EFSA publishes final opinion and protocol for phthalates in FCMs
On May 12, 2025, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published the final version of its scientific opinion on the prioritization for risk assessment of phthalates and similar plasticizers in food contact materials (FCMs) as well as the protocol “for assessing the exposure of EU consumers to the plasticizer substances.”.
Phthalates Factsheet | National Biomonitoring Program | CDC
Phthalates are a group of chemicals used to make plastics more durable. They are often called plasticizers. Some phthalates are used to help dissolve other materials. Phthalates are in hundreds of products, such as vinyl flooring, lubricating oils, and personal-care products (soaps, shampoos, hair sprays).
A Strategy for Nonmigrating Highly Plasticized PVC
Phthalate esters are still the most powerful plasticizers and dominate the plasticizer market due to their great plasticizing effect and low-cost, although phthalate plasticizers can migrate to
Ortho-phthalates - Plasticisers - Information Center
Phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates tha-lāts) – covering ortho-phthalates – are the most commonly used plasticisers (US: plasticizers) in the world. In Europe, about one million tonnes of ortho-phthalates and terephthalates are produced each year – about 80% of the entire plasticisers market – of which approximately 95% are used to make flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
Plasticizers: Types, Uses, Classification, Selection & Regulation
Most commonly used phthalate plasticizers include: DEHP: Low molecular weight ortho-phthalate. Still the world’s most widely used PVC plasticizer DINP, DIDP: High molecular weight ortho-phthalates Aliphatic dibasic acid Esters – These include chemicals such as glutarates, adipates, azelates and sebacates.
- Do plasticizers contain phthalates?
- This study addresses the gap by providing a comprehensive overview of the occurrence and key transport parameters of the most reported plasticizers, including 10 phthalates and 14 alternative plasticizers. The plasticizer content in source materials was found to range up to 27.6 wt%.
- How are phthalates and alternative plasticizers classified?
- Based on the classifications of plasticizers, the total concentrations of phthalates and alternative plasticizers were summed separately for source, gas, particle and dust phases. The data were further categorized by continent and sampled years to explore variation trends.
- Are alternative plasticizers more dangerous than phthalates?
- In contrast to phthalates, alternative plasticizers were reported less frequently and had lower dust-phase concentrations , . DINCH and DEHT were the top two alternative plasticizers of concern due to their high detection rates (see the dust sheet of Supplementary Material B for details).
- Which phthalates dominate the plasticizer market?
- Chemical management varies considerably between regions and on a global scale. DEHP still dominates the plasticizer market . Therefore, target analytes were often restricted to DEHP and other LMW phthalates. House dust samples in China, for example, were strongly dominated by DEHP and DBP .
- What are high molecular weight phthalates?
- High molecular weight phthalates like di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and diisononyl phthalate (DiNP) are commonly used as plasticizers in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) materials such as food packaging and food contact materials [1, 2].
- Which phthalate is the dominant plasticizer in house dust?
- HMW phthalates increased from 19% of the ∑plasticizer concentration to 46% between the mid-2000s and the late 2010s in house dust, and from 50% to 63% in SPM samples. Diisononyl phthalate (DINP) replaced DEHP as the dominant plasticizer in both compartments.
