Pollution characteristics and health risk assessment of organophosphate esters in agricultural products from different regions of China

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) have been extensively utilized as flame retardants and plasticizers, raising significant concerns because of their persistence in the environment, mobility, and potential health risks. This study systematically analyzed the occurrence, spatial distribution, and health risks of 21 target OPEs in 232 agricultural product samples (including vegetables, fruits, grains, and animal products) collected from five regions in China: Shanghai, Liaoning, Qinghai, Sichuan, and Tibet. The results showed that the 11 OPEs concentrations ranged from ND (not detected) to 2381.79 mu g/kg dw, with an average value of 160.79 mu g/kg dw, reflecting the widespread presence of OPEs in these agricultural from the five regions. Significant regional differences were observed: Liaoning and Qinghai had the highest average concentrations, at 257.01 mu g/kg dw and 245.85 mu g/kg dw, respectively, while Sichuan and Tibet exhibited the lowest values, at 50.94 mu g/kg dw and 43.11 mu g/kg dw, respectively. Health risk assessments indicated that the HI OPEs values in all regions were below the threshold of 1. Furthermore, the 95th percentile HI OPEs value for grains in Liaoning approached 40 % of the threshold, with TDCIPP contributing 39 %, suggesting that the dietary exposure risks of OPEs remained a significant concern.