Environmental fate of dibutylphthalate in agricultural plastics: Photodegradation, migration and ecotoxicological impact on soil

BERENSTEIN, GISELLE; HUGHES, ENRIQUE A.; BASACK, SILVANA; BONESI, SERGIO M.; ZALTS, ANITA; MONTSERRAT, JAVIER M.

CHEMOSPHERE

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Año: 2022 vol. 290

0045-6535

Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) were determined in polyethylene covers used in horticultural production units located at Moreno and La Plata districts (Buenos Aires, Argentina), detecting 0.69?8.75 mg PAEs kg−1 plastic in greenhouse and tunnel films. The PAEs found were diisobutylphthalate (DIBP), dibutylphthalate (DBP) and diethylhexylphthalate (DEHP). DBP was chosen as a model molecule to carry out the photochemical degradation studies that led to the formation of monobutylphthalate (MBP) and phthalic acid (PA). DBP, MBP and PA migration from plastic covers was studied, finding that while DBP and MBP moved to soil and atmosphere in short times (