Characterization of phthalates in sink and source materials: Measurement methods and the impact on exposure assessment

The fate and transport of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in residential environments is significantly influenced by emission and sorption processes, which can be characterized by three key parameters: the gas-phase SVOC concentration adjacent to the material surface (y₀); the diffusion coefficient (D_m); and the partition coefficient (K). Accurate determination of these three key parameters is critical for investigating SVOC mass transfer principles, and for assessing human health risks. Based on the mass transfer process of phthalates in a ventilated chamber, a novel method is developed to simultaneously measure D_m and K (key sorption parameters) in sink materials. The D_m and K of four target phthalates in a common T-shirt (sink material) are determined, and compared with those reported in literature. Results demonstrate that the measured parameters are in good agreement with those previously reported (relative deviation < 20 %), validating the effectiveness of proposed method. In addition, this method can be applied to determine y_0, a key parameter from source materials. Results indicate that y₀ determined with this method is consistent with that measured by literature method. Finally, dermal exposure analysis is performed, showing that dermal uptake of target phthalates is greatly affected by clothes.