Nonphthalate Plasticizers in House Dust from Multiple Countries: An Increasing Threat to Humans

Abstract

Along with the restrictions of phthalate esters (PAEs), a variety of nonphthalate plasticizers (NPPs) have been increasingly used for industrial needs. Knowledge remains limited on the environmental occurrences, fate, and human exposure risks of many emerging NPPs. In this study, we investigated a suite of 45 NPPs along with the major PAEs in house dust from five regions in the Asia-Pacific region and the United States. The findings clearly demonstrated ubiquitous occurrences of many NPPs in the home environment, particularly acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC), tricapryl trimellitate (TCTM), trioctyl trimellitate (TOTM), glycerol monooleate (GMO), methyl oleate (MO), and diisobutyl adipate (DiBA). The median total concentrations of NPPs ranged from 17.8 to 252 μg/g in the study regions, while the mean ratios of ΣNPPs to ΣPAEs ranged from 0.19 (Hanoi) to 0.72 (Adelaide). Spatial differences were observed not only for the chemical abundances but also for the composition profiles and the hazard quotient (HQ) prioritization of individual chemicals. Although the current exposure may unlikely cause significant health risks according to the HQ estimation, potential exposure risks cannot be overlooked, due to the lack of appropriate toxic threshold data, the existence of additional exposure pathways, and possible cocktail effects from coexisting NPPs and PAEs.

Comprehensive Identification and Ubiquitous Occurrence of Eight Classes of Rubber-Derived Vulcanization Accelerators in Urban Dusts

“…This heavy contamination caused by VAs has been previously highly overlooked in our environments before. To our knowledge, among all recorded polymer additive contaminations in house dust from South China, the median concentration of ∑VAs was second only to that of phthalate/nonphthalate plasticizers (252,000−750,000 ng/g) 39,40 but significantly higher than those of synthetic antioxidants (7890 ng/g), 41 organophosphate esters (10,600 ng/g), 42 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (4330 ng/g), 43 and alternative flame retardants (5030 ng/g). 44 These comparisons indicated that serious VA emissions into the environment should be of deep and emerging concern.…”

Unveiling the Enigma: Decoding Chemical Additives in Shoe Soles for Recognition and Ecological Risk Insights

“…DEHP has been categorized as a 1B substance under the Global Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals, which means it is a known or suspected carcinogen based on animal evidence . DINCH has been widely adopted as a substitute for phthalate esters in rubber products; however, recent studies have indicated that DINCH can bind to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ and induce adipogenesis. − For the TPU shoe sole, the RQ values for UV-234 and AO1024 were 0.02 and 0.01, respectively. Only one chemical (diAMS, 0.08) had an RQ value of >0.01 for the RB shoe sole.…”

Global environmental and toxicological data of emerging plasticizers: current knowledge, regrettable substitution dilemma, green solution and future perspectives

“…Phthalates are synthetic substances that are widely employed as plasticizers, accounting for up to 40% of the final plastic product 19 and contributing a predicted 18 billion pounds per year. 10,20 Phthalate plasticizers constitute about 80-85% of the global market for use in polyvinyl chloride plastics. 8 Their application is found in a variety of products, including medical devices, food packaging, construction materials, automobile parts, children's toys, and PVC-based goods.…”

“…It was projected that these emerging plasticizers would grow to encompass 40% of global plasticizers. 9,10,53 Emerging plasticizers possess intricate chemical compositions, primarily featuring functional groups like benzoate, sebacate, azelate, adipate, terephthalate, trimellitate, citrate, and oleate, to name a few. 10,54,55 In addition to being applied as alternative PVC plasticizers, these compounds are used as solvents and additives in cosmetics, inks, and adhesives.…”