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Phthalate esters contamination in vegetable–soil system of facility greenhouses in Jingmen, central China and the assessment of health risk

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Abstract

Residual levels of six priority phthalate esters (PAEs) compounds in top soils and vegetables of 40 selected greenhouses in two typical facility vegetable greenhouse production areas of Jingmen (Hubei, central China) were determined. Total concentrations of six target PAEs (Σ6PAEs) in 72 vegetable and 40 soil samples ranged from 862 ± 209 to 4260 ± 385 µg kg−1 (dry weight, DW), and from 1122 ± 156 to 4134 ± 272 µg kg−1 (DW), respectively. Di-n-butyl phthalate and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) are the two most frequently and massively detected in all samples. The highest Σ6PAEs appeared in leaf samples of Tuanlin, vegetable fruits of Zhongxiang and soils of Tuanlin. No carcinogenic risk was posed based on the results of health risk assessment, but non-carcinogenic risk of DEHP to children less than 6 years old in Tuanlin (all 24 sampling sites) and Zhongxiang (4/16 sampling sites) and people older than 6 years old in Tuanlin (19/24 sampling sites) were achieved from hazard quotient values. The contamination risk problem of PAEs in Tuanlin deserves greatest concern in Jingmen. Combined with the results of our former study, the health risks of target pollutants were clarified and the lack of survey data on PAE concentrations in facility vegetable greenhouses of central China was filled in. Due to high residuals and significant non-carcinogenic risk values, DEHP should be nominated as priority PAEs in China. Our study suggested better regulation for PAEs control in intensively managed greenhouses and references for revision of Chinese environmental standards.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41877127 and 41401581), the Natural Science Fund of Hubei Province (2018CFC873 and 2017CFB608), Key Laboratory of Original Agro-Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control, Ministry of Agriculture/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Agro-environment and Safe-product (18nybcdhj-2), the Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SEPR2017-02), the Training Fund Program for Scientific Research of Hubei University of Arts and Science (2019 KYPY001) and the Local S&T Special Project of China (ECJF No.109-2016).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Hanjiang, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, 441053, Hubei, China

    Tingting Ma

  2. School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, 441053, Hubei, China

    Wei Zhou

  3. Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China

    Tingting Ma & Yongming Luo

  4. Shanghai Research Institute of Chemical Industry, Shanghai, 200062, China

    Like Chen

  5. School of Food Science and Technology and School of Chemical Engineering, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, 441053, Hubei, China

    Yuqi Li

  6. Jiangsu Rainfine Environmental Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Nanjing, 210000, China

    Peng Wu

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Ma, T., Zhou, W., Chen, L. et al. Phthalate esters contamination in vegetable–soil system of facility greenhouses in Jingmen, central China and the assessment of health risk. Environ Geochem Health 42, 2703–2721 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-019-00504-2

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