One of the most common chemicals in plastics are phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates). You’ve probably heard of them by now and they are everywhere. Phthalates are often used to increase the durability and flexibility of plastic and are found in everything from dishware to vinyl flooring to food packaging. They are also very common in personal care products, such as lotions, shampoos and soaps. Phthalates can even be found in house dust, which is often just particles of products in your home and, as such, can carry the product’s toxicity. No wonder we hate dusting.
Impact on children’s development:
Increasing evidence shows that phthalates are having a detrimental impact on the development of young brains. A study by the Pediatrics Journal has found widespread phthalate exposure in infants, due in large part to a lack of aggressive regulation and successful lobbying by chemical companies (hereafter referred to as “the haters”). Phthalates are an endocrine disrupter, which can have “varying health impacts, depending on the time of exposure, with fetal development, infancy and early childhood.” Studies have shown an alarming impact on reproductive organ development, thyroid function and development of brain and respiratory systems.
Concerned health professionals and scientists started Project TENDR to research the impact of plastic chemicals and have found them to contribute to autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and attention deficits. Stephanie Engel, an epidemiology professor at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health, explains that “we have enough evidence right now to be concerned about the impact of these chemicals on a child’s risk of attention, learning and behavioral disorders.” One study showed a 7 point decease in a child’s IQ when exposed to higher levels of phthalates while in utero. Even though phthalates are expelled by the body relatively quickly, the impact that they can have on the developing brain can’t be undone. “The brain just might be exposed at just the wrong time,” explains David Bellinger, professor of neurology and psychology at Boston Children’s Hospital. Our little ones are different than grown-ups— their organs are still developing, their skin is more permeable and their bodies can’t effectively metabolize toxins in the same way as adults.
To be clear, we will never have direct exposure studies (i.e. this chemical causes this, and this chemical causes this) like we do with animals, because we would never purposefully expose children to doses of chemicals in a controlled setting. The best we can do is look at environmental risks and minimize as many as possible.
Minimizing Risk:
The problem with many toxic chemicals isn’t the one time exposure, it is the accumulation of exposure. If you use a plastic dish with phthalates or other chemicals a few times, there is a minimal risk, but years of use in conjunction with other types of exposure builds up the impact on your child. The best option is to eliminate phthalates wherever possible, especially in items your child uses everyday.
As parents, we can try to minimize the use of plastics: silicone bags instead of plastic for snacks, stainless steel and glass dishware, non-packaged food (fresh fruits and vegetables), decreased use of plastic wrap. Of course, when your kid is having their third meltdown of the day while you’re trying to enjoy your coffee, none of this matters. But in other, more “serene” moments, even small changes can have a big impact over time.
Experts are increasingly calling upon the government to eliminate phthalates from products that put pregnant women, infants and children at risk of phthalate exposure. The American Academy of Pediatrics, amongst a dozen or so other mainstream children’s health organizations, have called upon the FDA to eliminate plastic additives like phthalates and other chemicals. This is a big deal! You yourself can pressure the feds by giving your congress person a call on the ol’ landline and push manufacturers away from these chemicals by purchasing products that don’t have phthalates (listed as phthalates or fragrance). Yes, get this: you may not even know your product has phthalates: if a product is 20% phthalates, the manufacturer can list it as a “fragrance” in the ingredients section!
Also consider, when a chemical in a plastic is removed, it has to be replaced with something. In all likelihood that something is a new chemical that hasn’t been extensively tested- it could be better for your child, or it could be worse. The safest bet is to avoid plastics in everyday use products whenever possible. Look to glass, stainless steel, ceramic and food grade silicon as healthier, safer and longer lasting solutions.
And if you’re a plastic executive that’s going to send us a counter-study funded by the plastic industry, please chill. Pour yourself a nice tall glass of gasoline and sip it with a plastic straw. We got it from here.
Sources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Phthalates Factsheet,” https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/Phthalates_FactSheet.html
LaMotte, Sandee, “Chemicals in plastics damage babies’ brains and must be banned immediately, expert group says,” Feb 20, 2021, https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/20/health/baby-brain-damage-plastic-phthalates-wellness/index.html
Sheela Sathyanarayana, Catherine J. Karr, Paula Lozano, Elizabeth Brown, Antonia M. Calafat, Fan Liu and Shanna H. Swan, “Baby Care Products: Possible Sources of Infant Phthalate Exposure,” Pediatrics (Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics), February 2008, 121 (2) e260-e268; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2006-3766
Zanolli, Lauren, “A parent’s guide to avoiding potentially toxic chemicals,” June 25, 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jun/25/toxic-chemicals-risks-infants-what-to-know
Joanna Jurewicz & Wojciech Hanke, International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health 24, 115-141 (2011), “Exposure to phthalates: Reproductive outcome and children health. A review of epidemiological studies,” https://link.springer.com/article/10.2478/s13382-011-0022-2
“Project TENDR; Targeting Environmental Neuro-Development Risks” http://projecttendr.com
Pam Factor-Litvak, Beverly Insel, Antonia Calafat, Xinhua Liu, Frederica Perera, Virginia Rauh, Robin Whyatt, “Persistent Associations between Maternal Prenatal Exposure to Phthalates on Child IQ at Age 7 Years,” December 10, 2014, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0114003
Leonardo Trasande, Rachel M. Shaffer, Sheela Sathyanarayana and Council on Environmental Health, Pediatrics August 2018, 142 (2) e20181408; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-1408
Anne C. Steinemann, “Fragranced consumer products and undisclosed ingredients, Environmental Impact Assessment Review, Volume 29, Issue 1, 2009, Pages 32-38, ISSN 0195-9255, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2008.05.002
Comments