Prenatal exposure to endocrine disruptors and behavioral problems in children

INSERM: An epidemiological study carried out by Inserm on families from the EDEN cohort (500 boys born between 2003 and 2006 and their mothers) shows that exposure during pregnancy to certain phenols and phthalates is associated with behavioral problems in boys between 3 and 5 years of age. The most worrying compounds in this respect are bisphenol A, triclosan and dibutyl phthalate (DBP). The results of this study have recently been published in Environmental Health Perspectives.

Eating out increases exposure to harmful phthalates

Berkeley: A new study has found that people who ate more fast food were exposed to higher levels of potentially harmful chemicals known as phthalates than people who ate more home-cooked meals.
Lead author Julia Varshavsky, who did the research while she was a grad student at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and is now a post doc in reproductive health and the environment at UCSF, studied data from the 10,253 participants in a national survey. They were asked to recall what they ate and where their food came from in the previous 24 hours. The researchers analyzed the links between what people ate and the levels of phthalate breakdown products found in their urine.

Substitutes for phthalates in toys: no health risk detected for children under three years of age

ANSES: Today ANSES publishes the results of its expert assessment on the health risks of oral exposure to several chemicals found in plastic toys and materials likely to be mouthed by infants and children under three years of age. For four of the substances studied which are substitutes for phthalates (DINCH, DEHTP, ATBC and TXIB), the Agency did not find any risk to children's health. However, the Agency recommends that risk assessments be conducted systematically for all new substances used for the manufacturing of plastics used in toys and materials for children. ANSES will soon begin an assessment of the combined health risks of exposure by children to certain phthalates classified as toxic for reproduction and will take into account several exposure routes (consumer goods, air, dust, food, etc.).

Is phthalate alternative really safe?

McGill: A commonly used plasticizer known as DINCH, which is found in products that come into close contact with humans, such as medical devices, children's toys and food packaging, might not be as safe as initially thought. According to a new study from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) in Montreal, DINCH exerts biological effects on metabolic processes in mammals. The findings, published in the journal Environmental Research, may have important implications since DINCH has been promoted by industry has as a safe alternative to phthalate plasticizers, despite there being no publicly available peer-reviewed data on its toxicology.

Processed foods and soft drinks linked to harmful chemicals

University of Adelaide researchers have found another important reason to avoid some processed foods with the discovery of a link between an unhealthy diet and exposure to potentially harmful chemicals – phthalates – that are used in common plastic food wrappings. Researchers conducted the first population study to investigate the association between socio-demographic status, lifestyle factors, dietary patterns and exposure of phthalates (a group of chemicals used in plastic) in Australian men. The research is published in the journal, PLOS ONE.