Phthalates are esters of phthalic acid (produced by the catalytic oxidation of naphthalene) used in the coatings of pharmaceutical pills and nutritional supplements, food products, personal care products, electronics, detergents, and textiles. These chemicals make plastics more flexible and harder to break and are also often called plasticizers. They can be also found in soft toys, flooring, medical equipment, cosmetics and air fresheners A few phthalates have been found to interfere with normal sexual development in male rats at doses significantly higher than those typically experienced by humans, but these adverse effects have not been seen in monkeys and may not be relevant to human exposure. Several recent epidemiology studies have suggested an association between adverse effects in males and levels of the metabolites (break-down products) of a few phthalates in the urine.
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a high production volume chemical used in the manufacture of a wide variety of consumer food packaging, some children’s products, and some polyvinyl chloride (PVC) medical devices. In 2006, the NTP found that DEHP may pose a risk to human development, especially critically ill male infants. Phthalates may play a causal role in disrupting masculine neurological development when exposed prenatally.
Although several of the specific Tier 1 tests under EPA’s Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program may not have been conducted on the five identified phthalates, a considerable amount of information already exists on these substances from traditional toxicity tests. These traditional tests assess potential health effects resulting from all mechanisms, including endocrine (hormone) pathways.
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a high production volume chemical used in the manufacture of a wide variety of consumer food packaging, some children’s products, and some polyvinyl chloride (PVC) medical devices. In 2006, the NTP found that DEHP may pose a risk to human development, especially critically ill male infants. Phthalates may play a causal role in disrupting masculine neurological development when exposed prenatally.
Although several of the specific Tier 1 tests under EPA’s Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program may not have been conducted on the five identified phthalates, a considerable amount of information already exists on these substances from traditional toxicity tests. These traditional tests assess potential health effects resulting from all mechanisms, including endocrine (hormone) pathways.
