Widespread distribution of phthalic acid esters in indoor and ambient air samples collected from Hanoi, Vietnam

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023 May;30(22):63175-63184. doi: 10.1007/s11356-023-26558-5. Epub 2023 Mar 24.

Abstract

In the present study, distribution characteristics of ten typical phthalic acid esters (PAEs) were investigated in 90 air samples collected from the urban areas in Hanoi, Vietnam from May to August 2022. The total concentrations of PAEs in indoor and ambient air samples were in the range of 320-4770 ng/m3 and 35.9-133 ng/m3, respectively. Total concentrations of PAEs in indoor air were about one order of magnitude higher than those in ambient air. Among PAEs studied, di-(2-ethyl)hexyl phthalate (DEHP) was measured at the highest levels in all air samples, followed by di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP). The PAEs concentrations in air samples collected from laboratories at nighttime were significantly higher than those during daytime (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the distributions of PAEs in various micro-environments in the same house are no statistically significant difference. The median exposure doses of PAEs through inhalation for adults and children were 248 and 725 ng/kg-bw/d, respectively. These exposure levels were still lower than the respective reference doses (RfD) proposed by the US EPA for selected compounds such as diethyl phthalate (DEP), DnBP, and DEHP.

Keywords: Ambient air; Di-(2-ethyl)hexyl phthalate; Indoor air; Phthalic acid esters; Risk assessment.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Child
  • China
  • Dibutyl Phthalate
  • Diethylhexyl Phthalate*
  • Esters
  • Humans
  • Phthalic Acids*
  • Vietnam

Substances

  • phthalic acid
  • Diethylhexyl Phthalate
  • dinoseb
  • Esters
  • Phthalic Acids
  • Dibutyl Phthalate