ABSTRACT

Exposure to environmental toxins is widespread from the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, the goods we purchase, to even possibly the wireless signals that surround us. One group of such toxins, and the focus of this chapter, is phthalates. Phthalates are found in a wide variety of plastic products, with their primary function being to give flexibility to brittle plastics. Phthalates are also found in everyday products including adhesives, building materials (e.g., vinyl flooring), medical devices, children's toys, paints, pharmaceuticals, and food products. 1,2 Personal-care items (e.g., perfume, eye shadow, moisturizer, nail polish, liquid soap, and hair spray) also all contain significant amounts of phthalates and phthalate-related compounds. 3 Although exposure to phthalates may be at a low level, it is continuous, chronic, and seemingly unavoidable.