Health status of workers exposed to phthalate plasticizers in the manufacture of artificial leather and films based on PVC resins.

The industry under consideration uses chiefly the phthalate plasticizers: predominantly dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and higher alkyl phthalates (DAP-789); periodically dioctyl phthalate (DOP), diisooctyl phthalate (DIOP), and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP). Some formulations contain small amounts of one of the sebacates (dibutyl sebacate, DBS, or dioctyl sebacate, DOS) or adipates (dibutyl adipate, DBA, or dioctyl adipate, DOA). Tricresyl phosphate (TCP) was a component of the incombustible materials produced in 10-20% of machines assigned to various workers. The literature data on the toxicity of phthalates are sparse and contradictory (1-9). In order to clarify the question of the possibility that chronic occupational intoxication could arise under manufacturing conditions and to ascertain the role of phthalate plasticizers in this connection, we studied 147 persons (87 women and 60 men), the majority of them (75%) not more than 40 years old. The duration of occupational contact with the plasticizers was 1/2-5