Some recent publications have revealed the presence of phthalates in rather unexpected locations (1-4). Mayer (3) reported that di-n-butyl phthalate and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate had measurable effects on the Daphnia, an accepted subject for studying the aquatic food chain in the environment. The ubiquity of phthalates has been well documented. Their presence in stored blood samples and in some...

Phthalates are materials with a wide spectrum of industrial applications. High molecular weight phthalates are primarily used as plasticizers in the manufacture of flexible vinyl. Low molecular weight phthalates are used in personal-care products, as solvents for cellulose acetate, and in making lacquers, varnishes, and coatings [1]. A quarter of the plasticizers produced are made of di-(2-ethy...

Data concerning the effects of phthalate exposure on preterm delivery and fetal growth are limited in humans. In this paper, we assessed the relationship between 15 phthalate levels in cord blood and preterm delivery and fetal growth parameters in 207 Chinese women going into labor. Exposure to phthalates except DCHP was associated with gestational age reduction and preterm delivery (p<0.05). T...

Animals are exposed, in the natural environment, to a range of human activity related dissolved chemicals that are potentially impacting on their fitness. The animals responses to such stress determines its fitness, physiology and in case of chemical signals also its behaviour. If physical or chemical changes in the ecosystem make the detection of such a chemical impossible, then it can be reas...

Phthalates are ubiquitous pollutants that currently classified as endocrine disruptor chemicals causing serious health problems. As contaminants of food and beverages, they come into contact with the epithelium intestinal tract. In this work, a SPE-HPLC-PDA method for determination phthalates in water from plastic bottles was developed validated according to drug administration (FDA) guidelines...

Two articles in the March 2014 issue of EHP were of particular interest to exposure scien tists and phthalate researchers. The news article by Nicole (2014) emphasized the importance of the vaginal epithelium as an exposure route for chemicals in per­ sonal care products and the general lack of research on this exposure route. However, the article did not mention adult toys as a pos­ sible sour...

Phthalates and other endocrine-disruptive chemicals are manufactured in large quantities for use as plasticizers and other commercial applications, resulting in ubiquitous human exposure and thus, concern regarding their toxicity. Innate defense against small molecule exposures is controlled in large part by the constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) and the pregnane X receptor (PXR). The human...

Phthalate diesters have been shown to be developmental and reproductive toxicants in animal studies. A recent epidemiologic study showed certain phthalates to be significantly associated with reduced anogenital distance in human male infants, the first evidence of subtle developmental effects in human male infants exposed prenatally to phthalates. We used two previously published methods to est...

Experimental evidence has shown that certain phthalates can disrupt endocrine function and induce reproductive and developmental toxicity. However, few data are available on the extent of human exposure to phthalates during pregnancy. As part of the research being conducted by the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, we have measured levels of phthalates in 48-hr personal air sa...