Phthalates and Children’s Health

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Sources of Exposure

Phthalates are produced in high volumes and enter the environment via phthalate-containing products and during industrial production, use, and disposal.5 Phthalates impart flexibility, pliability, and elasticity to plastics and are therefore known as “plasticizers.”5 These chemicals are used in the production of a number of commonly used products (see Table 1 for a summary of phthalates and potential sources of exposure) and are therefore ubiquitous in our environment. Phthalates are not

Potential Health Effects

Fetuses, infants, and young children are extremely susceptible to substances that may affect growth and development. Both dose and timing of environmental exposures are critical factors in determining potential toxicity. Phthalates are known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals and may adversely affect a variety of endocrine axes in the body. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines endocrine disrupting chemicals as, “Exogenous agents that interfere with the synthesis, secretion,

Public Health Initiatives and Regulations

Both the EPA and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have created limited regulatory standards for phthalates. EPA limits the amount of DEHP that may be present in drinking water to 6 parts of DEHP per billion parts of water, but public water supplies are not regularly monitored for DEHP. Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards for phthalates in the workplace include a maximum average of 5 mg DEHP per cubic meter of air in the workplace during an 8-hour shift, and

How to Counsel Patients/Families

Public concern regarding phthalates in plastics, foods, and personal care products is rising. As future studies are released, patients and families will become more aware of these chemicals in our environment and how they may be affecting their children’s development. A well-informed answer to questions regarding these chemicals would include information about sources of exposure in their surrounding environment (Table 2), potential health effects (Table 4), and ways to minimize exposures.

Conclusions

Phthalates are ubiquitous in our environment, and some have been shown to have significant reproductive and developmental toxicity in animals. The effect of phthalates on children’s health is still not yet known, but current research suggests that phthalates may cause developmental and reproductive toxicity, and that the developing fetus is most susceptible to these effects. Future research needs to focus on clinical health outcome studies examining human fetal and early childhood phthalate

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