Phthalates in Soil–Plant Systems: Occurrence, Fate, Uptake, Metabolism, and Green Analytical Strategies for Analysis

Abstract Phthalates are persistent contaminants in the soil–plant ecosystem, raising concerns regarding human health and food safety. They have been detected in farmland soils, rivers, grains, vegetables, and fruits, with concentrations in grains from contaminated regions reaching up to 40 mg/kg, indicating substantial dietary exposure risks. Additionally, phthalates have been demonstrated to alter carbon flow in plants, thereby impacting grain quality. Their ubiquitous presence and adverse biological effects have garnered considerable interest in understanding their environmental fate and developing eco-friendly analytical methodologies for their analysis. This review summarizes the occurrence, transport, and fate of PAEs in the soil–plant ecosystem, highlighting recent advances in green analytical methods. It first covers the physicochemical properties of PAEs affecting their behavior, transfer, and metabolism in soil and plants. Finally, this review evaluates green analytical strategies, highlighting their matrix-dependent applicability and the need for further development and validation of sustainable analytical approaches for complex environmental and food matrices.