[ 29 October 2009 ]

Plasticiser industry comments on the Danish Environment Ministry chemical awareness campaign “65,000 grunde til bedre kemi”

The protection of the health of our children is of paramount importance to us all. Indeed, consumer protection may sometimes require the restriction of dangerous substances for certain uses. But the Danish Environment Ministry’s awareness campaign, launched on October 23 2009 to draw attention to possible risks to young children exposed to a range of different chemicals, needs to be kept in perspective.

The Environment Ministry mentions certain “phthalates”, as being among the many chemicals that might be of concern. However it is important to note some of the facts which are somewhat buried in the text of the Danish study before jumping to conclusions.

1. Not all “phthalates” are the same

There are several different types of phthalate plasticisers used to make PVC plastic soft and flexible. The Danish study and the Ministry’s communication recognises this fact and points out that there are differences between them, that their properties are different, and that they don’t all have the ability to produce adverse effects.

The “phthalates” BBP, DBP and DEHP are classed as hazardous by the European Union. They are already prohibited in all toys, childcare articles and cosmetics in Denmark and across Europe.

However, the most widely used phthalate plasticisers, such as DINP and DIDP, are neither hazardous nor are they endocrine disruptors[1]. They are perfectly safe to use in all of their current consumer applications.

In order to ensure that we properly protect everyone’s health, communication campaigns need to be based on sound scientific assessment. This is why the European Union scientific risk assessments of these substances are so important.

2. But what about any effects they may have when the exposure is combined with
other chemicals?

The so-called “Cocktail effect” may sound plausible but the concept only makes sense if the chemicals you are exposed to act in the same way and result in an increased effect. Suggesting that adding the levels of exposure of a non-hazardous substance (like DINP) to that of a hazardous one (like DEHP) could be likened to making a cocktail of orange juice and vodka. As only one of the ingredients is alcoholic, there is no additive effect. In fact, you end up diluting the alcohol – which is all the more reason for ensuring that safe substances like DINP and DIDP continue to be permitted.

Using the same analogy, combining the exposure of DINP and DIDP would be like combining orange juice and lemonade and testing them to see if they produced an alcoholic effect.

If you combine two alcoholic drinks, like gin and vodka, then you would indeed end up with an increased alcoholic effect. But if the amounts you are talking about in the first place are very low, then the cocktail is unlikely to harm you. The amount of DEHP, DBP and BBP used in PVC has decreased in recent years to such a significant degree that we believe the levels of exposure, even when combined, are now so small as to be of no harm, including to young children.

3. “Phthalates” are some of the most highly tested and well regulated chemicals in
the world

A number of assessments by governmental experts from the European Union and the United States have examined the risks from individual plasticisers over the last decade based on the best science available. Where risks have been identified from their use, such as from the hazardous phthalates in toys, regulators have already acted to protect children’s health.

The plasticiser industry is committed to continually improving the available knowledge about its products and their safety to ensure that consumers, customers and regulators can make an informed choice. The industry continues to spend significant amounts of money and resources on scientific research and is continually adding to the overall scientific data that is available.

Further information on the different phthalate plasticisers can be found at the following websites (in English):

To read this statement in Danish please refer to the Danish Phthalates Information Centre website

[1] For more information please refer to http://www.dinp-facts.com/endocrine

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