Phthalates

Phthalates Latest News

A recent study found that a daily exposure to phthalates is linked to 3.5 lakh, or 13 percent, of deaths in the world due to heart disease in 2018 among people aged between 55 and 65 years of age.

About Phthalates

• Phthalates are a family of chemical compounds primarily used in plastic products (most commonly in the specific type of plastic named polyvinyl chloride, also known as PVC or vinyl). 
• Phthalates are the most commonly used plasticisers in the world and are categorised as high and low phthalates depending on the molecular weight. 
• Applications:
  • Phthalates may beblended as an additive into special plastics in order to increase the performance of the material. 
  • Phthalates are used to soften plastics, making them more flexible or more durable. 
  • Phthalates are sometimes used to decrease the melting temperature of plastics to aid the moulding process. 
  • Phthalates are used in hundreds of products, including vinyl flooring, adhesives, detergents, lubricating oils, automotive plastics, plastic clothes (raincoats), and personal-care products (soaps, shampoos, hairsprays, and nail polishes). 
  • Phthalates are used widely in polyvinyl chloride plastics, which are used to make products such as plastic packaging film and sheets, garden hoses, inflatable toys, blood storage containers, medical tubing, and some children’s toys.
  • There has also been a wide application in screen print, heat transfer inks, and plastisol inks.
• Since phthalates are not chemically bound to the polymer molecule, they can be released from products or dissolve when in contact with liquids or fats.
• As a result, phthalates may migrate out of a material, resulting in exposure to humans and the environment.
• Health Impacts:
  • Some phthalates are endocrine disruptors, a class of potent chemicals that interfere with our hormone systems. 
  • Some of the health harms associated with phthalates are changes to fertility, early puberty and risk of low birth weight, obesity, diabetes, impacts to the immune system, cardiovascular and respiratory problems, some cancers, and neurological and behavioral problems. 

Phthalates FAQs

Q1. What is meant by phthalates?

Ans. Phthalates are a family of chemical compounds primarily used in plastic products.

Q2. In which type of plastic are phthalates most commonly used?

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Ans. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

Q3. Why can phthalates migrate out of plastic materials?

Ans. They are not chemically bound to the polymer molecule.

Source: INDIATV