Plastic – not fantastic

Phthalates are compounds that are used extensively in plastic and personal care products. Evidence has continued to mount suggesting that phthalates are a danger to our health, yet still the industry resists a curb on their production.

Around one billion pounds in weight of phthalates are manufactured each year- Kathryn Borg

Health worries continue despite a damage limitation exercise by the plastics industry. Studies suggest that phthalates cause liver problems in babies and may even be responsible for the steep rise in premature births.

Around one billion pounds in weight of phthalates are manufactured each year. They find their way into PVC and other plastics to make them more pliable, as well as into toiletries, hair sprays, perfumes, lubricants and wood finishers.

We absorb phthalates through the skin, by breathing them in and by ingesting them; they are global pollutants, detectable across the surface of the earth and also form a significant part of the air we breathe in our own homes.

This is a multi-billion dollar industry and is protected by a number of groups, including the American Council on Science and Health – this group was created especially to safeguard production levels.

These bodies claim that none of the studies have really established a direct cause-and-effect relationship between the compounds and health hazards. One industry lobby group, the European Council of Plasticisers and Intermediates, claims through the Phthalates Information Centre Europe, that phthalates have been “used for nearly 50 years without a single known case of it having caused any ill health and the environmental effects of phthalates are known to be minimal”.

In 2005 the European Commission agreed with evidence and banned the use of phthalates in toys for under threes, as infants are far more likely to put these toys in their mouths. The EU described phthalates as “toxic substances” and may also be “potentially dangerous to health”.

Babies can be exposed to phthalates in many ways. Various studies show that the chemical could be blamed for the rise in premature births by 30 per cent which has taken place over the past 30 years.

A study of 60 pregnant women found that the 30 who delivered within 37 weeks had up to three times the amount of phthalates in their body compared with those who carried to full term.

Another study found nine different phthalates in babies’ urine as a result of exposure to infant care lotions, powders and shampoos. A study found that the levels of phthalates were at their highest in the urine of breastfeeding mothers and, yet, was hardly detectable in the mothers’ blood, saliva or milk – suggesting that urine concentrations do not accurately reflect phthalate exposure. In this study nail polish was the main source of phthalates.

Babies aren’t even safe from phthalates’ exposure in the womb. One study of 88 babies with low birth weight found that more than 70 per cent of the mothers had high levels of the compound in their blood. Researchers believed there was a direct causal connection between one phthalate and low birth weight.

Other health concerns include the fact that the male reproductive organs can be affected, although they don’t always surface until adulthood. One study discovered a direct link between the compound levels in the mother and later genital developmental problems in her male children.

The compound can also affect sperm production. A study of 168 health adults found that those with the highest levels of phthalates in their urine also had the most DNA damage to their sperm.

Phthalate levels could also be responsible for asthma, eczema and rhinitis in children. A study in Sweden found a correlation between a phthalate (which was found in PVC flooring) and rhinitis and eczema.

Phthalate levels also pose a threat to healthy thyroid function say researchers from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. In addition, researchers in Switzerland found a connection with obesity by interfering with lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, part of the process that leads to obesity.

In conclusion the lobby groups have clouded the debate by claiming the critics have ‘cherry picked’ the evidence to show these compounds in a bad light. However, many of these critics are, in fact, independent researchers from leading research and academic institutes.

Nevertheless, as is seen with many other environmental pollutants, the economic model appears to be driving the health issues. As a result, it is in the interests of industry and the state to turn a blind eye to what is clearly a serious health hazard to everyone who comes in contact with products which contain phthalates.

It is difficult to pinpoint exactly which products do contain phthalates; in fact, some pharmaceuticals sometimes use the compound on the coating of the tablet, which is designed to dissolve in the stomach.

Therefore it is difficult to offer advice in terms of how to clearly avoid it. Plastics and personal care products are the two items we use daily, which can be checked. However, just being aware of the situation is vital.

kathryn@maltanet.net