Distribution of phthalate esters and their metabolites in peanut plant during the entire growth period and their dietary risk assessment of peanuts in China

Abstract

AbstractTo understand the remediation potential of peanut plants to phthalate esters (PAEs) contamination, the absorption and accumulation patterns of dibutyl phthalate (DBP), bis (2‐ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and diisononyl ortho‐phthalate (DINP), as well as their metabolites—monoalkyl phthalate esters (MPEs), monobutyl phthalate (MBP), monoethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP), and monoisononyl phthalate (MINP), were examined in peanut plant during the entire growth period. It was found that the amounts of DBP and MBP in peanut plants correlated positively, when the DBP content is high, the MBP content is also high, as well as DEHP and MEHP. Additionally, the root contained the highest overall concentrations of DBP, DEHP, DINP, MBP, and MEHP over the course of the growth cycle. To evaluate PAEs contamination and dietary risk of peanuts in China, 18 PAEs and seven MPEs in 490 peanut samples collected from 17 provinces of China were detected by UPLC‐MS/MS, the detection rate of 18 selected PAE in peanut was 100%. The dietary risk assessment suggested that the general population and high consuming population are not at risk of non‐carcinogenic from the PAEs and MPEs found in peanuts of China. There is no need for the general consumption group to take any precautions against the carcinogenic risk of DEHP, and the high consumption group's carcinogenic risk is also within an acceptable range.