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Phthalate acid esters in water and edible oils: a comprehensive review of contamination sources, migration mechanisms, and emerging removal technologies of food matrices
Summary
This review pulls together existing research on phthalates, chemicals from plastics that can leach into our water and cooking oils, showing that these chemicals behave differently depending on what they're in. In oils, phthalates tend to get "stuck" and stick around longer because they're attracted to fat, while in water they move around more freely, which means the cleanup methods that work for one may not work as well for the other. This matters because phthalates are linked to hormone disruption and other health concerns, so understanding how they build up in the foods and drinks we consume daily can help scientists develop better ways to filter them out before they reach our plates.
Phthalate acid esters (PAEs), a group of plasticizers widely used to improve the flexibility and processability of plastic materials, have been frequently detected in food matrices. This review provides a comparative framework for understanding PAEs contamination in two representative dietary matrices, water and edible oils, with emphasis on direct inputs from food packaging and processing, as well as indirect pathways associated with microplastic migration, atmospheric deposition, and recycled plastics. A key difference dependent on the matrix is highlighted: in water, the migration and redistribution of PAEs are mainly affected by partitioning between phases, adsorption and desorption, and dynamic exchange under equilibrium conditions, rather than by a simple reversible cycle. In edible oils, the hydrophobic and lipophilic properties of PAEs may promote their transfer into lipid-rich phases and lead to longer retention, while reverse migration may still occur but is likely limited by slow transfer rates. These differences are important for evaluating removal technologies, including adsorption, biodegradation, and distillation, and may partly explain their variable performance in aqueous systems and edible oils. By clarifying the distinct behaviors of PAEs across different media, this review provides insights into exposure assessment, analytical standardization, and mitigation strategies specific to different matrices. Future research should further improve quantitative risk assessment, address mixture effects and emerging plasticizer alternatives, and develop sustainable technologies for reducing PAEs contamination in food systems.