Exposure of endocrine disruptive phthalates from fruit juices packed in plastic bottles and their risk assessment in Pakistan

Le résumé fourni par la source

Phthalate esters (PAEs) are used to increase the plasticity in plastic packaging materials like plastic containers and beverage bottles. These are recognised as endocrine disruptors and pose potential health risks to consumers. So this study investigated the extent of phthalate exposure levels originating from plastic bottles across different brands of juice samples (n = 225), collected from local markets in Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan, encompassing (citrus, berry mixed, stone fruit, and fleshy fruit juices). For that purpose, plastic bottles were initially investigated by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), followed by analysis of leached PAEs in juices by Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detection (GC-FID) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). FTIR findings confirmed the presence of PAEs in plastic bottles through the assessment of two different peaks at 1713 cm−1 (aromatic esters) and 722 cm−1 (C-H wagging). DSC results revealed different glass transition (Tg) and melting temperature (Tm) for amorphous bottles. The study found that PAE concentration varied significantly (p < 0.05) across different juices, with mixed fruit juices exhibiting the highest concentration (71.93 µg/L), followed by strawberry (31.35 µg/L), citrus fruit (20.64 µg/L), and fleshy fruit juices (18.61 µg/L). GC-MS analysis confirmed the occurrence of several PAEs including DPrP, DiBP, DPeP, DCHP, BBP, DEHP, and DOP. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of PAEs was found in the range of 0.087–0.543 µg/kg-bw in all analysed samples. Although hazard index calculation indicated that all juices were within safe limits (HI < 1). However, it is noteworthy that DEHP exhibited higher values of carcinogenic in one specific juice brand of mixed fruit juice (BM-1), with a risk factor of 4.5 × 10−3.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.