Ubiquitous occurrence of organophosphate esters in plastic-made and paper-made food contact materials and their implication for human exposure

Human exposure to organophosphate esters (OPEs) can occur through contaminated food contact materials (FCMs), which may pose significant health risks. This study investigated the presence and migration characteristics of 26 OPEs in 60 plastic and paper-based food contact materials sourced from markets and online retailers. Migration experiments were conducted using three food simulants: 4% acetic acid, 10% ethanol, and 95% ethanol. Thirteen OPEs were identified in the packaging samples, with triphenyl phosphate and tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate being the most frequently detected, averaging 95.8 ng/g and 73.3 ng/g, respectively. During migration simulations, 11 OPEs were found to migrate into the food simulants, with migration concentrations ranging from 9.22 to 150 ng/cm². The health impact was assessed using hazard index and maximum cumulative ratio methods. Triphenylphosphine oxide, triisobutyl phosphate, and butylphenyl diphenyl phosphate contributed the most to the overall hazard among the 11 compounds. However, the overall risk of OPE exposure to humans was determined to be low.