Phthalates in plastic stationery in China and their exposure risks to school-aged children.

Phthalates have been strictly banned in children's products in many countries. However, as a product with a high frequency of daily contact with children, stationery is not strictly regulated for phthalates in many countries and the occurrences and risks of phthalates in stationery are rarely reported. In this study, the contents of sixteen types of common phthalates in stationery were determined and the exposure risk of these phthalates to children was also estimated. The total contents of phthalates in all stationery ranged from 5.56 to 3.46 × 105 µg/g, with a median value of 1.48 × 104 µg/g. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) desk mats (DMs) contained the highest contents of phthalates among all types of stationery. Percutaneous absorption and hand-to-mouth ingestion levels of phthalates for school-age children from the DMs were 2.03 × 10-5 - 10.14 µg/kg-Bw/day and 2.14 × 10-5 - 10.67 µg/kg-Bw/day, respectively. Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) had the highest proportion, detection rate, and exposure level among all measured phthalates. Our study revealed that phthalates in PVC stationery, especially classroom DMs, at both contents and exposure risks, were higher than those in many other children's plastic products. It was necessary to strengthen the management of plastic stationery from the perspective of materials and phthalates addition.

Non-targeted analysis of unknown volatile components in scented stationery via headspace GC-Orbitrap MS.

This paper reports the non-targeted analysis of unknown volatile components in scented stationery based on headspace gas chromatography-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry. The volatiles released from the samples (22 scented erasers and 17 scented pens) under specific headspace conditions were analyzed. A qualitative analysis of unknown substances was carried out according to four identification steps (step 1: comprehensive score and retention index, step 2: identification of molecular ion peaks by chemical ionization, step 3: fragment ion detail comparison for distinguishing isomers, step 4: verification by chemical standards). A total of 101 volatile substances were identified in the scented erasers, and 86 volatile substances were identified in the scented pens. The identified substances were divided into eight categories. Aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, esters, and alcohols were the top four groups of substances identified in scented erasers and pens. The identified substances were further filtered and screened according to their detection rate, toxicity, and response intensity. Finally, 14 high-risk volatile chemicals in scented stationery were listed. This study can be used as a reference for identifying unknown substances and as a guide for monitoring volatile chemicals in products and assessing their possible risks to consumers.