Risk assessment of oral exposure to phthalates from coffee samples marketed in Turkey

Abstract

Although phthalate esters (PAEs) are plasticizers widely utilized nowadays to enhance the flexibility and processability of polymeric materials, their presence and detection in the food environment have become an important concern. In this study, phthalate esters (butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and diisononyl phthalate (DINP)) were detected in 40 coffee samples in single-use or large plastic-based packages of different brands collected from the Turkish market. PAEs exposure and non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks were calculated for females and males aged 15–64, depending on their coffee consumption within 24 h. DBP and DINP exhibited the highest level of migration to coffee samples (<LOD - 15.2 ng mL−1 and <LOD - 64.1 ng mL−1, respectively), while BBP was found below the limit of quantification (LOQ). In non-carcinogenic risk evaluations of PAEs, the data showed that coffee was consumed at levels not considered harmful for all ages and genders (HI<1). The carcinogenic risk factor for BBP was determined at grade C, meaning it was negligible (<10−6) for all age groups. However, carcinogenic risk factors determined for DEHP in males and females aged 15–30 years (in the range of 1.50 ×10−4 and 4.87 ×10−4) and females aged 51–64 years (1.45 ×10−4) were detected at grade A, which exceeded the high-level cancer risk (>10−4) reported by the US EPA. Our research findings showed that almost all age groups over 15 were exposed to PAEs orally from the coffee they frequently consumed, which might lead to an excessive risk of cancer in individuals. Therefore, it was concluded that more comprehensive studies should be conducted based on this study, especially regarding cancer risk.