Phthalic acid esters and adipates in herbal-based soft drinks: an eco-friendly method

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Food Safety

Background:

• Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) and adipates are widely used plasticizers found ubiquitously in the environment.
• These compounds can contaminate food via environmental pathways or migration from packaging, raising health concerns due to their toxicity.
• Bottled beverages, including herbal ones, are potential exposure sources for these persistent pollutants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an eco-friendly method for extracting PAEs and bis(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA) from bottled herbal beverages.
• To quantify the levels of these plasticizers in real-world samples.
• To conduct a human health risk assessment based on the detected concentrations.

Main Methods:

• An environmentally friendly dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) technique was employed for analyte extraction.
• Gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) was used for sensitive and selective quantification.
• The method was validated for linearity, limits of detection and quantification, precision, and recovery.

Main Results:

• The developed DLLME-GC-MS/MS method demonstrated low limits of detection (5.0–13 μg L⁻¹) and quantification (20–35 μg L⁻¹).
• High precision (RSD < 19%) and excellent recoveries (82–111%) were achieved.
• Analysis of 16 real samples revealed the presence of at least one analyte in 13 samples.

Conclusions:

• The eco-friendly DLLME-GC-MS/MS method is suitable for determining PAEs and DEHA in bottled herbal beverages.
• While PAEs and DEHA were detected, the calculated hazard quotient (HQ < 1) for all analytes indicated no significant health risk to consumers.
• This study highlights the importance of monitoring plasticizer contamination in food products and assessing associated health risks.