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Emerging microextraction platforms for enhanced phthalic acid esters monitoring in food
Summary
Researchers reviewed recent advances in microextraction techniques for detecting phthalate plasticizers — endocrine-disrupting chemicals that leach from plastics into food — highlighting progress in green solvents and functional materials while flagging persistent challenges in reproducibility across complex food matrices and the need for better standardization.
The development of pretreatment methods for phthalic acid esters (PAEs) is essential, as these endocrine-disrupting chemicals leach from plastics into food and water, with humans consuming over 50,000 microplastic particles annually. Recent advancements in microextraction techniques for PAEs have significantly improved efficiency, sustainability, and automation. In recent years, microextraction technologies have demonstrated remarkable progress in terms of efficiency, solvent minimization, and environmental sustainability. This review critically evaluates recent developments in microextraction approaches for PAEs, with emphasis on green solvents, as well as advanced functional materials. Unlike previous reviews that mainly catalog analytical platforms, this work highlights matrix-specific advantages and limitations, revealing persistent challenges such as poor reproducibility in viscous food samples, incomplete phase separation in protein-rich systems, and insufficient inter-laboratory validation. Finally, we outline future perspectives for advancing microextraction technologies toward greater robustness, automation, and regulatory compliance, aiming to bridge the gap between laboratory research and routine food safety monitoring.