EDC Under the Spotlight

What is it?
A group of industrial chemicals used in the manufacturing of polycarbonate plastics, some epoxy resins and thermal paper.

Where is it found?
Polycarbonate plastics are used for plastic dinnerware, bottles, sports equipment, toys, food packaging and medical devices. Epoxy resins are used to coat the inside of water pipes and food/beverage cans to increase their shelf-life and preventing the metallic taste transferring to the food or beverage. Bisphenols are also used to develop dye in thermal paper used for sales receipts, public transport and parking tickets. Other products that may contain bisphenols include floorings, paints and sealants.

How can we be exposed to it?
By ingestion, bisphenols can migrate in small amounts into food and beverages stored in materials containing them i.e. swallowing food, water or beverages that have been in containers made with bisphenols or by having dental sealants that contain bisphenols. Small children may be exposed by hand-to-mouth and direct mouth contact with toy materials containing bisphenols. Furthermore, workers who manufacture products that contain bisphenols are also exposed.

What can exposure cause?

• Changes in the development and behaviour of infants and children;
• Changes in a developing fetus;
• Interference with the body’s natural hormones;
• Changes in reproductive function

How to reduce your risk
We can’t avoid every chemical that we come into contact with, but we can make more informed choices about what we eat, drink and use in our home:

• Check for bisphenol / BPA-free labels on plastic products, avoid using plastic products marked with recycle codes #3 or #7, as they contain BPA e.g. toys, food containers, personal care bottles, shower curtains, raincoats, flooring and outdoor furniture;
• Avoid heating plastics in the microwave, which can cause BPA and other bisphenols to leach into your food;
• Avoid food from cans that might be lined with BPA and other bisphenols;
• Replace plastic storage containers, bottles and travel cups with reusable glass, porcelain or stainless-steel ones;
• Avoid processed foods, wash and eat fresh foods as much as possible.

For more information please visit:
The Endocrine Society
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

What is it?

Phthalates are a group of synthetic chemicals with diverse uses in consumer products. Primarily they are used as plasticisers which make plastics more flexible and harder to break.  But they can also be used as solvents, dispersion agents, coatings, emulsifying agents, gelling agents, to name but a few.

Where is it found?

Products that contain phthalates include detergents, adhesives, flooring, clothes containing plastics such as raincoats and in many cosmetics and personal care products such as soaps, shampoos, nail varnishes, perfumes and other fragranced products. Phthalates are commonly used in polyvinyl chloride plastics, these plastics are used to make products such as plastic packaging, medical tubing and some children’s toys.

How can we be exposed to it?

By inhalation, skin-contact or ingestion, they can be released by evaporation and migration. For example, people can be exposed to phthalates by eating and drinking food that has been in packaging and containers containing phthalates. Exposure can also occur from breathing air that contains phthalate vapours or dust contaminated with phthalate particles. Small children may be at greater risk to phthalate particles in dust due to hand-to-mouth behaviour and by direct mouth contact with toy materials containing phthalates. Furthermore, workers who manufacture products that contain phthalates are also exposed. Once phthalates enter the body, they are broken down into metabolites that are excreted in urine.

What can exposure cause?

Phthalates have been linked to:

• Asthma
• Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Breast cancer
• Obesity
• Type II diabetes
• Autism spectrum disorders
• Altered reproductive development and in particular, male fertility issues

It is important to note human health effects from exposure to low levels of phthalates are unknown, and more research is needed.

How to reduce your risk

We can’t avoid every chemical that we come into contact with, but we can make more informed choices about what we eat, drink and use in our home:

• Check for phthalate-free labels on plastic products, avoid using plastic products marked with recycle codes #3 as they contain phthalates;
• Avoid products that include the vague ingredient ‘fragrance’, as more than likely they contain a phthalate;
• Avoid heating plastics in the microwave, as this can cause phthalates and other chemicals to leach into your food;
• Remove any food packaged in plastic once home as phthalates continue to leech over time. Even if you bought the product in plastic packaging, you can actually reduce your exposure by storing it out of the packaging;
• Replace plastic storage containers, bottles and travel cups with reusable glass, porcelain or stainless-steel ones;
• Avoid processed foods, wash and eat fresh foods as much as possible.

For more information please visit:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Endocrine Society

Benjamin, S., Masai, E., Kamimura, N., Takahashi, K., Anderson, R. and Faisal, P. (2017). Phthalates impact human health: Epidemiological evidence and plausible mechanism of action. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 340, pp.360-383. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2017.06.036