Intake estimates of phthalate esters for South Delhi population based on exposure media assessment

An indirect estimation method was followed to derive exposure levels of fifteen phthalate congeners in urban population of Delhi, India. The exposure media samples were collected from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus and Okhla industrial area. GC-MS analysis of the samples indicated di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) to be the most abundant congener and its estimated total daily intake level reached upto 70 μg kg(-1) d(-1). Out of the studied congeners, intake doses for di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) and DEHP, reached levels near or above the established exposure limit. In JNU, DEHP, dimethyl phthalate (DMP) and butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) had 69% share in combined daily intake of Σ15 phthalates (CDI15); whereas, in Okhla, DEHP, diethyl phthalate (DEP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), DnBP and DMP shared 64% of the CDI15. Food was found to be the major source of exposure contributing 67% and 74% of the estimated CDI15 at JNU and Okhla respectively.