Phalates

Extracted Attributes

• Type

  Chemical compound, Phthalate ester, Plasticizer, Endocrine disruptor

• Other Uses

  Solvents, personal care products (nail polish, perfumes, deodorants, hair gels, shampoos, soaps, hair sprays, body lotions), coatings (lacquers, varnishes, paints), building materials (vinyl flooring, adhesives), medical devices, food packaging, cellulose-type plastics (cellulose acetate, nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate butyrate)

• Properties

  Colorless, odorless, oily liquids; do not evaporate easily; do not chemically bind to material; low water solubility; high oil solubility; clear syrupy liquid consistency

• Primary Use

  Increase flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity of plastics, especially polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

• Common Example

  Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)

• Origin of Name

  Derived from phthalic acid, which is derived from naphthalene

• Health Concerns

  Endocrine disruptor, increased risk of cancer, asthma, allergies, learning/attention/behavioral difficulties in children, type 2 diabetes, obesity, affect fertility and development, mimic/block female hormones, suppress male sexual development hormones, cross the placenta

• Exposure Pathways

  Ingestion via diet, leaching from plastic products, contamination of food

• Regulation Status

  Lower-molecular-weight phthalates increasingly replaced in US, Canada, EU; Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) regulated as a toxin and banned in many countries for consumer goods (cosmetics, children's toys, medical devices, food packaging); numerous other forms remain unregulated

• Industrial Production Method

  Reaction of phthalic anhydride with excess alcohol at high temperatures, often with tin or titanium alkoxides/carboxylates as catalysts

Phthalates

Phthalates (US: UK: ), or phthalate esters, are esters of phthalic acid. They are mainly used as plasticizers, i.e., substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity. They are used primarily to soften polyvinyl chloride (PVC). While phthalates are commonly used as plasticizers, not all plasticizers are phthalates. The two terms are specific, unique, and not used interchangeably. Lower-molecular-weight phthalates are typically replaced in many products in the United States, Canada, and European Union over health concerns. They are being replaced by higher molecular-weight phthalates as well as non-phthalic plasticizers. Phthalates are commonly ingested in small quantities via the diet. One of the most commonly known phthalates is bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). In many countries DEHP is regulated as a toxin, and is banned from use in broad categories of consumer goods, such as cosmetics, children's toys, medical devices, and food packaging. There are numerous forms of phthalates not regulated by governments.

Web Search Results

• What are phthalates? | Environmental Working Group

  Phthalates are a class of chemicals with endocrine-disrupting properties. These chemicals are associated with health harms including increased risk of cancer, asthma and allergies, and learning attention and behavioral difficulties in children. They are found in many consumer products, including paint, plastics, undisclosed fragrance and personal care products, such as nail polish. [...] Some phthalates areendocrine disruptors, a class of potent chemicals that interfere with our hormone systems. The endocrine system is a network of hormones, hormone-producing glands and hormone receptors. It’s critical to many of the core functions of the body, including growth and development, metabolism, reproduction, sleep, stress and immune response. [...] Phthalates are used as plasticizers for a wide range of consumer and industrial uses, including cosmetics, personal care products like menstrual pads and diapers, building materials like vinyl flooring and adhesives, food packaging, and they can even contaminate food itself. Despite the widespread use of these chemicals, there are still some ways to reduce your overall daily exposure to them. Choose the following products carefully or limit your use of them:

• [PDF] Phthalates: The Everywhere Chemical

  Phthalates (THAL-ates) The Everywhere Chemical 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. How am I exposed to phthalates? [...] Personal Care Products Phthalates are often added to personal care products, such as nail polish, perfumes, deodorants, hair gels, shampoos, soaps, hair sprays, and body lotions, to help lubricate other substances in the formula and to carry fragrances. Phthalates must be listed among the ingredients on product labels, unless they are added as a part of the “fragrance.” Under current law, they can then simply be labeled “fragrance,” even though they may make up 20% or more of the product. [...] Phthalates are weak endocrine disruptors and androgen blocking chemicals. This means that when absorbed into the body phthalates can either mimic or block female hormones, or in males, suppress the hormones involved in male sexual development. Phthalates cross the placenta. 4340 Redwood Highway, Suite C400 San Rafael, California 94903 415.507.1949 • www.zerobreastcancer.org P i c t u r e of rec ycli ng c odes P i c t u r e of rec ycli ng c odes How do I identify phthalates in products?

• What Are Phthalates and How Do They Affect Your Health?

  Phthalates are synthetic chemicals used to make plastics flexible and to make products smell good. They are a type of “endocrine disrupting chemicals,” which means that they affect hormones. They are found in many products in your home: toys; personal care products like shampoo and body lotion; air fresheners; food packaging, medical tubing; and saline and blood bags used in medical care. Phthalates in plastic can leach out of the plastic and cause health problems, especially for young [...] Phthalates are chemicals commonly found in plastic products and many products that smell good, and they can accumulate in your home or your body and harm your health. Although several types of phthalates have been banned in products meant for children under the age of 3, they can still be found in many products for older children and adults, as well as lotions and other cosmetic products, and food packaging. Although it is not possible to avoid phthalates completely, awareness can help reduce [...] ## What Are the Health Effects? Research has found that exposure to phthalates is associated with health problems for adults and children. For example, those who were exposed to more phthalates are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.1 Higher phthalate levels are also connected to obesity, perhaps because the chemicals affect the hormones that regulate fat tissue.2 Since phthalates can affect hormones, this in turn can affect fertility and development.

• Phthalates: Are They Safe? - WebMD

  Skip to main content A to Z Guides/ Feature Stories/ # What Are Phthalates? Medically Reviewed by Neha Pathak, MD on August 29, 2024 5 min read | You can’t see, smell, or taste them, but they’re in hundreds of consumer products you use every day. They’re also in the food you eat. Phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates) are chemicals that make plastic soft and flexible.

• Phthalates - Wikipedia

  Phthalate esters usually refers to dialkyl esters of phthalic acid (also called 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, not be confused with the structurallyisomericterephthalic or isophthalic acids); the name "phthalate" derives from phthalic acid, which itself is derived from the word "naphthalene". When added to plastics, phthalates allow the polyvinyl polymers to slide against one another. The phthalates have a clear syrupy liquid consistency and show low water solubility, high oil solubility, and [...] Phthalates see use as plasticisers in various other polymers, with applications centred around coatings such as lacquers, varnishes, and paints. The addition of phthalates imparts some flexibility to these materials, reducing their tendency to chip. Phthalates derived from alcohols with between 1–4 carbon atoms are used as plasticisers for cellulose-type plastics, such as cellulose acetate, nitrocellulose and cellulose acetate butyrate, with commonly encountered applications including nail [...] [edit] Phthalate esters are produced industrially by the reaction of phthalic anhydride with excess alcohol "Alcohol (chemistry)"). Often the phthalic anhydride is molten. The monoesterification occurs readily, but the second step is slow: C 6 H 4(CO)2 O + ROH → C 6 H 4(CO 2 R)(CO 2 H)C 6 H 4(CO 2 R)(CO 2 H) + ROH → C 6 H 4(CO 2 R)2 + H 2 O The conversion is conducted at high temperatures to drive off the water. Typical catalysts are based on tin or titanium alkoxides or carboxylates.(