US EPA

63457 

Book/Book Chapter 

Phthalates 

Norpoth, K 

1983 

International Labour Office 

Geneva, Switzerland 

Encyclopedia of occupational health and safety, vol. 2 

1690-1693 

English 

Occupational safety and health hazards associated with phthalates are reviewed. The physical characteristics of dimethyl-p-phthalate (120616), diethyl-p-phthalate (52686) (DEP), dibutyl-phthalate (84742), diisobutyl-phthalate (84695), and diethylhexyl-phthalate (117817) are presented. Production and uses of these compounds are described. Their main use is in the plastics industry which consumes about 87 percent for producing soft polyvinyl-chloride. The kinetics of phthalate metabolism by various routes of administration are described. It is noted that metabolism and toxicity are apparently linked, in that phthalates with a short alcohol chain, which are split particularly fast to monoesters, have a higher toxicity, generally provoked by monoesters in animal experiments. It is noted that the acute toxicity of these phthalates is generally slight and subchronic and chronic feeding experiments have shown relatively low toxicity in rats, mice, and dogs. Animal studies of di-2-ethylhexylphthalate (117817) (DOP) are cited which show only slight absorption through intact skin. Inhalation experiments produced no fatalities in air saturated with DOP for 2 hours, but it is reported that when exposure time was extended, all rats died within the next 2 hours. Embryotoxicity and teratogenicity are reported for DOP and DEP. Ames testing and the dominant lethal mouse test suggest weak mutagenic activity of DOP and dimethoxyethyl-phthalate. A new feeding experiment is cited in which F344-rats and B63F1-mice fed 3,000 and 6,000 parts per million DOP for 103 weeks showed an increase of hepatocellular carcinomas. Occupational exposure studies show no health disorders or chromosome aberrations in workers exposed up to 35 years. The possibility of phthalate uptake from plastics in medical equipment is also discussed. The author concludes that further research is required on possible workplace health hazards and possible ecological risks caused by concentrations of phthalates in the biosphere. 

3rd 

Parmeggiani, L 

9789221032915