Widespread occurrence of phthalic acid esters in raw oilseeds in China used for edible vegetable oil production

ABSTRACT

Seven different phthalic acid esters (PAEs) were quantified in 124 samples of 16 types of oilseeds from China using a simplified GC-MS method. Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate and di-n-butyl phthalate were found in all tested oilseed samples. Each made a high contribution to the summed total PAEs. Total PAE concentrations in 124 oilseeds ranged from 0.14 to 3.05 mg kg^–1, and the mean was 0.99 mg kg^–1. Mandulapalka (Cyperus esculentus) samples were the most severely contaminated among all the tested specimens; maize germ samples were least contaminated. Di-n-octyl phthalate and butylbenzyl phthalate were not detected in 12 and five types of oilseeds, respectively. Only eight samples contained all seven analytes. No difference was observed between woody oil-bearing plant and herbaceous oil-bearing plant in terms of PAEs content.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Phthalic acid esters
• oilseeds
• gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Project in the 13th Five-Year [grant numbers 2016YFD0401400 and 2016YFD0401405].