Preliminary toxicological assessment of phthalate esters from drinking water consumed in Portugal

Abstract

This paper reports, for the first time, the concentrations of selected phthalates in drinking water consumed in Portugal. The use of bottled water in Portugal has increased in recent years. The main material for bottles is polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Its plasticizer components can contaminate water by leaching, and several scientific studies have evidenced potential health risks of phthalates to humans of all ages. With water being one of the most essential elements to human health and because it is consumed by ingestion, the evaluation of drinking water quality, with respect to phthalate contents, is important. This study tested seven commercial brands of bottled water consumed in Portugal, six PET and one glass (the most consumed) bottled water. Furthermore, tap water from Lisbon and three small neighbor cities was analyzed. Phthalates (di-n-butyl phthalate ester (DnBP), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate ester (DEHP), and di-i-butyl phthalate ester (DIBP)) in water samples were quantified (PET and glass) by means of direct immersion solid-phase microextraction and ionic liquid gas chromatography associated with flame ionization detection or mass spectrometry due to their high boiling points and water solubility. The method utilized in this study showed a linear range for target phthalates between 0.02 and 6.5 μg L(-1), good precision and low limits of detection that were between 0.01 and 0.06 μg L(-1), and quantitation between 0.04 and 0.19 μg L(-1). Only three phthalates were detected in Portuguese drinking waters: dibutyl (DnBP), diisobutyl (DIBP), and di(ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). Concentrations ranged between 0.06 and 6.5 μg L(-1) for DnBP, between 0.02 and 0.16 μg L(-1) for DEHP, and between 0.1 and 1.89 μg L(-1) for DIBP. The concentration of DEHP was found to be up to five times higher in PET than in glass bottled water. Surprisingly, all the three phthalates were detected in glass bottled water with the amount of DnBP being higher (6.5 μg L(-1)) than in PET bottled water. These concentrations do not represent direct risk to human health. Regarding potable tap water, only DIBP and DEHP were detected. Two of the cities showed concentration of all three phthalates in their water below the limits of detection of the method. All the samples showed phthalate concentrations below 6 μg L(-1), the maximum admissible concentration in water established by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The concentrations measured in Portuguese bottled waters do not represent any risk for adult's health.

Evaluation of exposure to phthalate esters through the use of various brands of drinking water bottled in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers under different storage conditions

“…The results also showed that the total non-carcinogenic risk of DEP and DEHP was lower than 1, indicating that there would be unlikely incremental non-carcinogenic risk to humans. Both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of PAEs in drinking water to female were slightly higher than those to male (37). Based on the results of the present study, the risk of fungal infections in lactating women due to phthalates of DHEP and di-butyl phthalate in water with values of 0.05 and 0.008 μg/kg/d, respectively, was higher than that in other groups.…”

Genotoxicity of sub-lethal di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) / Genotoksičnost subletalne koncentracije di-n-butil ftalata (DBP-a) u nilskoj tilapiji (Oreochromis niloticus)

“…DBP as an environmental contaminant and its exposure from food containers is of concern as it represents a risk to reproductive and developmental toxicity (23,24).…”

Polyethylene Terephthalate Nanofiber Sheet as the Novel Extraction Medium for the Determination of Phthalates in Water Samples

“…[23][24][25] In addition, phthalates have been detected from various air 26 and water samples, such as river water and tap water. 19,27,28 The Ministry Health, Labour and Welfare Japan has established reference values for dibutyl phthalate (DBP) of 10 μg L -1 and di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) of 80 μg L -1 , respectively, in tap water (drinking water), 29 and the World Health Organization has established a drinking water guideline for DEHP to be 8 μg L -1 . 30 In this study, a novel extraction capillary that is packed with a CO2 laser supersonic drawing PET nanofiber sheet was developed.…”