Posted by Nancy Sabatelli on Jul.08, 2009

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You want only the best for your family to keep them happy, safe and healthy. So, you might be surprised to learn that certain chemicals in plastic products we use everyday can pose major health risks, especially for babies and children. Get the inside scoop on phthalates, find out what research suggests about them and learn how you can minimize your family’s risks.

What Are Phthalates and Where Are They Found?

These chemicals are mixed into polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic to make it stronger and sturdier (1). Phthalates have been in use since the 1950s. Without phthalates, certain plastics would weaken, crack or break (2).

Phthalates are found almost everywhere. We choose many plastic products for their durability, (they won’t break like glass), and convenience. So, to find phthalates, you don’t have to look far. They’re in common items that you and your family use everyday (1, 2, 3, 4), such as:

• Plastic toys
• Baby bottles
• Pacifiers
• Plastic food containers and bottles
• Plastic or vinyl household products like shower curtains, wallpaper or vinyl flooring
• Health and beauty items like lotions, powders and shampoos
• plastic medical products like breathing tubes and IV bags.

Are Phthalates Listed on Product Ingredient Labels?

Not necessarily. A company isn’t required to include phthalates on the list of a product’s ingredients (2). Some of these chemicals are considered “fragrances,” so if a product contains “fragrance,” then it may contain phthalates. BabyCenter notes some popular phthalates that may be included in an ingredient list (2):

• DBP (dibutyl phthalate)
• DNOP (di-n-octyl phthalate)
• DiNP (diisononyl phthalate)
• DEP (diethyl phthalate)
• BBzP (benzyl butyl phthalate)
• DEHP (di 2-ethylhexl phthalate)
• DiDP (diisodecyl phthalate)
• DnHP (di-n-hexyl phthalate)
• DMP (dimethyl phthalate)
• DnOP (di-n-octylphthalate).

Your best bet is to look for baby products labeled “phthalate-free.” However, “Some products labeled phthalate-free were tested and shown to have phthalates in them, though at much lower concentrations than products not labeled phthalate-free,” according to BabyCenter (2).

Are Phthalates Absorbed by Our Bodies?

Yes. We absorb phthalates in many ways (1, 2, 3):

• Breathing them in through the air
• Touching phthalate-containing products and then putting fingers in our mouths
• Putting phthalate-containing products directly into the mouth, (as babies do)
• Eating or drinking food or beverages from phthalate-based plastic containers
• Having breathing tubes, IV tubes or catheters containing phthalates
• Applying lotions, powders or other health and beauty products containing phthalates, which penetrate skin
• Ingesting them via breast milk if a breast-feeding mother has come in contact with them

On the Web site, Green Living Online, Shelagh McNally describes a University of Washington study measuring phthalate levels in babies’ urine to determine the amount of phthalates we absorb (3). The study, published in the journal, Pediatrics, tested diaper urine of 163 babies from 2 to 28 months old. “All had at least one type of phthalate. More than 80 percent had seven or more types,” writes McNally (3). Interestingly, babies whose mothers used lotions or powders on them in the past day “had more four times the level of phthalates in their urine as those whose parents had not used any products on them” (3).

Do Phthalates Cause Harm?

Studies show mixed results, and more long-term studies are needed, especially on humans instead of animals (1, 2, 3). Animal studies suggest that phthalates affect multiple health factors, like (2, 3, 4):

• Baby birth weight and whether the baby is premature or full-term
• Male genital formation and sperm count.
• Hormone levels.
• Kidneys and liver
• Reproductive organs
• Blood
• Age of puberty
• Obesity
• Respiratory conditions like asthma.

But pediatrician Vincent Iannelli, M.D., tells the Web site, About, that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) isn’t overly worried about phthalates (1). The CPSC claims that the phthalate levels we absorb are far too low to cause harm (1, 2). And, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cites lack of evidence on phthalate toxicity to require a phthalate ban (2).

What’s Being Done about Phthalates?

These chemicals have already been banned in Europe (2, 3). Here in the U.S., various measures are also being taken to minimize potentially-dangerous phthalate effects:

• “In the United States and Canada, all phthalates have been removed from infant bottle nipples, teethers, and toys intended for mouthing,” Dr. Iannelli writes (1).
• Some manufacturers have voluntarily taken phthalates out of plastic baby products (2).
• The state of California has enacted a new law in 2009, prohibiting “the manufacture, sale, and distribution of products containing more than one-tenth of 1 percent of any of six phthalates in all toys and child care products made for children younger than 3 years old,” BabyCenter reports (2).
• Some hospitals are using phthalate-free plastics in tubing, IV bags and other medical equipment, especially in children and pregnant women (2).

You can also take steps to reduce phthalate exposure (2, 3):

• Skip baby lotions or creams unless they’re really needed for severe dry skin or rashes. Or, choose fragrance-free baby products, which may be less likely to have phthalates.
• Don’t use plastic storage containers for food or drinks. If you do, look for containers labeled “phthalate-free.” And never put these containers in the microwave, oven or dishwasher.
• Opt for plastics made from PETE or HDPE, not PVC. Choose plastic with numbers 1, 2, 4, 5 or 7 in the recycling symbol (the triangle made up of arrows)
• Avoid air fresheners and fragrances in the home.

Sources

1. Iannelli, Vincent. Chemicals in Your Child’s Environment. (May 7, 2008). Retrieved June 26, 2009 from http://pediatrics.about.com/od/hiddendangers/a/0108_env_chmcls.htm

2. Phthalates: What You Need to Know. (January 2008). BabyCenter. Retrieved June 25, 2009 from http://www.babycenter.com/0_phthalates-what-you-need-to-know_3647067.bc?articleId=3647067&showAll=true

3. McNally, Shelagh. Toxic Baby Care Products. (2009). Green Living Online. Retrieved June 26, 2009 from http://www.greenlivingonline.com/article/toxic-baby-care-products

4. Leavitt, Melanie. Green Child-Proofing for Toxic Tots. (2009). Green Living Online. Retrieved June 26, 2009 from http://www.greenlivingonline.com/article/green-child-proofing-toxic-tots

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Posted under Health & Fitness, Health Alerts.