Identification of Phthalates from Artificial Products in Chinese Kindergarten Classrooms and the Implications for Preschool Children’s Exposure Assessments

Jiahui Wang, Zefei Xu, Jingyu Yao, Maochao Hu, Yuewen Sun, Cong Dong and Zhongming Bu
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Jiahui Wang: School of Urban Construction, Hangzhou Polytechnic, Hangzhou 311402, China
Zefei Xu: Department of Energy and Environmental System Engineering, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
Jingyu Yao: Department of Energy and Environmental System Engineering, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
Maochao Hu: Department of Energy and Environmental System Engineering, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
Yuewen Sun: Department of Energy and Environmental System Engineering, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
Cong Dong: Department of Energy and Environmental System Engineering, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
Zhongming Bu: Department of Energy and Environmental System Engineering, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 13, 1-12

Abstract: Phthalates are typical chemical pollutants in kindergarten classrooms since numerous artificial products (e.g., polyvinyl chloride (PVC) floorings, soft polymers and plastic toys) that might contain phthalates are widely distributed in kindergarten classrooms. Although Chinese preschool children spend a considerable amount of their waking hours (>8 h/day) in kindergartens, phthalate exposure in such indoor environment has not been given much attention. In this study, the mass fractions of six phthalates in twenty-six artificial products (fifteen flat decoration materials and eleven plastic toys) commonly found in Chinese kindergarten classrooms were measured. Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) was the most predominant compound in all materials. The emission characteristics of the DEHP from these materials were further investigated. The measured emission characteristics were used for predicting multi-phase DEHP concentrations in kindergarten classrooms by applying a mass transfer model. The modeled concentrations were comparable with those measured in the real environment, indicating that these products might be the major sources of DEHP in Chinese kindergarten classrooms. Preschool children’s exposure to DEHP was found to be 0.42 μg/kg/day in kindergartens under baseline conditions, accounting for 18% of the total exposure to DEHP in Chinese indoor environments.

Keywords: phthalates; di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate; emission source; Chinese kindergarten; children; exposure assessment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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