Phthalic acid esters (PAEs), widely used in food processing, pose significant risks to food safety and human health. A rapid and accurate method to simultaneously detect 18 PAEs in edible oil was developed and applied to evaluate daily exposures in Hubei. By using ultrasound-assisted extraction and GC-MS with deuterated isotopes, we improved extraction efficiency and detection accuracy. The method exhibited excellent linearity and low limits of quantification, with average recoveries ranging from 84.32 % to 115.80 % and relative standard deviations between 2.08 % and 12.82 %. Among 30 commercial edible oils analyzed, higher average levels of DBP, DEHP, and DINP were found at 0.207, 1.767, and 0.600 mg/kg, respectively. Dietary exposure assessment indicated that daily intakes were below health guideline values, but DEHP posed a relatively higher health risk. These findings provide a simple method and reference for assessing PAEs exposure and health risk in edible oil.
Keywords: Accurate quantification; Efficient extraction; Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; Response surface methodology; Risk assessment.
Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.