Di-(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA) and phthalates are commonly used as plasticizers to soften polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products. Since both DEHA and certain phthalates have been identified as priority chemicals for assessment of human health risk under the Government of Canada's Chemicals Management Plan, a method based on liquid and dispersive solid phase extraction followed by isotope dilution GC-MS analysis was developed to analyse DEHA and eight phthalates (di-methyl phthalate, di-ethyl phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, di-iso-butyl phthalate, butyl benzyl phthalate, di-n-hexyl phthalate, d-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, di-n-octyl phthalate) in samples of meat (beef, pork, chicken), fish, and cheese and their packaging (mostly cling films).  The eight phthalates were not detected in any of the food packaging, and DEHA was detected in most of the cling films, indicating that while DEHA-plasticized films are currently being used by most grocery stores, non-plasticized cling films are also being used by some stores. DEHA was not detected in any of the 10 cheese samples packaged in non-plasticized rigid plastics, but was detected in all 30 cheese samples packaged in DEHA-plasticized cling films at levels from 0.71 �g/g to as high as 879 �g/g with an average of 203 �g/g.  Similar to cheese, only DEHA was detected in the beef, pork, chicken, and fish samples packaged in DEHA-plasticized cling films, but at considerably lower levels, with the averages of 6.3, 9.1, 2.5, and 5.9 �g/g for beef, pork, chicken, and fish, respectively. Among the eight phthalates analysed for, only di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was detected in a few cheese samples at levels from 0.29 to 15 �g/g with an average of 2.8 �g/g, very likely due to environmental contamination. This study provided the most recent occurrence data for both DEHA and phthalates in selected foods which will complement the on-going Total Diet Study for updating the dietary exposure assessment.

Analysis of di-(2-ethylhexyl) adipate and phthalate plasticizers in food samples and their packaging by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

248th National Meeting (2014)

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