(Press-News.org) Contact information: Laura Kurtzman
laura.kurtzman@ucsf.edu
415-502-6397
University of California - San Francisco
Exposures to some phthalates fall after federal ban
UCSF study finds widespread exposure to these endocrine disrupters
Americans are being exposed to significantly lower levels of some phthalates that were banned from children's articles in 2008, but exposures to other forms of these chemicals are rising steeply, according to a study led by researchers at UC San Francisco.
Phthalates, which are used to soften plastic, can be found in nail polish, fragrances, plastics and building materials, as well as the food supply. An accumulating body of scientific evidence suggests they can disrupt the endocrine system, which secretes hormones, and may have serious long-term health consequences.
Phthalate exposures to adult men have been linked to DNA damage in sperm and lower sperm quality, while exposures to pregnant women have been linked to alterations in the genital development of their male children, as well as cognitive and behavioral problems in boys and girls.
The paper, published Wednesday in Environmental Health Perspectives, is the first to examine how phthalate exposures have changed over time in a large, representative sample of the U.S. population. It delineates trends in a decade's worth of data—from 2001 to 2010—in exposure to eight phthalates among 11,000 people who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"We were excited to see that exposure to some of the phthalates that are of public health concern actually went down," said Ami Zota, ScD, MS, an assistant professor of environmental and occupational health at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, who did the research when she was a postdoctoral fellow at UCSF's Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment. "Unfortunately, our data also suggest that these are being replaced by other phthalates with potential adverse health effects."
Like previous studies, this one found that nearly all of the study participants had been exposed to at least some of the phthalates that were measured, including those that have been partially banned.
Six of the phthalates have been banned from use in children's articles, such as toys. Three were permanently banned, and three were subject to an interim ban, pending further study, from use in toys that can be placed in a child's mouth. The law took effect in January of 2009.
Exposures to the phthalates subject to the permanent ban—BBzP, DnBP and DEHP—all went down. DEHP exposures were consistently higher in children than adults, but the gap between the age groups narrowed over time. Data were not available for children younger than 6 years old.
Paradoxically, exposures went up in the phthalates that Congress banned pending further study—DnOP, DiDP and DiNP. They increased by 15 and 25 percent in the first two, but went up nearly 150 percent in DiNP, which industry is using to replace other phthalates like DEHP. DiNP was recently added to the list of chemicals known by the state of California to cause cancer under California's Proposition 65.
The federal ban is not the only force at work in determining phthalate exposures. Both consumers and industry have changed their behavior in response to advocacy by groups like the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. Since 2004, more than 1,000 companies have agreed to remove certain chemicals from personal care products and report more clearly what chemicals they are using.
Possibly as a consequence of these changes, the study found dramatic changes in exposures to the other two phthalates they measured (DEP and DiBP), neither of which has been subject to federal restrictions. Exposure to DEP fell 42 percent since 2001 and tripled for DiBP.
DEP was widely used in the consumer care products that were the main focus of the early activism. The researchers said industry may be using DiBP as a replacement, both in personal care products and in solvents, adhesives and medication.
But they said it is hard to know for sure how changes in industry preference and consumer behavior are affecting human exposures, given how little is known about the chemical composition of consumer products.
"Our study shows the power of monitoring exposures to chemicals so we can identify where we have made progress and where more information is needed," said Tracey Woodruff, PhD, MPH, who directs the Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment at UCSF. "It also indicates that actions by government and consumer groups can make a difference in exposures in all Americans."
###
Analysis for the study was conducted by CDC's Division of Laboratory Sciences in the National Center for Environmental Health.
The research was funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Passport Science Innovation Fund and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It includes top-ranked graduate schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy, a graduate division with nationally renowned programs in basic biomedical, translational and population sciences, as well as a preeminent biomedical research enterprise and two top-ranked hospitals, UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital.
Exposures to some phthalates fall after federal ban
UCSF study finds widespread exposure to these endocrine disrupters
2014-01-15
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Key species of algae shows effects of climate change over time
2014-01-15
Key species of algae shows effects of climate change over time
Historical comparison of competition among algae in waters around the Pacific Northwest provides more evidence for increased ocean acidification
A study of marine life in the temperate coastal ...
T-cell research sheds light on why HIV can persist despite treatment
2014-01-14
T-cell research sheds light on why HIV can persist despite treatment
Ryan Zurakowski, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Delaware, is co-author of a paper appearing in Nature Medicine on Jan. 12 highlighting the role ...
Debunking the sixth sense
2014-01-14
Debunking the sixth sense
The study, published today in the journal PLOS ONE, found that people could reliably sense when a change had occurred, even when they could not see exactly what had changed.
For example, a person might notice a general change ...
A brief visit to a neighborhood induces the social attitudes of that neighborhood
2014-01-14
A brief visit to a neighborhood induces the social attitudes of that neighborhood
Spending as little as 45 minutes in a high-crime, deprived neighbourhood can have measurable effects on people's trust in others and their feelings of paranoia. In a new study, students ...
Educated black men remembered as 'whiter'
2014-01-14
Educated black men remembered as 'whiter'
Los Angeles, CA (January 14, 2014) A new study out today in SAGE Open finds that instead of breaking stereotypes, intellectually successful Black individuals may be susceptible to being remembered as "Whiter" and ...
Social experience drives empathetic, pro-social behavior in rats
2014-01-14
Social experience drives empathetic, pro-social behavior in rats
Rats will help a stranger in distress only if they have had prior social experience with the type of the unfamiliar individual
...
Bald reef gets new growth with seaweed transplant
2014-01-14
Bald reef gets new growth with seaweed transplant
SYDNEY: Marine ecologists in Sydney have successfully restored a once thriving seaweed species, which vanished along a stretch of the city's coastline during the 1970s and 80s during high levels of ...
Mitochondrial genes matter!
2014-01-14
Mitochondrial genes matter!
Contrary to common belief, mitochondrial genes seem to matter for how well individuals survive and reproduce. These new results are reported by researchers at Uppsala University, Sweden, who studied the genes of a common beetle ...
Patients with multiple sclerosis in Taiwan may be at increased risk of developing cancer
2014-01-14
Patients with multiple sclerosis in Taiwan may be at increased risk of developing cancer
Individuals with multiple sclerosis may have an increased risk of developing any type of cancer, with an especially high risk of developing breast cancer. That is the conclusion of a ...
New research on sauropod gigantism summarized in publicly available collection
2014-01-14
New research on sauropod gigantism summarized in publicly available collection
Giants of Earth's history still pose a wealth of riddles / Publication in PLOS ONE
Sauropods, the largest land animals in Earth's history, are still ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Young females more likely to experience higher social anxiety due to excessive smartphone use than other genders
New research boosts future whooping cough vaccines
Mechanistic understanding could enable better fast-charging batteries
No bones about it: new details about skeletal cell aging revealed
UNM scientists discover how nanoparticles of toxic metal used in MRI scans infiltrate human tissue
UMaine research examines best methods for growing Atlantic sea scallops
Medical cannabis could speed recovery, especially at community recovery homes
Study assesses U.S. image amid weakening of democracy
Two scientific researchers to receive 2025 Ralph L. Sacco Scholarships for Brain Health
Researchers improve chemical reaction that underpins products from foods to fuels
Texas Tech to develop semiconductor power devices through $6 million grant
Novel genomic screening tool enables precision reverse-engineering of genetic programming in cells
Hot Schrödinger cat states created
How cells repair their power plants
Oxygen is running low in inland waters—and humans are to blame
ACP’s Best Practice Advice addresses use of cannabis, cannabinoids for chronic noncancer pain
Beyond photorespiration: A systematic approach to unlocking enhanced plant productivity
How a small number of mutations can fuel outbreaks of western equine encephalitis virus
Exposure to wildfire smoke linked with worsening mental health conditions
Research uncovers hidden spread of one of the most common hospital-associated infections
Many older adults send their doctors portal messages, but who pays?
Fine particulate matter from 2020 California wildfires and mental health–related emergency department visits
Gender inequity in institutional leadership roles in US academic medical centers
Pancreatic cells ‘remember’ epigenetic precancerous marks without genetic sequence mutations
Rare combination of ovarian tumors found in one patient
AI-driven clinical recommendations may aid physician decision making to improve quality of care
Artificial intelligence has potential to aid physician decisions during virtual urgent care
ACP and Annals of Internal Medicine present breaking scientific news at ACP’s Internal Medicine Meeting 2025
New study reveals polymers with flawed fillers boost heat transfer in plastics
Signs identified that precede sudden arrhythmic death syndrome in young people
[Press-News.org] Exposures to some phthalates fall after federal banUCSF study finds widespread exposure to these endocrine disrupters