Hosseini Zeinab, Bonyadi Ziaeddin
Student Research Committee, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Sci Rep. 2025 Aug 23;15(1):31075. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-17257-x.
Phthalate esters (PAEs), a group of well-known endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), are extensively used in plastic manufacturing and are recognized for their contribution to environmental pollution and potential adverse health effects. Rivers in urban and recreational areas are increasingly threatened by plastic-derived pollutants, yet there is a lack of data on the occurrence, distribution, and risks of PAEs in such environments in Iran. The Torghabeh River, a popular recreational site near Mashhad, may be particularly vulnerable to phthalate pollution due to tourism, waste discharge, and urban runoff. Therefore, this study aimed to identify and quantify PAEs in the water and sediment of the Torghabeh River and to assess their associated human and ecological risks. Water and sediment samples were collected from various locations along the river. After extraction using solid-phase extraction (SPE) for water samples and ultrasonic extraction for sediment samples, PAEs were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that the mean concentration of Σ6PAEs in water was 11,030.8 ng/L, ranging from non-detectable (ND) to 17,477.07 ng/L. In surface sediments, the mean concentration of Σ7PAEs was 9,714.98 ng/g (range: ND-29,226.06 ng/g), while deeper sediments had a mean concentration of 7858.46 ng/g (range ND-15,084.94 ng/g). Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was the predominant compound detected in both water and sediment samples. PAE concentrations were generally higher in sediments than in water. The hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) values for human exposure were below established threshold levels; however, DEHP posed a higher dermal exposure risk for children. Ecological risk assessment revealed that Diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP) had a risk quotient (RQ) greater than 1 for fish in both water and sediment, while DEHP exceeded an RQ of 1 for all aquatic species in water. In conclusion, phthalate esters were present at notable concentrations in both water and sediment of the Torghabeh River, with higher accumulation observed in sediments. Although human health risks were generally low, certain compounds-particularly DEHP and DiBP-posed significant ecological risks and increased dermal exposure concerns for children.
邻苯二甲酸酯（PAEs）是一类著名的内分泌干扰化学物质（EDCs），广泛应用于塑料制造，因其对环境污染的影响和潜在的健康危害而受到关注。城市和休闲区域的河流正日益受到塑料衍生污染物的威胁，但伊朗此类环境中PAEs的存在、分布和风险数据匮乏。位于马什哈德附近的热门休闲景点托尔加贝赫河，由于旅游业、废物排放和城市径流，可能特别容易受到邻苯二甲酸酯污染。因此，本研究旨在识别和量化托尔加贝赫河水中和沉积物中的PAEs，并评估其相关的人类和生态风险。从河流沿线的不同地点采集了水样和沉积物样本。水样采用固相萃取（SPE）法提取，沉积物样本采用超声提取法提取后，使用气相色谱-质谱联用仪（GC-MS）对PAEs进行鉴定。结果表明，水中Σ6PAEs的平均浓度为11,030.8 ng/L，范围为未检出（ND）至17,477.07 ng/L。在表层沉积物中，Σ7PAEs的平均浓度为9,714.98 ng/g（范围：ND - 29,226.06 ng/g），而深层沉积物的平均浓度为7858.46 ng/g（范围ND - 15,084.94 ng/g）。邻苯二甲酸二（2-乙基己基）酯（DEHP）是在水样和沉积物样本中检测到的主要化合物。PAE在沉积物中的浓度通常高于水中。人类暴露的危害商（HQ）和危害指数（HI）值低于既定阈值水平；然而，DEHP对儿童构成较高的皮肤暴露风险。生态风险评估显示，邻苯二甲酸二异丁酯（DiBP）在水和沉积物中对鱼类的风险商（RQ）均大于1，而DEHP在水中对所有水生物种的RQ均超过1。总之，托尔加贝赫河的水和沉积物中均存在显著浓度的邻苯二甲酸酯，沉积物中的积累量更高。虽然人类健康风险总体较低，但某些化合物——尤其是DEHP和DiBP——构成了重大的生态风险，并增加了对儿童皮肤暴露的担忧。
