5 Reasons Phthalates Should Be Banned Immediately

5 Reasons Phthalates Should Be Banned Immediately

Not that long ago, I talked about 12 ways toxins are sneaking into your life http://dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=31911, and while all toxins are bad news, there’s one group that should be banned immediately. I’m talking about phthalates; these are a class of chemicals used to make plastic flexible. 



For that reason, they’re also commonly referred to as plasticizers. Because they affect reproductive system development http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=32639, the US government made the smart decision to keep them out of children’s products, banning six of them. This seems like a good thing, right? Well, it’s a start. The problem is there are a lot more than six types, and there’s nothing stopping manufacturers from using unbanned ones. That ban also only deals with kids’ products, so where does that leave the rest of us? Well, if you’re still wondering why phthalates are so bad, here are five reasons they should be banned this instant.

1. Phthalates Have Infiltrated Children’s Food

I mentioned my “12 Toxins” post earlier, and this topic came up there, but I want to talk a little more about it. There’s a fairly mysterious thing happening right now: phthalates are getting into some infant diets and at very high levels. Now logically, you’d think if phthalates are taken out of kids’ products—and, for the most part, they are, since the ban covers the six most commonly used ones—there’d be no room for exposure. But, that’s not the case. The contamination is believed to happen somewhere in food processing, or—since phthalates bind to fat molecules—the chemicals might even be in the animal feed and move on from there. Basically, the food is exposed to phthalates before it gets to the table.


2. Phthalates Make Plastic Medical Devices Unsafe

While phthalates might be well regulated in toys, that’s not the case when it comes to medical supplies. These plasticizers are still used heavily in plastic medical devices — the same devices used to keep preemies alive! Most hospitals and clinics don’t regulate how these chemicals are used, so the most vulnerable of infants could be struggling to breathe on a ventilator with plastic tubing. That breathing tube likely contains phthalates that can make their way into the infant’s system. A recent study even found that, over time, preemies are exposed to toxic levels that can affect not only reproductive development but also liver function http://dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=32521. [1]

3. Phthalates are Destroying Our Ecosystems

Here’s another problem — phthalates are contaminating our waterways. Plastic litters our oceans and traditional water bottles are a large culprit. Given that, it makes sense that phthalates will make it into the water supply as those items decompose. Two things can happen: marine life can eat the plastic directly, or just be exposed to phthalates in the water. While it’s still unknown what this toxic marine life means for us, if phthalates are getting into infant diets somehow, could this be a culprit?

4. Phthalates Destroy Hormone Balance

It’s thought that phthalates can disrupt levels of hormones like estrogen and testosterone http://bit.ly/testosterone-support. I already mentioned that phthalates can affect reproductive health, but there is also a risk for cancer. Don’t think you’re unaffected, either, do you wear makeup or use a moisturizer? Phthalates are often used to help dissolve ingredients. Do you use hairspray? Manufacturers use plasticizers to keep your hair from becoming too stiff. Studies have even found that your exposure to toxic phthalates is higher based on what personal care products you use. [2] [3]

5. Phthalates are Linked to Asthma

Even more worrying is the possible link to childhood asthma. From 1998 to 2006, scientists studied the phthalate levels in over 300 pregnant women. Research found that the children of the women with higher phthalate levels were 72 to 78 percent more likely to have a diagnosis of asthma http://www.dreddyclinic.com/findinformation/aa/asthma.phpthan those of the women with low levels; that number is over three times the national average! [4]

So, are you convinced that phthalates should be banned immediately? Maybe there’s something you know about phthalates that’s not listed here. By all means, leave a comment below and tell us what you think of these nasty toxins.

-Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM

References:

1. Mallow, E.B. & Fox, M.A. Phthalates and critically ill neonates: device-related exposures and non-endocrine toxic risks https://noharm-global.org/sites/default/files/documents-files/2991/Phthalates%20and%20Neonates%20-%20Mallow%20%20Fox%20-%20%20J%20%20Perinatology%20Dec%20%202014.pdf. Journal of Perinatology 34, 892-897.

2. Braun, J., Just, A, Williams, P, Smith, K., Calafat, A. & Hauser R. Personal care product use and urinary phthalate metabolite and paraben concentrations during pregnancy among women from a fertility clinic http://www.nature.com/articles/jes201369.epdf?referrer_access_token=IwX44LYZVSbpVczYXOvhgdRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0P9jQ-p7mDj7PSM-5DhiEIx6PPO1DDmApE88KGEmXsaMhnO2VoQJi3cKeVBjG-Ie6J8Go7fmDConNw4f5Fdqdu1. Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology 24, 459-466.

3. Dodson, R. E., Nishioka, M., Standley, L. J., Perovich, L. J., Brody, J. G., & Rudel, R. A. Endocrine Disruptors and Asthma-Associated Chemicals in Consumer Productshttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3404651/. Environmental Health Perspectives, 120(7), 935–943.

4. Whyatt, R. et al. Asthma in Inner-City Children at 5–11 Years of Age and Prenatal Exposure to Phthalates: The Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health Cohorthttp://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/wp-content/uploads/122/10/ehp.1307670.alt.pdf. Environmental Health Perspectives, DOI:10.1289/ehp.1307670.

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Study: Chemicals Found in Common Plastics may be “Feminizing

Study: Chemicals Found in Common Plastics may be “Feminizing

Lead researchers from a University of Rochester study presented a disturbing study that found that chemicals in many common household plastics may be altering male hormones in the brains of baby boys [1]. This represents more evidence directly linking chemicals in plastics to harmful effects in humans.



Published recently in the International Journal of Andrology, the report is a clear indication of the dangers of a plastic chemical additive, called phthalates. These additives are commonly added to vinyl flooring, PVC shower curtains and many other every-day products.

The Study

It is well-known that boys have different hormonal compositions than girls. These “male hormones” drive specific types of actions in young boys associated with “rough-and-tumble,” play-fighting behavior.

When these hormonal chemicals are altered, researchers have noted that boys begin to play more like little girls. This may be related to the fact that phthalates cause male hormones to behave more like the female hormone, estrogen, and therefore may reduce the male drive to “play rough.”

Dr. Shanna Swan is a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and environmental medicine, as well as director of the Center for Reproductive Epidemiology at the University of Rochester. She was also the lead scientist looking into phthalate composition in urine samples of pregnant mothers. This study took the incidence of phthalates in mothers, and compared them to behavioral play in their children.


Boy Playing With Screwdriver

It was found that the phthalates DEHP and DBP were affecting modalities of play in boys. Those boys who were exposed to high levels of these two phthalate forms in vitro, were less likely to play the types of games most commonly associated with “boy play.” This included playing with guns, cars and trains, as well as engaging in rougher, yet playful forms of fighting.

The study also found that larger servings of phthalates caused very serious abnormalities in animals, including undescended testicles, misplaced openings to the urethra on the penis, as well as other forms of “phthalate syndrome.”

Elizabeth Salter-Green, director of CHEM Trust, a chemical protection advocacy group, has stated that these concerns go beyond looking into children’s play, as certain phthalates may even cause boys to be born with genital abnormalities, reproductive problems and low sperm count. “We now know that phthalates, to which we are all constantly exposed, are extremely worrying from a health perspective,” she says. “This feminizing capacity of phthalates makes them true ‘gender benders’.”

The Health Risks of Phthalates

While it may be common scientific knowledge that phthalates can disrupt hormones, these chemicals are still appearing heavily in our daily lives. The E.U. and the U.S. have both banned these chemicals from children’s toys, despite heavy opposition from chemical industry groups, which financed a massive effort to stop the ban.

Despite this ban on phthalates in toys, we are constantly being exposed to phthalates in flooring, glues, cosmetics, paints, plastic furniture, packaging, shower curtains, dyes, textiles and even in baby bottles. Sadly, these chemicals are still deemed entirely safe by governmental regulations committees, despite overwhelming evidence from multiple studies on phthalates.

And young boys are not the only ones at risk. Studies show a clear link in the deterioration of adult male reproductive health and exposure to hormone-altering chemicals. There are also a plethora of studies on the association between plastic chemicals and breast cancer http://www.dreddyclinic.com/findinformation/cc/breastcancer.php. Wildlife is also undergoing a “feminization” due to chemical exposure. Gwynne Lyons, toxics adviser to the WWF, stated that “this research highlights the need for tougher controls of gender-bending chemicals.” Despite these concerns, chemical companies putting phthalates into every-day household products maintain that the their chemicals are safe and rigourously tested.

– Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM

References:

Shanna H. Swan, Ph.D. Pilot Study Relates Phthalate Exposure to Less-Masculin Play by Boys http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/story/index.cfm?id=2689. International Journal of Andrology. 2006 November 16.


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