What are the effects of phthalates?
Phthalate exposure is associated with adverse developmental effects in terms of increased prenatal mortality, reduced growth and birth weight, skeletal, visceral, and external malformations in rodents [6].
How does phthalate exposure occur?
How People Are Exposed to Phthalates. People are exposed to phthalates by eating and drinking foods that have contacted products containing phthalates. Some exposure can occur from breathing phthalate particles in the air. Children crawl around and touch many things, then put their hands in their mouths.
How does phthalates affect human health?
Phthalates, a family of industrial chemicals used to soften polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic and as solvents in cosmetics and other consumer products, can damage the liver, kidneys, lungs, and reproductive system.
How do phthalates affect the environment?
9 Since many consumer products contain phthalates, household air and dust also contain phthalates and these products also end up in landfills. Household wastewater can contaminate surface water with phthalates. BBP, DBP, and DEHP in the environment may break down over a period of days to weeks.
Do phthalates occur naturally?
What are phthalates? Phthalates are a family of man-made chemical compounds developed in the last century to be used in the manufacture of plastics, solvents, and personal care products. They are colorless, odorless, oily liquids that do not evaporate easily and do not chemically bind to the material they are added to.
Are phthalates naturally occurring?
Natural occurrence Various plants and microorganisms have been reported to naturally produce phthalate esters (endogenous phthalates).
Where are phthalates found in the environment?
Sources of phthalates in the environment Phthalates have been measured in residential indoor environments in both house dust and indoor air (Rudel et al., 2003). They have also been measured in foods, milk and drinking water.
What are the effects of endocrine disruptors?
These effects can include:
- developmental malformations,
- interference with reproduction,
- increased cancer risk; and.
- disturbances in the immune and nervous system function.
What are examples of endocrine disruptors?
Examples of endocrine disruptors include:
- Bisphenol A (BPA). Some food storage containers contain this chemical.
- Dioxins.
- Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).
- Phthalates.
- Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB).
- Triclosan.
How are phthalates produced?
Phthalates are the esters of 1,2-dibenzene dicarboxylic acid; their general structure is given in Figure 1. They are produced by the addition of an excess of branched or normal alcohols to phthalic anhydride in the presence of a catalyst.
Are phthalates endocrine disruptors?
Phthalates belong to the group of endocrine disruptors (EDs), which affect the hormonal balance of the organism. They can alter the development and function of the hormone-dependent structures of the reproductive system [67]. Humans and animals are exposed to mixtures of EDs at low doses in the environment.
What are the four types of endocrine disruptors?
Transportation
| Common EDCs | Used In |
|---|---|
| DDT, Chlorpyrifos, Atrazine, 2, 4-D, Glyphosate | Pesticides |
| Lead, Phthalates, Cadmium | Children’s Products |
| Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and Dioxins | Industrial Solvents or Lubricants and their Byproducts |
| Bisphenol A (BPA), Phthalates, Phenol | Plastics and Food Storage Materials |
What do endocrine disruptors do to the body?
They can bind to a receptor within a cell and thus prevent the correct hormone from binding. The normal signal then fails to occur and the body fails to respond properly. The disruptors can interfere or block the way natural hormones and receptors are made or controlled.
How do endocrine disruptors affect the human body?
When absorbed in the body, an endocrine disruptor can decrease or increase normal hormone levels (left), mimic the body’s natural hormones (middle), or alter the natural production of hormones (right).
What is phthalate syndrome?
In tests of lab rats, chemicals called phthalates, which are widely used in plastic and personal care products, cause several reproductive abnormalities that scientists have dubbed “testicular dysgenesis syndrome” or “phthalate syndrome.” Included are hypospadias, undescended testes, reduced sperm counts and testicular …