Non-targeted and suspect screening analysis of non-phthalate ester plasticizers in house and car dust

Following restrictions on the use of phthalate esters (PAEs), the industry has increasingly manufactured non-PAE plasticizers (NPPs) to meet the continuous demand for plastic products. However, the environmental occurrence of NPP diversity remains insufficiently investigated. This study established a suspect and category-specific characteristic fragment-dependent non-targeted screening strategy based on liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) to identify 14 categories of emerging NPPs in house and car dust. Application of the screening strategy in house dust (n = 45) and car dust (n = 50) collected from South China resulted in the identification of 48 NPPs with various confidence levels, many of which had very scarce or no environmental data. Among these, the cumulative concentrations of 32 target analytes reached a median level of 34.1 and 20.0 µg/g in house and car dust, respectively. The overall distribution patterns of NPPs in household and car dust were broadly similar, dominated by citrate, adipate, and oleate ester chemicals. Variations between the two environments were primarily attributed to differences in their specific applications. Collectively, our findings demonstrate the complexity of NPP contamination in indoor and vehicle environments and call for further research on potential human exposure and health risks.