• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.443-454
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• 2010

Phthalate compounds are widely used as plasticizers in polyvinyl chlororide (PVC) resins and other industrial consumer products, and some of them are known to be endocrine disruptors. In Korea, a number of studies have been carried out for the measurement of phthalates in consumer products and drinking water. However, no data are available for those compounds in the ambient air where the general public are routinely exposed. In this study, we evaluated sampling and analytical methods for the determination of phthalates in the ambient atmosphere. A wide range of phthalates compounds were included in the target analytes, which are dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and di-n-octyl phthalate (DOP). Most of samples were collected using a high volume sampler with a PUF/XAD-2 column/quartz fiber filter and then analyzed by GC/MS. Some of samples were simultaneously collected on XAD-2 using a low-volume sampler, together with high-volume samples. The analytical method applied in this study showed good repeatability and linearity. Quantitative detection limits were estimated from 0.60 to 17.84 ng/$m^3$ in air, depending on individual compounds. The field measurements were carried out at 3 sites located in Sihwa- Banwall industrial areas and a suburban area from January 2007 to November 2007. From the field experiments, DEHP, DMP and DBP appeared to be the most abundant compounds in the ambient air. It was also found that DMP, DEP and DBP were mainly distributed in the vapor phase, while BBP, DEHP and DOP were predominantly associated with the particulate phase. The concentrations of DEHP and DMP in the industrial areas ranged from 45.7 to 1,012.7 ng/$m^3$ and from 7.7 to 375.1 ng/$m^3$, respectively. Overall, the high-volume sampling method was demonstrated to be superior to the low-volume method for the determination of phthalates in the ambient atmosphere.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.479-485
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• 2001

A study of the levels of phthalate and adipate esters, which are suspected as endocrine disruptors, in food packaging wraps and packaged foods were carried out. Among 11 wrap samples, 8 household wraps purchased at retail markets were polyvinyl chloride(PVC) and polyethylene(PE), while 3 commercial wraps at wholesale markets were PVC. All of 51 selected food samples, such as 12 samples of vegetable, 11 samples of fruit, 6 samples of bread and rice cake, 4 samples of meat and poultry, 4 samples of fish and 14 samples of side dish, packaged with commercial PVC wraps containing adipate esters were purchased at retail markets. The level of di-(2-ethylhexyl) adipate(DEHA) and diisononyl adipate(DINA) was from 2.2 to 17.9% and from 4.2 to 22.3% in household PVC wraps, respectively. In the commercial PVC wraps, the level of DEHA showed from 18.3 to 22.5%, while other phthalate esters were not detected. The phthalate and adipate esters were not detected in PE wraps. The level of DEHA in packaged foods, such as vegetable, fruit, bread and rice cake, meat and poultry, fish and side dish, were determined up to $8.2\;{\mu}g/cm^2,\;17.4\;{\mu}g/cm^2,\;31.0{\mu}g/cm^2,\;8.3\;{\mu}g/cm^2,\;2.1\;{\mu}g/cm^2$ and $92.3\;{\mu}g/cm^2$, respectively. The results suggested that migration levels of DEHA in foods were closely related to the fat content, wrapping condition of food and stroage time and temperature.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.277-283
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• 2005

A plasticizer is a substance which is added to a material to improve its processability, flexibility and stratchability. Phthalates and adipates are the most frequently used plasticizers of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). However, they can migtate into food from PVC food packaging, and some of them are especially suspected as endocrine disruptors. In this study, Simultaneous analysis of 13 phthalates and 9 adipates were carried out by dual-column gas chromatography system equipped wi two FID detectors for rapid confirmation and quantification. The Proposed method was validated with > 0.993 of linearity in the ranges of 10-500 mg/l, < $3.5\%$ RSD of reproducability in 10 inter-days sample preparations, and > $98.1\%$ of recoveries for all the plasticizers. DEHA was detected in all the 3 PVC wraps at levels of 176.9-198.5mg/g. Among the 51 samples of PVC gaskets, the targeted plasticizers were detected in 41 samples. Of these plasticizer detected samples,40 contained DIDP at the levels of 157.3-374.7 mg/g and one contained DMP at the levels of 165.6 mg/g. Also, some plasticizers were detected in other packaging materials such as PET, PP, PE, Pulp. But it might be attributed to contamination in manufacturing.