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Occurrence, Fate, Behavior and Ecotoxicological State of Phthalates in Different Environmental Matrices
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This review examines the widespread presence of phthalates, chemicals commonly added to plastics to increase flexibility, across air, water, soil, and food. Researchers found that phthalates are detected virtually everywhere in the environment and have been linked to reproductive, developmental, and hormonal effects in laboratory studies. The study highlights that indoor air represents a particularly significant source of human exposure since people spend the majority of their time indoors surrounded by plastic-containing products.
Because of their large and widespread application, phthalates or phthalic acid esters (PAEs) are ubiquitous in all the environmental compartements. They have been widely detected throughout the worldwide environment. Indoor air where people spend 65-90% of their time is also highly contaminated by various PAEs released from plastics, consumer products as well as ambient suspended particulate matter. Because of their widespread application, PAEs are the most common chemicals that humans are in contact with daily. Based on various exposure mechanisms, including the ingestion of food, drinking water, dust/soil, air inhalation and dermal exposure the daily intake of PAEs may reach values as high as 70 μg/kg/day. PAEs are involved in endocrine disrupting effects, namely, upon reproductive physiology in different species of fish and mammals. They also present a variety of additional toxic effects for many other species including terrestrial and aquatic fauna and flora. Therefore, their presence in the environment has attracted considerable attention due to their potential impacts on ecosystem functioning and on public health. This paper is a synthesis of the extensive literature data on behavior, transport, fate and ecotoxicological state of PAEs in environmental matrices: air, water, sediment, sludge, wastewater, soil, and biota. First, the origins and physicochemical properties of PAEs that control the behavior, transport and fate in the environment are reviewed. Second, the compilation of data on transport and fate, adverse environmental and human health effects, legislation, restrictions, and ecotoxicological state of the environment based on PAEs is presented.
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Comprehensive Insight from Phthalates Occurrence: From Health Outcomes to Emerging Analytical Approaches
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This review summarizes the widespread occurrence of phthalates, chemicals commonly used as plasticizers in plastic products, and their potential health effects including endocrine disruption and reproductive harm. The study also surveys emerging analytical methods for detecting phthalates in food, water, and biological samples, highlighting the challenge of daily human exposure through consumer products.
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This review pulls together existing research showing that chemicals added to plastics (like phthalates and flame retardants) can leach out over time and enter our food, air, and water. Once in our bodies, these additives have been linked to hormone disruption, reproductive problems, and even cancer. The authors call for stricter regulations and better recycling to reduce our exposure.
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This review surveys phthalate contamination in aquatic environments, covering analytical quantification methods, toxicity data, and sources of phthalate pollution. It highlights phthalates as plastic additives that leach into water from plastic products, posing risks to aquatic organisms and human health.
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This review examines the sources, occurrence, and environmental fate of plasticiser chemicals released from plastics into terrestrial environments. Researchers found that both phthalate and newer non-phthalate plasticisers persist in soil, can be taken up by organisms, and may pose emerging risks as industry transitions to replacement chemicals. The study highlights significant knowledge gaps about how these widely used additives behave once released into land-based ecosystems.
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