Phthalates are ubiquitous industrial chemicals used in plastics and consumer products and have a wide range of chemical and toxicologic characteristics. Several phthalates are used as plasticizers in products such as children's toys and blood bags. Nonpolymeric uses of phthalates as fixatives, detergents, lubricating oils, and solvents lead to their inclusion in a variety of products, such as cosmetics and wood finishes.
We discuss levels of the urinary phthalate metabolites measured in a human reference population using a novel and highly selective technique and report results from two studies.
For the first study, samples were collected originally from 289 adults during 1988-1994 as part of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). This sampling of the NHANES population was not designed to be representative of the U.S. population but rather served as a reference range for a demographically described group.
In the second study, we measured phthalate metabolites in a larger population (N=>1000) during the first year of the continuing NHANES (1999). These findings appear in CDC's National Exposure Report for 1999. Accurate exposure data are crucial for assessing human health risks, especially among potentially susceptible populations such as women of childbearing age. These results also suggest that health-risk assessments for exposure to phthalates should include risks from other phthalates—diethyl, dibutyl, and benzyl butyl—in addition to those commonly scrutinized by scientists and regulatory decision makers.
See www.cdc.gov/nceh/dlsLearning Objectives: 1. List at least five common products containing phthalates. 2. Describe potential issues associated with exposure to phthalates among vulnerable populations.
Keywords: Environmental Exposures, Environmental Health Hazards
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.