Plastic additives in the diet: Occurrence and dietary exposure in different population groups

Abstract

A total diet study focused on exposure to plastic additives has been performed on 109 food samples. Plasticizers were detected in 85 % of analyzed samples with total concentrations ranging between not detected (nd) and 22.0 µg/g wet weight (ww). Non-phthalate plasticizers (NPPs), such as acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC) or di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA), were detected predominantly in baby foods (nd-3.38 µg/g ww) and meat (nd-15.0 µg/g ww), respectively. Significant differences (p ≤ 0.001) were observed across foods with different packaging types regarding the presence of ATBC and DEHA. ATBC was primarily detected in foods packaged in glass containers, meanwhile DEHA is mainly related to fresh food wrapped in plastic materials. Additionally, transference assays in selected ready to cook meals and fresh vegetables were performed, with NPPs exhibiting a higher transference from packaging to food than other compounds. The data obtained have been used for an assessment of estimated daily intake (EDI) of plastic additives in infants (6–12 months), toddlers (1–3 years), and adults (>18 years), resulting in values ranging 0.29–516 µg/kg body weight (bw)/day. Human risk related to baby food consumption, expressed as hazard quotients (HQs), was found with di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in the infant population sub-group.