Phthalic acid esters in various foodstuffs and biological materials

Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants in Japan. Di-n-butyl phthalate (DNBP) and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) are the most commonly found of nine PAEs examined. DNBP and DEHP residues in 22 kinds of commerical foodstuffs (55 examples), mostly in plastic containers, are recorded. The level is generally higher in powdered foodstuffs than in other materials and the content of PAEs increased sharply during their storage. A close correlation is found between the content of PAE residues in packing materials and those of foodstuffs. The levels of DNBP and DEHP in human blood samples are found to be much higher than those of PCBs.