Occurrence and Dietary Intake of Organophosphate Esters via Animal-Origin Food Consumption in China: Results of a Chinese Total Diet Study

Abstract

Although diet is regarded as a major exposure source of organophosphate esters (OPEs), the dietary survey of OPEs in China has been limited. Based on the sixth Chinese Total Diet Study (TDS) conducted during 2016−2019 in 24 of 34 provinces in China, 14 OPEs were detected in 96 food composites from four animal-origin food categories. Twelve OPEs were detected in more than 80% of the samples and 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDPP) presented the highest median concentration (1.63 ng/g wet weight (ww)). The most contaminated food composite was meat, with a median ∑ 14 OPEs of 13.6 ng/g ww, followed by aquatic food (11.5 ng/g ww), egg (7.63 ng/g ww), and milk (3.51 ng/g ww). The contribution of the meat group was close to or even greater than 50% in the estimated dietary intake (EDI) of OPEs. The average (range) EDI of the ∑ 14 OPEs via animal food consumption for a Chinese "standard man" was 34.4 (6.18−73.3) ng/kg bodyweight (bw)/day. The geographical distribution showed higher EDI in southern coastal provinces compared to the northern inland provinces. Nevertheless, the highest EDI of ∑ 14 OPEs from animal food was still more than 10 times lower than the reference dose. This is the first national survey of OPEs in foods from China.

Organophosphate Esters in Foodstuffs from Multiple Provinces in China: Possible Sources during Food Processing and Implications for Human Exposure

“…This may be due to the lower contents of water (approximately 10% or lower) in the packaged dried fruits analyzed in this study and OPE contamination during industrial processing, which would be discussed in the following section. ΣOPEs in meat in our study exhibited comparable levels with those found for several other studies, in which the median/mean values ranged from 0.410 to 13.6 ng/g ww. ,− , However, He et al reported much higher levels of ΣOPEs in pork (median: 408 ng/g ww), chicken (272 ng/g ww), and beef (375 ng/g ww) collected from Chongqing, China . They also found elevated ΣOPEs in aquatic products (median: 329 ng/g ww) in comparison with other literature (median/mean: 1.83–11.5 ng/g ww) ,− , and the present study, which probably resulted from the local pollution of OPEs in their sampling sites.…”

“…16,[18][19][20][21][22][23]33 However, He et al reported much higher levels of ΣOPEs in pork (median: 408 ng/g ww), chicken (272 ng/g ww), and beef (375 ng/g ww) collected from Chongqing, China. 17 They also found elevated ΣOPEs in aquatic products (median: 329 ng/g ww) 17 in comparison with other literature (median/mean: 1.83−11.5 ng/g ww) 16,[20][21][22][23]33 and the present study, which probably resulted from the local pollution of OPEs in their sampling sites. ΣOPEs in oils in our study were higher than that reported in New York, United States (median: 1.16 ng/g ww), 20 while being 1 order of magnitude lower than that reported in Belgium (mean: 84.4 ng/g ww).…”

Discovery of 18 Organophosphate Esters and 3 Organophosphite Antioxidants in Food Contact Materials Using Suspect and Nontarget Screening: Implications for Human Exposure

“…Human exposure to OPEs occurs through multiple pathways, and recent studies have shown that the dietary intake of OPEs is an important exposure pathway. − There have been increasing reports of OPEs being detected in various categories of food in markets worldwide. − He et al calculated the estimated daily intake (EDI) of OPEs via inhalation, dermal contact with dust, and dietary ingestion in an Australian population and found that dietary ingestion contributed the most to the EDI of OPEs . This highlights the need to understand how foods become contaminated by OPEs.…”

Organophosphate Flame Retardants in Pregnant Women: Sources, Occurrence, and Potential Risks to Pregnancy Outcomes

“…OPFRs can be detected in agricultural products such as grains (rice, corn), vegetables (potatoes, cereals, tomatoes, cabbage, rape, carrots, broccoli, onions, and celery), fruits (apples, bananas, oranges, pears, peaches, citrus, strawberries, and grapes), meat, dairy products, and eggs around the world. ,− Pregnant women and mothers have a higher daily consumption of OPFRs than other adults, perhaps due to their specialized prenatal and postnatal diets. , Throughout the pregnancy and breastfeeding period, women should have a well-balanced diet and refuel frequently in order to obtain sufficient calories and nutrients. , They may consume more food rich in protein, vitamins, and healthy fats, which maybe contribute to a relative increase in their body burdens of OPFRs . OPFRs can be frequently detected in cereals and meat. − For example, China has the highest levels of ∑OPFRs in rice worldwide, as high as 802 ng/g dry weight (dw) . The median concentration of OPFRs in meats and fish collected from a local market in America was higher than those in dairy and cereal products .…”