Monitoring and health risk assessment of phthalate esters in household's drinking water of Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the presence of phthalates and their concentration in household's drinking water and to examine their potential risk for inhabitants in urban regions of Isfahan, Iran. During the summer and winter of 2017, samples were extracted from 33 private residences via dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction with some modifications. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to determine the presence of four major phthalates. According to the results, four phthalates, including dibutyl phthalate, benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), diethyl phthalate, and di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), were present in the samples. The highest contamination with phthalates was attributed to DEHP (606.89 ng/l). Except for BBP, the mean concentrations of other PAE compounds were higher in summer than in winter. The mean concentration of DEHP in sampling points with plastic pipes was higher than that of regions with metal pipes. Based on the health risk assessment, exposure of humans to phthalates in drinking water was acceptable and did not pose carcinogenic effects. Further studies are recommended for adequate monitoring of phthalates in drinking water, food, and air in order to ensure human health.