overall, SPME displayed an improved control of the background contamination and enabled lower LOQs. Precision, calculated as relative standard deviation (RSD) on replicates of a reference sample, was below 24% for both the method. Analysis of real samples purchased from Italian supermarkets showed that SPME might be an efficient tool for estimating the risk associated with fish consumption.

Phthalate and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Levels in Liquid Ingredients of Packaged Fish Sold in Turkish Markets

Phthalates (PAEs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous contaminants in environment and foodstuffs. The objective of this study was to investigate the contamination possibility of phthalates and PAHs in packaged and canned fishes. For this purpose, tuna, salmon, sardine and mackerel canned and packaged with different liquid ingredients (water, olive oil, sunflower oil, mixture of sunflower and canola oil) attained from local markets in Turkey in 2019, were analyzed for presence of diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP), diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP) and benzo(a)anthracene (BaA), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), benzo(b)fluoranthene (BbF), chrysene (Chr). The instrumental analyses were performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD). In all analyzed samples, the levels of DBP, BBP, DINP and DIDP were less than their LOQ, so these phthalates were not quantified. The highest DEPH content was found 650 µg/kg in sample 2 (tuna in olive oil, packaged in plastic package). The highest sum of PAH 4 concentration was 9.97 µg/kg in sample 4 (salmon canned in sunflower oil). Some samples (19 samples) were free for all analyzed PAEs and PAHs. All levels of these persistent organic pollutants were lower than regulation limits of Turkey and EU.

Phthalates levels in olive oils and olive pomace oils marketed in Turkey

Phthalates are used as additives and plasticisers in packaging for personal care and food products. Several investigations reported the harmful impact of phthalates on human health. In this study, different types of olive oils (12 olive oil; 20 extra virgin oil; 4 refined pomace oil) in different packaging materials [polyethylene terephthalate (PET), glass and metal] obtained from local markets in Turkey in 2019, were analysed using GC-MS for the presence of benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP). The average recoveries of the 5 phthalates in olive oils were 87%-100%, with limits of quantification (LOQs) of 0.09-2.28 mg/kg. DEHP was the abundant phthalate in all olive oil samples ranging from below the LOQ (0.23 mg/kg) to 602 mg/kg. In all analysed samples, the levels of DINP and DIDP were less than their LOQ, thus these phthalates were not detected. The highest DEHP content was found in an olive oil sample containing 602 mg/kg, whilst 5 samples did not contain detectable phthalate esters.

Phthalates levels in cold-pressed oils marketed in Turkey

Cold-pressed oils are valuable vegetable oils. Phthalates are used as plasticizers and additives in foodstuffs and personal care products. Studies have shown that phthalates have harmful effects on human health. In this study, five phthalates di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), butyl-benzylphthalate (BBP), diisononyl phthalate (DiNP), and diisodecyl phthalate (DiDP) were evaluated in 30 different cold-pressed oils marketed in Turkey. DEHP was widespread in oils and detected in 18 of the 30 samples, ranging from 0.56 to 92.12 mg/kg. DBP was the second determined phthalate and detected in six of 30 oil samples at concentrations from 0.10 to 51.63 mg/kg. The other phthalates, BBP, DiNP, and DiDP were found in 4, 5, and 2 from a total of 30 samples, respectively. BBP and DiNP ranged between 3.88-6.04 and 4.26-80.74, respectively. DiDP was found in 2 samples with 85.02 and 2.69 mg/kg.

Easy and Inexpensive Method for Multiclass Analysis of 41 Food Contact Related Contaminants in Fatty Food by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Food contact materials (FCMs) may release their chemical components into food and thus raise safety concerns. This paper attempted to study the presence of four major groups of FCM-related endocrine disruptors in fatty food: dialkyl phthalates, bisphenols, printing ink photoinitiators, and polyfluoroalkyl substances. All 41 target compounds were analyzed simultaneously by means of liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. The sample preparation was significantly streamlined to reduce analysis costs by employing acetonitrile extraction, extract modification by water, and refrigeration at 5 °C. The new method was validated and applied to 60 real samples, including edible oils, butter, and chocolate, where 16 target compounds were measured at levels ≤13000 ng/g. The study also described the blank level increase and sensitivity loss caused by impurities present in the HPLC methanol solvent.