Investigation of interaction mechanism between polyvinyl chloride microplastics and phthalate acid esters using APGC-MS/MS

Phthalate acid esters (PAEs) are a kind of typical endocrine disruptors chemicals (EDCs). PAEs can be enriched, migrated and released into organisms through microplastics (MPs), causing high toxicological risks. This study presented an atmospheric pressure gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (APGC-MS/MS) method for 10 PAEs trace analysis. Based on this method, the interaction mechanism between polyvinyl chloride microplastics (PVC MPs) and PAEs was explored. The established APGC-MS/MS method achieved 10 PAEs analysis in 14 min with the satisfied detection limit as low as 0.0025 μg/L and excellent linearity (R² = 0.99868–0.99996). The interaction mechanism investigation showed that PVC MPs had high adsorption and desorption capacities for PAEs. The adsorption mechanism involves adsorption distribution, surface adsorption, hydrophobic interaction and intermolecular van der Waals force. Temperature, diffusion channels, pore filling, hydrophobicity and solubilization may be potential desorption mechanisms. Moreover, the intestinal environment of warm-blood organisms has the highest bioavailability of PAEs. Overall, this APGC-MS/MS method of PAEs had the virtue of simplicity, efficiency, reliability and sensitivity, and could serve as a potential tool for risk analysis of MPs and PAEs exposure.