Health and Safety Controversy

The majority of commentators have concluded that phthalates have emerged well from their tests both in Eiuope and the US, but new and potentially damaging allegations about the effects of phthalates on children still emerge from time to time. A recent Swedish/Danish study links phthalates with asthma, eczema and rhinitis, but the work has been eritieised by the ECPI on a number of grounds. 

Apart from toys, legislation restrieting flexible PVC has been very limited (see Chapter 7). The EU s Scientific Toxicity Committee has approved acetyl tributyl eitrate as a substitute, but plasticiser producers say that one of the six phthalates, DINP, has now been eleared of problems and ought to be acceptable. 

Other markets for phthalates that have been under threat as a result of health seares include medical products (the target here has been DEHP), food packaging, and to a much lesser extent flooring, where di-isononyl phthalate (DINP), di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), benzylbutyl phthalate (BBP) and di-isoheptyl phthalate (DIHP) are used. Retailers have been under pressure from lobbying groups to refuse to sell PVC produets. 

The automotive industry usually eites technieal shortcomings rather than health eonsiderations for attempting to reduce its dependence on PVC in vehiele eomponents. Flexible PVC has been used in the past in underseal, instrument panels, wiring insulation, weatherstrip, window sealants, body side protection strips, door panels, seats, armrests and sun visors. Many of these applications require a soft, flexible material that used to be diffieult to produce without PVC, but can now be made using a modified polyolefin formulation. 

Nevertheless there have been serious difficulties in replacing PVC in several applications, both in terms of cost and performance, and PVC produets have been improving. The plasticiser DIDP has replaced DEHP in several interior applieations because it is more resistant to migration and fogging. DINP is used in automotive foils, and several other types are used in masties, underseal, gaskets, floor mats, wire and eable jacketing, and trim. 

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