As we consider the potential affects of phthalates on our health, we need to look at where these chemical compounds are used.
Their presence is in a widespread range of products, from moisturizers to steering wheels. Phthalate uses include both as a plasticizer (making rigid plastics softer) and in liquids where they can be used as a solvent, a dye carrier or a lubricant.
These sources can be split into the main categories of:
Personal care products
Household items
Packaging
Toys and baby equipment
Cars
Industrial uses
Medical uses
Environmental exposure
Looking at these in greater detail:
Personal care products
Both adult and baby toiletries are included here. Phthalates can be found in a products from shampoo to bubble bath, from hair spray to baby lotion. It’s present in many products, under the label ‘fragrance’ in the ingredient list.
You’ll even find phthalates in insect repellent and sunscreen. Phthalates in cosmetics are often found, also mostly under the ingredient ‘fragrance’.
Household items
Phthalates are found around the house. They are often used in furnishings such as blinds, carpets and vinyl flooring, plus household products such as shower curtains, raincoats, toothbrushes and the plastic coating on wires and cables.
Many home cleaning products, laundry detergents and air freshener sprays also contain high levels of phthalates.
Packaging
Packaging of household items such as toys, paint, clay etc may contain phthalates. Some food packaging still contains phthalates, recyclables labelled 3, 6 or 7. Phthalates can also leach from plastic wrap and when plastic is microwaved.
Toys and baby equipment
Many toys have phthalates present, particularly anything older produced before current legislation. The same goes for a wide range of baby equipment, although since 1999 manufactures have not used phthalates in soft rattles, pacifiers, and teethers at the request of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, U.S.
Cars
Love that ‘new car’ smell? That’s phthalates leaching out of the plastics into the air. Phthalates can be found in your car’s steering wheel, gearshift and dashboard.
Industrial uses
Even purchasing products packaged in glass won’t cut out your exposure to phthalates. Often the product has been manufactured using plastic equipment which contains phthalates. For example milk may have passed through plastic tubes on its way to the final container and picks up phthalates that way. [Ref 1&2]
Medical uses
Medical devices such as IV bags and tubes are softened with phthalates, along with catheters and blood transfusion devices.
Environmental exposure
In addition to a presence in milk, phthalates are also being found in some water, meats and cheeses. Pesticides used on conventional fruit and vegetables are also a source of phthalate ingestion. [Ref 3.]
Avoiding phthalates
A full breakdown on how to avoid exposure to phthalates and source phthalate free products in our article avoiding phthalates.
References
- Robin Whyatt, professor of environmental health sciences at the Columbia University Medical Center and the lead author on several landmark phthalate studies.
- https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/10/phthalates-plastics-chemicals-research-analysis
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maia-james/phthalates-health_b_2464248.html
