Phthalates and Alternative Plasticizers in Duplicated Diet Samples from Korea

Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) and alternative plasticizers (APs) are commonly found in food packaging. We quantified diet-only exposure to twenty-one plasticizers (16 PAEs and 5 APs) in 124 Korean adults by GC-MS/MS in 370 duplicate-diet composites (representing three nonconsecutive 24-h collections per participant). Total plasticizer concentrations ranged from 103 to 240,000 ng/g dry weight (median 414 ng/g). DEHP predominated among PAEs (median 106 ng/g). Among APs, DEHTP, ATBC, and DINCH showed comparable medians (approximately 22 ng/g). The AP fraction rose significantly with increasing exposure: APs constituted 57% of the total in the highest quartile (Q4) versus 20% in the lowest quartile (Q1) (p < 0.001), with DINCH markedly enriched in Q4. Food-intake diaries indicated higher consumption of food delivery, packaged meals, and dining out in Q4, consistent with greater plastic contact. Estimated daily intakes for individual analytes were below their respective reference doses. However, 17.5% of samples exceeded the cumulative antiandrogenic reference dose. These findings suggest a compositional shift from PAEs toward APs, coupled with right-tail signals for cumulative antiandrogenic risk. Duplicate-diet coprofiling paired with body weight and 24 h diaries provides a baseline for surveillance of plasticizer shifts and for prioritizing candidate sources for follow-up measurement.