Di-(2-ethylhexyl) adipate and 20 phthalates in composite food samples from the 2013 Canadian Total Diet Study

Abstract

A sensitive and selective GC-MS method was developed and used for simultaneous analysis of di-(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA) and 20 selected phthalates in the food samples from the 2013 Canadian Total Diet Study. At least one of the 21 target chemicals was detected in 141 of the 159 different food composite samples analysed. However, only seven of the 21 target chemicals were detected, with di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and DEHA being detected most frequently, in 111 and 91 different food composite samples, respectively, followed by di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) (n = 44), n-butyl benzyl phthalate (BBzP) (32), di-iso-butyl phthalate (DiBP) (27), di-ethyl phthalate (DEP) (3), and di-cyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP) (1). Levels of DEP (di-ethyl phthalate), DiBP, DBP, BBzP and DCHP were low, in general, with average concentrations of 9.63, 8.26, 23.2, 12.4 and 64.9 ng g^–1, respectively. Levels of DEHA and DEHP varied widely, ranging from 1.4 to 6010 ng g^–1 and from 14.4 to 714 ng g^–1, respectively. High levels of DEHA were found mainly in the composite samples where the individual food items used to prepare the composite were likely packaged in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) wrapping film, while the highest DEHP levels were found in the vegetable and fruit samples.

Keywords:

• DEHA
• DEHP
• phthalate
• plasticiser
• food
• total diet
• GC-MS

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Corrigendum

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for the collection of the individual food items, Elizabeth Forbes (retired, Kemptville College) for the preparation of composite samples, Karen Pepper (Health Canada) and Masresha Asrat (Health Canada) for coordination of the total diet study and sample allocation.