Phthalate Esters in the Environment: An Overview on the Occurrence, Toxicity, Detection, and Treatment Options

Phthalate esters (PAEs) are industrial chemicals widely used in large quantities as additives, mainly in the plastic industry. They are colorless sticky liquids that are highly toxic and one of the most frequently detected persistent organic pollutants in the environment. They can leach out from plastic materials and cause severe health issues in living organisms. Their high occurrence in different environmental matrices results in widespread human exposure causing notorious endocrine-disrupting effects, subsequently producing adverse effects on reproduction, growth, and development in human beings as well as the marine ecosystem. Therefore, a better understanding of their occurrence and measurement is required for developing suitable treatment technologies. Recent research studies suggest that advanced treatment methods are sustainable approaches for removing these persistent compounds from the environmental system. This chapter provides an overview of the properties and different types of PAEs, their toxicity, exposure, detection, and measurement techniques in various environmental matrices. Further, the chapter also reviews the various treatment technologies for the removal of PAEs from the environment.