Phthalates

Excerpt taken from the Canadian Cancer Society Website, visit their website for more information and the full article.
What are phthalates?

Phthalates (pronounced THA-lates) are a group of chemicals that can make products – usually plastics – softer and more flexible. They are sometimes called “plasticizers.”

Phthalates are used in a range of products, including:
▪ PVC (polyvinyl chloride) plastics (commonly found in shower curtains)
▪ Medical plastics, such as PVC IV bags and tubes
▪ Children’s toys and supplies
▪ Cosmetics, such as nail polish and perfumes


How you are exposed to phthalates?

In general, the average Canadian is exposed to fairly low levels of phthalates. You can be exposed to phthalates by using products containing phthalates. Phthalates aren’t chemically connected with the plastic that contains them, which means they could possibly leach out of the products.

People can be exposed to higher levels of phthalates during medical procedures because some medical tubing and other devices are made with PVC plastics. Children can be exposed to phthalates by sucking on toys made of plastics that contain phthalates.

Why there is concern?

The U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) says that DEHP “is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen”. This means that it is probably something that could cause cancer in humans.
There is evidence that certain phthalates act as endocrine disruptors. This means they may mimic or behave like hormones and can interfere with the normal hormonal activity in our bodies. This can lead to physical abnormalities, fertility problems and certain types of cancer.

Research on phthalates has found that exposure to relatively high levels of these substances is needed to cause abnormalities in laboratory animals. Most Canadians are not exposed to these levels. These substances also seem to have greater effects on young and developing animals.

What you can do?
Tips to reduce your exposure to phthalates

These are areas where the Canadian Cancer Society is most concerned about the use of phthalates.

Medical situations
If you are pregnant or have a young child, ask your family’s healthcare providers to use phthalate free (non-PVC) tubing and IV bags if possible, especially for procedures such as blood transfusions, dialysis and ECMO (extra-corporal membrane oxygenation). Please remember, the use of traditional PVC plastics may be life-saving if suitable alternatives are not available.

Children’s toys and supplies
Canadian guidelines suggest that DEHP and DINP shouldn’t be used in items that are likely to be placed in children’s mouths. Manufacturers aren’t legally bound by these guidelines. Ask manufacturers if their products contain phthalates. If the manufacturer can’t, or won’t, tell you if the product contains phthalates, use something else.

Use plastic baby bottles and children’s plastic toys with recycling code 5 on the bottom. Recycling code 5 means the product is polypropylene, which doesn’t contain phthalates. You can also consider using glass bottles.

Other possible sources of phthalates

Food
Low levels of phthalates may be in food because the plastics used to prepare and package the product contain them. As well, they may already be present in food because of the phthalates released into the environment from human activities. We are not exactly sure how phthalates are getting into foods and need more research in this area. You may choose to avoid certain plastics for food storage. You may choose glass or plastic containers made of:

high-density polyethylene (HDPE; recycling code 2)
low-density polyethylene (LDPE; recycling code 4)
polypropylene (PP; recycling code 5)
Use soft plastics, like plastic wrap, made of low-density polyethylene (LDPE).

Based on what we know now these three types of plastics are preferable (recycling codes 2, 4 and 5)

Cosmetics and personal care products
Since all cosmetic products (for example, make-up, hairspray, body lotion) in Canada should be labeled with their ingredients, check for phthalates in your cosmetics using their full name. For example, dibutyl phthalate and diethyl phthalate.

Home
Ask manufacturers about non-vinyl hard flooring alternatives, and consider other types of materials such as natural flooring and fabric shower curtains instead of plastic ones.

Currently there are no regulations for listing ingredients on cleaning products. As a result, we do not know if cleaning products contain phthalates.