Silent Spring

Endocrine Disruptors: Phthalates

Realizing that some chemicals present within certain commonly used plastics acted as weak oestrogen mimics, a group of scientists decided to investigate the situation further. After some in depth research into possible candidates, the team finally settled on one family of chemicals; the phthalates.

The Ubiquity of Phthalates

Two members of the phthalate family were found to be particularly estrogenic, these were butylbenzyl phthalate (BBP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP).

But the problem is that phthalates like bisphenol A are everywhere. They constituted one of the largest groups of industrial chemicals and are widely used in all plastics. Why phthalates are popular in industry is because they are the chemicals that gave plastics their flexibility. They are used in nearly all forms of everyday plastic materials. BBP are often used in the production of vinyl floor tiles and adhesives whereas DBP are often used as a plasticizer in food packaging materials like polyvinyl chloride. But most worryingly phthalates are added to certain kinds of cosmetics to give them a smoother feel.

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