Consumer exposure to phthalates from paper packaging: an integrated approach

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Food Safety
• Chemical Contaminants

Background:

• Phthalates are contaminants found in paperboard packaging.
• Assessing population exposure is crucial for public health.
• Previous exposure data for phthalates from this source in Portugal was limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the exposure of the Portuguese population to phthalates from paperboard packaging.
• To validate exposure model results with experimental data.
• To identify and quantify phthalates in packaging and food samples.

Main Methods:

• Integrated exposure model combining stochastic simulation of migrant concentration and food consumption data.
• Probabilistic simulation using Monte Carlo sampling.
• Surveillance exercise for phthalate quantification in packaging and food.

Main Results:

• Estimated exposure to di-butyl phthalate ranged from 0 to 8.95 microg/day/kg bw, close to the EFSA tolerable daily intake.
• The 97.5th percentile and average exposure were 1.82 and 0.44 microg/day/kg bw, respectively.
• Di-ethylhexyl phthalate was detected in all packaging samples and some food samples, warranting further investigation.

Conclusions:

• The developed integrated approach provides a robust estimate of phthalate exposure.
• Current estimated exposure levels for di-butyl phthalate are below the tolerable daily intake.
• The presence of di-ethylhexyl phthalate in food requires further research to assess potential risks.