Abstract
Fruit juices are popular beverages regularly consumed by both adults and children. Various brands of different fruit juices in Saudi markets are packaged in disposable plastic bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Some evidence suggests that phthalates may leach from PET bottles. Few studies have analyzed the presence or assessed the risk of phthalates in fruit juice. The concentrations of dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), diethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP), and di-n-octylphthalate (DOP) were measured in seven brands of commercially manufactured apple juice available in the Saudi market using solid-phase microextraction connected to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Nearly all targeted compounds were found in the brands of juice, with DOP being detected in all samples. Of 70 samples of apple juice, 11, 39, 2, 11 and 11 had levels of DEP, DBP, BBP, DEHP, and DOP, respectively, above their limit of quantification (LOQ). These phthalates may have either leached into the juice from the PET bottles or were contaminants during manufacturing. Benzyl benzoate (BB) was used as an internal standard, and was unexpectedly found in two brands of apple juice, which forced us to use external calibration method for quantifying the phthalates and to measure BB concentrations in these two brands. All samples were above the LOQ of 0.628 µg/L. BB exposure via the consumption of apple juice may represent a negligible risk, but the use of BB in cosmetics, personal-care products, and as a preservative in food demands studies to assess its potential impact on health. With the absence of regulations governing the safety of contaminants in these products, the presence of phthalates in apple juice or other dietary sources could pose a health risk to consumers.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
National Toxicology Program, Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction. (US Department of Health and Human Services, Alexandria http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/ohat/phthalates/dehp/DEHP__Report_final.pdf 2005)
W.J. Crinnion, Altern. Med. Rev. 15, 190–196 (2010)
U. Heudorf, V. Mersch-Sundermann, J. Angerer, Int. J. Hyg. Environ. Health 210, 623–634 (2007)
L. Sax, Environ. Health Perspect. 118, 445–448 (2012)
C. Bach, X. Dauchy, M.C. Chagnon, S. Etienne, Water Res. 46, 571–583 (2012)
EU, Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 of 14 January 2011 on plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food. Official Journal of the European Union. L12:1-89. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32011R0010:EN:NOT, 2011
S. Takeuchi, M. Iida, S. Kobayashi, K. Jin, T. Matsuda, H. Kojima, Toxicology 210, 223–233 (2005)
S.S. Andra, K.C. Makris, J. Environ. Sci. Health C Environ. Carcinog. Ecotoxicol. Rev. 30, 107–151 (2012)
R. Mankidy, S. Wiseman, H. Ma, J.P. Giesy, Toxicol. Lett. 217, 50–58 (2012)
S.A. Divall, Cur. Opin. Endocrinol. Diabetes Obes. 20, 50–55 (2013)
J.H. Petersen, L.K. Jensen, Food Addit. Contam. Part A Chem. Anal. Control Expo. Risk Assess 27, 1608–1616 (2010)
Canadian Department of Health. Canada Gazette. http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2009/2009-06-20/html/reg3-eng.html (2009)
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, Section 108. http://www.cpsc.gov/ABOUT/Cpsia/faq/108faq.html (2008)
D. Amiridou, D. Voutsa, J. Hazard. Mater. 185, 281–286 (2011)
T. Fierens, K. Servaes, M. Van Holderbeke, L. Geerts, S. De Henauw, I. Sioen, G. Vanermen, Food Chem. Toxicol. 50, 2575–2583 (2012)
F. Bono-Blay, A. Guart, B. de la Fuente, M. Pedemonte, M.C. Pastor, A. Borrell, S. Lacorte, Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. Int. 19, 3339–3349 (2012)
O. Kappenstein, B. Vieth, A. Luch, K. Pfaff, EXS 101, 87–106 (2012)
I. Al-Saleh, N. Shinwari, A. Alsabbaheen, J. Toxicol. Sci. 36, 469–478 (2011)
J.D. Carrillo, M.P. Martinez, M.T. Tena, J. Chromatogr. A 1181, 125–130 (2008)
W. Liu, Agilent Technol. (2008)
Z. Guo, D. Wei, M. Wang, S. Wang, J. Chromatogr. Sci. 48, 760–765 (2010)
U.S. EPA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA 816-F-09-0004, May 2009. http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/index.cfm#Organic (2009)
K.M. Shea, C.O.E. Health, Pediatrics 111, 1467–1474 (2003)
L.L. Bello, N. Al-Hammad, Int. J. Paediatr. Dent. 16, 168–173 (2006)
M.I. El Mouzan, A.S. Al Herbish, A.A. Al Salloum, P.J. Foster, A.A. Al Omar, M.M. Qurachi, T. Kecojevic, Gend Med. 7, 47–54 (2010)
M. Wormuth, M. Scheringer, M. Vollenweider, K. Hungerbühler, Risk Anal. 26, 803–824 (2006)
EPA, Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), http://www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0226.htm, US Environmental Protection Agency (1993)
EPA, Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), http://www.epa.gov/ncea/iris/subst/0038.htm, US Environmental Protection Agency (1990)
EPA, Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), http://www.epa.gov/ncea/iris/subst/0293.htm, US Environmental Protection Agency (1993)
EPA, Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), http://www.epa.gov/IRIS/subst/0014.htm, US Environmental Protection Agency (1993)
EPA. Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), http://www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0353.htm, US Environmental Protection Agency (1994)
T. Soeborg, H. Frederiksen, A.M. Andersson, Int. J. Androl. 35, 245–252 (2012)
V. Christen, P. Crettaz, A. Oberli-Schrammli, K. Fent, Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 259, 169–176 (2012)
IPCS, International Programme on Chemical Safety. Geneva, World Health Organization, International Programme on Chemical Safety (ICSC 0103). http://www.inchem.org/documents/cicads/cicads/cicad26.htm. (2000)
JECFA, Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. World Health Organization, Geneva, http://whqlibdoc.who.int/trs/WHO_TRS_909.pdf (2002)
FDA; Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodContaminantsAdulteration/ChemicalContaminants/Benzene/ucm055815.htm (2009)
JECFA, Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. International Programme on Chemical Safety. World Health Organization, Geneva. http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v35je01.htm (1996)
A.K. Charles, P.D. Darbre, J. App. Toxicol. 29, 422–434 (2009)
E.A. Koçkaya, A. Kılıç, Environ. Toxicol. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tox.20771/pdf (2011)
Acknowledgments
The investigators thank King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology for funding this study LGP-7-12.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Al-Saleh, I., Elkhatib, R. Analysis of phthalates residues in apple juices produced in Saudi Arabia. Food Measure 8, 373–380 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11694-014-9202-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11694-014-9202-7