Abstract
BackgroundFast food consumption is associated with biomarkers of ortho-phthalates exposures. However, the chemical content of fast food is unknown; certain ortho-phthalates (i.e., di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)) have been phased out and replaced with other plasticizers (e.g., dioctyl terephthalate (DEHT)).ObjectiveWe conducted a preliminary study to examine ortho-phthalate and replacement plasticizer concentrations in foods and food handling gloves from U.S. fast food restaurants.MethodsWe obtained hamburgers, fries, chicken nuggets, chicken burritos, cheese pizza (n = 64 food samples) and gloves (n = 3) from restaurants and analyzed them for 11 chemicals using gas chromatography mass spectrometry.ResultsWe found DEHT at the highest concentrations in both foods (n = 19; median = 2510 µg/kg; max = 12,400 µg/kg) and gloves (n = 3; range: 28–37% by weight). We detected DnBP and DEHP in 81% and 70% of food samples, respectively. Median DEHT concentrations were significantly higher in burritos than hamburgers (6000 µg/kg vs. 2200 µg/kg; p < 0.0001); DEHT was not detected in fries. Cheese pizza had the lowest levels of most chemicals.SignificanceTo our knowledge, these are the first measurements of DEHT in food. Our preliminary findings suggest that ortho-phthalates remain ubiquitous and replacement plasticizers may be abundant in fast food meals.Impact statementA selection of popular fast food items sampled in this study contain detectable levels of replacement plasticizers and concerning ortho-phthalates. In addition, food handling gloves contain replacement plasticizers, which may be a source of food contamination. These results, if confirmed, may inform individual and regulatory exposure reduction strategies.
Highlights
Ortho-phthalates are a class of multi-functional, high production volume chemicals used widely in commerce [1]
di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) was the most frequently detected ortho-phthalate in foods at 81%, followed by di(2ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) at
Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBzP), di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP), and diethyl phthalate (DEP) were detected in 20%, 6%, and 39% of foods, respectively
Summary
Ortho-phthalates ( referred to as phthalates) are a class of multi-functional, high production volume chemicals used widely in commerce [1]. Biomarkers of phthalates exposures are detected in greater than 98% of the U.S population [2]. Fast food consumption is associated with biomarkers of ortho-phthalates exposures. The chemical content of fast food is unknown; certain ortho-phthalates (i.e., di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)) have been phased out and replaced with other plasticizers (e.g., dioctyl terephthalate (DEHT)). OBJECTIVE: We conducted a preliminary study to examine ortho-phthalate and replacement plasticizer concentrations in foods and food handling gloves from U.S fast food restaurants. METHODS: We obtained hamburgers, fries, chicken nuggets, chicken burritos, cheese pizza (n = 64 food samples) and gloves (n = 3) from restaurants and analyzed them for 11 chemicals using gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Our preliminary findings suggest that orthophthalates remain ubiquitous and replacement plasticizers may be abundant in fast food meals
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