Phthalate levels in celery grown in fields and greenhouses
What it found
Celery leaves held more phthalates than stems, and greenhouse-grown plants had higher levels than field-grown ones.
Risk assessments found human exposure from eating this celery was acceptable.
What they found
Studies in people
Estimated human risk
Risk assessments found that cancer and non-cancer risks from eating this celery were at an acceptable level for humans.
Other findings
Levels in stems and leaves
Total phthalate content ranged from 89.0 to 1130.3 μg kg-1 dry weight in stems. Leaves contained more, ranging from 155.0 to 2730.8 μg kg-1 dry weight.
Greenhouse versus open field
Celery grown in plastic greenhouses had higher phthalate levels than celery grown in open fields. The differences between locations were notable.
Effect of temperature
In greenhouses, celery grown at higher temperatures contained more phthalates. Plants grown at lower temperatures had less.
Different plant parts
Stems and leaves took up phthalates in different ways. This suggests the chemicals enter the plant through more than one pathway.
What the authors conclude
- They say future research should look at other ways people are exposed to phthalates beyond just eating celery.
- They advise paying special attention to lowering phthalate amounts in vegetables.
How it was done
The authors wanted to understand how plastic-related chemicals called phthalates spread through vegetable tissues. They also wanted to see how growing conditions affect these levels and what that means for people eating the vegetables.
They collected celery from open fields and plastic greenhouses across two provinces in China over four seasons. They tested the stems and leaves for 16 different phthalate compounds. They then estimated the health risks for people eating this celery.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This work measured chemical levels in plants rather than tracking actual health outcomes in people who ate them.
- The risk estimates rely on calculations, not on observing real illnesses.
- Greenhouse results from two Chinese provinces may not match growing conditions everywhere.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, China; Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China
The paper
- Title
- Tissue distribution of phthalates in celery under different cultivation patterns and associated dietary exposure
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Zhao F, Ma Z, Ping H, et al (2022). Tissue distribution of phthalates in celery under different cultivation patterns and associated dietary exposure. Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118391PubMed 34678394DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error