Profiles of Phthalic Acid Esters ( PAEs ) in Various Water Matrices and the Associated Ecological and Health Risk Assessments

Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) exhibit ubiquitous contamination across aquatic systems, yet their spatiotemporal dynamics and associated risks remain poorly characterized. To address this, this study measured the concentrations of 13 PAEs in river samples collected from various locations along the Jinjiang River in Chengdu at different times, as well as in tap water samples from five different floors of a building and bottled water from five brands. Additionally, ecological risks were assessed using SSD curves, and health risks were evaluated based on USEPA-validated health risk models. The results indicated that surface water ΣPAEs ranged from 0.016 to 9.36 μg/L, with DBP (9.36 ± 2.46 μg/L) and DIBP (5.66 ± 1.49 μg/L) being the primary contributors, and significantly higher concentrations were observed upstream (most p < 0.05). Bottled and tap water ΣPAEs ranged from 0.015 to 7.42 and 0.019 to 7.79 μg/L, respectively, both dominated by DBP (bottled: 7.41 ± 0.35; tap: 7.79 ± 0.35 μg/L). Natural mineral bottled water showed the highest ΣPAEs, whereas ΣPAEs in tap water decreased with increasing building floor height. Furthermore, ecological risks to shellfish were identified, yet human health risks (oral/dermal) for adults/children remained low across all water types. Despite the high detection rates of PAEs, the dangers of population exposure were minimal. However, natural mineral bottled water and tap water from lower floors require prioritized monitoring due to higher PAE levels in surface water associated with human activities.