Phthalate-induced asthma: Gasping for breath

The smell of a new car, that new shower curtain odor, and those off-gassing carpets recently installed in your office have one thing in common: these consumer products contain plastics chemicals that can become volatile, spread through air and hit our olfactory systems. And we are accustomed to consider such chemical smells a good thing. Who wouldn't like to have the status symbol of a new car, volatile chemicals and all?

It turns out that the “plastic smell” is not quite so innocuous as people used to believe. One of the most common plastic materials is PVC, polyvinylchloride, which is used extensively for covering of interior building surfaces, food wrappers, water pipes, and many other applications. On its own, PVC is a pretty rigid material; its flexibility is achieved by addition of plasticizers, especially a family of chemicals called phthalates. We have already heard many concerns about phthalates in cosmetics and in children’s toys because these chemicals pose great risks to development of reproductive system in baby boys.

However, an article published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives highlights a new, previously unforeseen systemic danger of phthalates as allergy-inducing chemicals.

Two scientists at the Institute of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at the University of Birmingham conducted a thorough analysis of research literature on allergy and asthma and identified 41 papers that indicated a likely link between phthalates and these illnesses. Our review of the literature further identified 4 more studies, now bringing the total to 45. These 45 studies include research in animals, case studies of occupational exposure, and broad-range epidemiological studies in people of different ages. Is it time to sit up and take notice?

• Seventeen different animal studies demonstrated that phthalates from PVC products can prompt development of allergy. In these studies, phthalates increase production of IgE antibodies and immune signaling molecules that are associated with allergies and asthma attacks.
• Nine articles reported cases of occupational asthma related to PVC fumes. For example, PVC-linked asthma has been observed in meat-packing workers, workers employed in production of artificial leather, and fire-fighters exposed to fumes from residential fires involving now-ubiquitous plastic laminates.
• Finally, nineteen articles described epidemiological studies that show an association between PVC fumes and asthma and respiratory symptoms. Most worrisome, five of these studies unambiguously demonstrated the effects in children where phthalate exposure in the home is linked to the risk of asthma and allergies.

While the European Union has taken an active position in terms of reviewing the cumulative risks of phthalates and actively phasing out some of the most dangerous members of this family of plastics chemicals, in the United States phthalates and phthalate manufacturers still get a free ride.

EWG has repeatedly called for governmental action on phthalates, such as risk assessment and setting of regulatory limits and phase out programs. In addition to established reproductive toxicity of these chemicals, a huge body of research evidence now confirms that exposure to phthalates in homes and work increases the risk of asthma and allergies both in children and in adults. It is now time for quick and decisive action. Children's health -- in fact, all of our health -- cannot wait.

Photo by PhylB.

http://www.enviroblog.org/2008/04/phthalateinduced-asthma-gaspin-1.htm