Occurrence and Distribution of Phthalate Esters and Their Major Metabolites in Porcine Tissues

Ten of the 22 phthalate esters (PAEs) and five of the eight monoalkyl phthalates (MPEs) were detected in six types of porcine tissues of 16 pigs. The total concentrations of detected PAEs were 60.5–439.4 ng/g wet weight (ww). Dibutyl phthalate, the predominant PAE, was detected in all six types of porcine tissues (7.3–187.9 ng/g ww). The total concentrations of MPEs were 9.9–94.0 ng/g ww. Monobutyl phthalate (MBP) was the predominant MPE, with the highest concentration in porcine liver (55.1 ng/g ww). Levels of PAEs and MPEs were highest in the muscle and liver, respectively, indicating that these two classes of compounds have different distribution patterns in pigs. The concentrations of MBP and monoethyl phthalate were positively correlated with their corresponding parent compounds in the porcine liver (p < 0.05), suggesting that the liver is the primary metabolic organ for most PAEs.