Phthalate esters in soil, plastic film, and vegetable from greenhouse vegetable production bases in Beijing, China: Concentrations, sources, and risk assessment.
The increased use of plastic film in greenhouse vegetable production (GVP) could result in phthalate ester (PAE) contamination in vegetables. However, limited information is currently available on their occurrence and associated potential risks in GVP systems. The present study documents the occurrence and composition of 15 PAEs in soil, plastic film, and vegetable samples from eight large-scale GVP bases in Beijing, China. Results showed that PAEs are ubiquitous contaminants in these GVP bases. Total PAE concentrations ranged from 0.14 to 2.13mg/kg (mean 0.99mg/kg) in soils and from 0.15 to 6.94mg/kg (mean 1.49mg/kg) in vegetables. Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, and diisobutyl phthalate were the most abundant components, which accounted for >90% of the total PAEs. This investigation also indicated that the widespread application of plastic film in GVP systems may be the primary source of these PAEs. The non-cancer and carcinogenic risks of target PAEs were estimated based on the exposures of vegetable intake. The hazard quotients of PAE in all vegetable samples were lower than 1 and the carcinogenic risks were also at acceptable levels for consumers. The data in this study can provide valuable information to understand the status of potential pollutants, specifically PAEs, in GVP systems.
Beijing Research Center for Agricultural Standards and Testing, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China; Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Agriculture Environment Monitoring, Beijing 100097, China.
Cheng
C
Li
Beijing Research Center for Agricultural Standards and Testing, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China; Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Agriculture Environment Monitoring, Beijing 100097, China.
Jiayi
J
Chen
Beijing Research Center for Agricultural Standards and Testing, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China.
Jihua
J
Wang
Beijing Research Center for Agricultural Standards and Testing, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China.
Ping
P
Han
Beijing Research Center for Agricultural Standards and Testing, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China; Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Agriculture Environment Monitoring, Beijing 100097, China.
Yunxia
Y
Luan
Beijing Research Center for Agricultural Standards and Testing, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China.
Xupu
X
Ma
Beijing Research Center for Agricultural Standards and Testing, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China; Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Agriculture Environment Monitoring, Beijing 100097, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Key Technology of Smart Irrigation District in Hubei, Yichang 443002, China. Electronic address: anxiang_lu@hotmail.com.
Anxiang
A
Lu
D000383:Agriculture; D000068476:Beijing; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004952:Esters / Q000032:analysis*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D010795:Phthalic Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D014675:Vegetables / Q000737:chemistry*
D004952:Esters; D010795:Phthalic Acids; D012989:Soil Pollutants
Greenhouse vegetable production; Phthalate esters; Plastic film; Risk assessment