[Characterization and Exposure Risk Assessment of Non-phthalate Plasticizers in House Dust from Guangzhou]

Although non-phthalate plasticizers are widely used in various consumer products as substitutes for phthalates, currently little is known about their environmental occurrence and the risks of human exposure. To characterize the pollution and human exposure risk in indoor environments, house dust samples collected from 83 households in Guangzhou were analyzed for twelve typical non-phthalate plasticizers. Results showed that dioctyl terephthalate (DEHT), trioctyl trimellitate (TOTM), acetyl lemon tributyl ester (ATBC), heptylnonyl adipate, di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate, and trioctyl trimellitate were detected in all samples. The total concentrations of non-phthalate plasticizers ranged from 22.4 to 615 μg ·g^-1 with a median of 101 μg ·g^-1. DEHT had the highest concentrations (9-487 μg ·g^-1), followed by TOTM (0.3-87 μg ·g^-1) and ATBC (1.7-50 μg ·g^-1). Daily intakes via dust ingestion for adults and children were estimated based on the dust concentrations. The total daily intake of children was 367 ng ·(kg ·d)^-1, which was 8-9 times higher than that of adults[43 ng ·(kg ·d)^-1]. Further risk assessment through the hazard quotient approach showed that the exposure of adults and children to non-phthalic plasticizers via dust ingestion was within an acceptable risk range.