Plasticizers health aspects

About 1 million tons of plasticizers are used annuaUy in Western Europe, mainly in the plasticization of PVC. The vast majority of plasticizers (around 90%) are esters of phthalic add (phthalates) with a wide variety of long chain alcohols containing up to 13 carbon atoms. The remainder are also esters or polyesters and include those based on adipic, trimellitic, phosphoric, sebacic or azelaic acids. When considering the possible health aspects of plasticizers it is logical therefore to concentrate on phthalates. 

The widespread use of phthalates over the last 40 years has led to their toxicology being extensively researched and imderstood. Many different phthalates have been studied but the particular phthalate which has been most thoroughly investigated has been di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). This is because it is the most widely used plasticizer and, being a well-defined single substance, has often been considered as a model for the other phthalates. 

Plasticizers possess an extremely low order of acute toxicity LD50 values are mostly in excess of 20000mg/kg body weight for oral, dermal or intraperitoneal routes of exposures. 

In addition to their low acute toxicity many years of practical use coupled with animal tests show that plasticizers do not irritate the skin or mucous membranes and do not cause sensitization. 

The effects of repeated oral exposure to plasticizers for periods ranging from a few days to two years have been studied in a number of animal species including rats, mice, hamsters, guinea-pigs, marmosets and monkeys [1]. These studies have shown that some plasticizers may cause adverse effects in the hver and reproductive s5 tems of certain species. 

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Plastics-Environmental aspects. 2. Plastics-Health aspects. 3. Plastics-Biodegradation. I. Title. TD798.A53 2015 628.4 4-dc23... 

Initiators can be found for each application in manufacture and processing of plastic and in any temperature range requested. Modem environmental and health aspects require products that do not cause problems during manufacture, handling, and final use of the plastic materials. 

In German official publications, PEGs are mentioned—that is, approved— in the assessment of plastics from the health aspect under the Food Law. These specifications are contained in the appropriate recommendations of the German Ministry of Health (EGA), which are given in the following. 

Today, in most scientific studies, the plasticizer di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate is more often referred to as DEHP. This is because as scientists started to study the health aspects of the plasticizer called DOP in the 1970s, they would often incorrectly assume that as DOP was the name applied to the chemical di-octyl phthalate, then the DOP acronym must therefore refer to di-n-octyl phthalate, instead of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate. So the acronym DEHP was introduced to minimize the confusion they created. Unfortunately the confusion about the use of the acronym DOP continues. It is still common to find a few published plasticizer studies where investigators obtain a sample of DOP from a plasticizer manufacturer, and then without reading the product MSDS, they refer to the product in the reporting of their study as di-octyl phthalate. Thus the readers of their papers are often not certain as to what product they are researching since the commercial use of di-n-octyl phthalate is rare. 

Copper Chromate Black, pigment for plastics, 7 369t Copper chromite, molecular formula, properties, and uses, 6 563t Copper chromite black spinel, formula and DCMA number, 7 348t Copper citrate, molecular formula, 6V638t Copper compounds, 7 767-783 analytical methods, 7 773-776 economic aspects, 7 773 health and safety factors, 7 776 properties and manufacture, 7 768-773 uses, 7 776-780... 

From packaging materials, through fibers, foams and surface coatings, to continuous extrusions and large scale moldings, plastics have transformed almost every aspect of life. Without them much of modem medicine would be impossible and the consumer electronics and computer industries would disappear. Plastic sewage and water pipes alone [see Figure 1-24] have made an immeasurable contribution to public health worldwide. 

Today, there is barely an aspect of our lives that is not touched fundamentally by Chemistry. We know that Chemistry is in us, because our body is composed of atoms and molecules, and functions through the extremely intricate patterns of their interactions. However, Chemistry is also around us, in natural phenomena such as photosynthesis, and in the artificial products and materials that sustain the development of our civilization medicines, fertilizers, plastics, semiconductors, etc. Moreover, the most important global problems—those relating to food, human health, energy and the environment—cannot be solved without the aid of Chemistry. 

Three publications by The Society of Plastics Industry, P] American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, and Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safetyl l provide detailed information on various aspects of industrial ventilation. 

Detailed and clear descriptions of the theory, procedures and health and safety aspects of the spot tests most relevant to materials present in museums and galleries may be found in the publication Material Characterization Tests for Objects of Art and Archaeology (Odegaard et al., 2000). Spot tests that conservators and conservation scientists have found most effective to analyse plastics are presented here. 

In this book, hazards from exposure to chemicals will be considered, with special attention given to plastics and rubbers, since we use them extensively in almost all aspects of our everyday life and it is very important to understand their part as chemical health hazards. 

Ironically, one way in which our industry has created more value is 1 making plastic look more like the traditional materials they replaced glass, wood, stone, and metal. To many consumers plastic has stood for artificial and cheap. As discussed in many of the papers in the first section of this collection ( Pigments and Dyes ), the industry has responded with special effects colorants to give plastic the luster and iridescence of pearl, the rich sheen of gold and silver, or natural appearance of wood, stone, or leather. This section also contains a pair of timely articles covering health and safety aspects of plastics colorants. 

Toxicological and carcinogenic aspects are very important for plasticizers destined to be used in toy manufacture but they are not known at this time for most of these plasticizers to ensure their safe use in this application. Presently known facts seem to indicate that some of the plasticizers may be potentially useful to replace phthalates. A report prepared for the European Commission Directorate-General Enterprise indicates a lower health risk with acetyl tributyl citrate, ATBC. It was also reported that the substitution of phthalates by benzoates (such as the diethylene glycol dibenzoate), alkylsulfonic phenyl esters, and possibly some adipates, trimellitates, sebacates and azelates should reduce health hazards however it is also recognized that the information available for DOA and ATBC is much less extensive than that available for phthalates. 

Tliis chapter contains information on regulations, which are relevant for plasticizer use and illustrate properties of plasticizers with data characterizing severity of influence of the plasticizer on health and safety. The following aspects of plasticizers effects are considered ... 

Obviously, the biodegradability of a given plasticizer is a fundamental prerequisite for its use in biodegradable plastics such as PHAs, as are any possible health hazards associated with it or with its decomposition products. Both aspects have been taken into account in studies involving additives such as citrate-based plasticizers [141, 142], or the new benzoate plasticizer, Benzoflex 2888, a blend of diethylene-, triethylene-, and dipropylene-glycol dibenzoate [143]. 

As reinforcement material for all matrix materials - ceramics, metals, and plastics -SiC platelets offer a similar potential as whiskers, but at lower cost and without any health hazard. Platelets are single-crystal, plate-like a-SiC particles with an aspect ratio of about 8-15. SiC platelets typically range in size from about 5-100 pm in diameter and 1-5 pm in thickness (see Table 4.2). They are produced commercially from inexpensive raw materials (silica and carbon, micron-sized 3-SiC powders) at temperatures of 1900-2100 °C under an inert atmosphere [100]. Due to the presence of the boron and aluminum dopants added, platelet-shaped crystals are formed. Aluminum enhances the growth in the [0001] direction and decelerates the growth perpendicular to the [0001] direction. Boron enhances the growth notoriously perpendicular to the [0001] direction [101]. Aluminum (0.04—0.45 wt%), boron and nickel (each 0.4-0.8 wt%), and free silicon (0.3-3.6 wt%) were identified as impurity elements in SiC platelets produced by Millenium Materials [102]. 

Waste generators are responsible for their waste, which is a very important aspect for plastics waste. Generators of waste must be assumed to have adequate knowledge of its composition, form, and of the potential hazards to public health and the environment, to ensure disposal of the waste is not detrimental to the environment. The waste generator is responsible for ensuring that only appropriate disposal methods are used for their waste. 

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