Dietary Exposure to Haloacetic Acids in Total Diets and Prepared Dishes: A Comprehensive Assessment in Beijing, China

Abstract

Haloacetic acids (HAAs), carcinogenic disinfection byproducts, pose dietary risks. However, these risks have not been adequately investigated. This study quantified eight HAAs in total diet study (TDS) and prepared dish (PD) samples using solid-phase extraction combined with ultraperformance liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry. PDs exhibited 70% higher mean ∑HAAs (9.45 vs 6.64 μg/kg, p < 0.01) and were dominated by dichloroacetic acid and trichloroacetic acid (57.9 and 27.1%, respectively). Cereals, vegetables, meat, and aquatic products were the primary contamination sources. Estimated daily intake reached 340.1 ng/kg bw/day (PD) and 201.2 ng/kg bw/day (TDS), exceeding drinking water exposure, with children aged 2–7 facing the highest risk (up to 1009 ng/kg bw/day). Although health indexes (HI <0.18) indicated no immediate hazard, iodinated HAAs associated with other HAAs raised concerns owing to their undefined toxicity. Industrial PD processing (thermal treatment and seasoning) emerged as a key driver of HAA formation, necessitating standardized regulations, increased monitoring, and integration of PDs into food safety frameworks to mitigate risks in China’s trillion-yuan PD sector.