Analysis of phthalate presence in agricultural soils in the Czech Republic

Abstract

Our study monitored two phthalic acid esters in agricultural soils in the Czech Republic: di2ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP). The concentration levels were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. The samples were extracted using an acetone-hexane (1:1) mixture. Phthalate content monitoring was performed in 12 administrative regions of the Czech Republic. Soil was sampled from the upper soil horizon along the polyline, with samples taken from the following cultures: arable land, permanent grassland, a hop field, and unfarmed land. The phthalic acid ester concentrations found ranged from 0.01 to 2.48 mg per kg of DM wt for dibutyl phthalate and from 0.05 to 1.43 mg per kg of DM wt for di2ethylhexyl phthalate. The total concentration of both phthalates ranged from 0.21 to 3.47 mg per kg of DM wt.