#phthalates

Excerpt from this Washington Post story:

WHEN MARYA ZLATNIK MEETS WITH WOMEN in the early stages of pregnancy, she gives them the standard advice: take prenatal vitamins; avoid alcohol, smoking and eating raw fish. But for certain patients, the maternal fetal medicine specialist at the University of California at San Francisco, who specializes in high-risk pregnancies, adds another warning: Avoid plastic.

That’s easier said than done. Plastic permeates Americans’ lives — it’s in furniture, food packaging, clothing, electronics and even the air. Zlatnik starts with the low-hanging fruit: Try not to eat or drink from plastic containers. Avoid heating plastic in the microwave. Stay away from highly processed foods.

Some women are receptive; others are not, overwhelmed with too much information and not enough time. But for women who have had at least one premature birth, Zlatnik said, “I want them to have the information.”

She is one of a small number of medical practitioners across the country warning patients about the risk of a set of chemicals found in plastics. Known as phthalates, these compounds are found in the blood and urine of virtually everyone in the United States; nine of them are approved for use in plastics that come in close contact with food. For the past two decades, scientists have gathered growing evidence that these chemicals are linked to a dizzying array of health problems, including premature birth, infertility and ADHD. And the greatest risks — and the most dangerous outcomes — are to pregnant women and their children.

To understand how plastic chemicals are affecting human health, The Washington Post interviewed more than two dozen scientists, former regulators and industry officials, and reviewed nearly 50 academic studies on the health effects of phthalates published in the past 20 years. The investigation revealed strong evidence that the chemicals have harmful effects on babies in utero, even as they continue to be used in food, medical supplies and personal care products.

Scientists are most concerned about the link between exposure to the chemicals during pregnancy and infertility later in life — particularly in males.

Phthalates are part of a group of chemicals known as “endocrine disruptors” — which can interfere with the normal functioning of the body’s hormones. The chemicals are particularly dangerous to developing fetuses, which rely on hormones to shape their growth and development.

“If any of these chemicals get into a woman while she’s pregnant, the chemicals will go right across into the baby,” said Philip Landrigan, a pediatrician and director of the program for Global Public Health and the Common Good at Boston College. “The placenta provides no protection at all.”

Chemicals can also slip through the membrane surrounding the fetus and seep into the amniotic fluid.

Babies exposed to higher levels of phthalates in utero are more likely to be born prematurely, have reproductive problems and infertility later in life, and even be diagnosed with ADHD.

Plasticizers may contribute to motor control problems in girls

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The study is the first to compare phthalate exposures in people who reported dining out to those more likely to enjoy home-cooked meals. People who reported consuming more restaurant, fast food and cafeteria meals had phthalate levels that were nearly 35 percent higher than people who reported eating food mostly purchased at the grocery store, according to the study.

"This study suggests food prepared at home is less likely to contain high levels of phthalates, chemicals linked to fertility problems, pregnancy complications and other health issues," says senior author Ami Zota, ScD, MS, an assistant professor of environmental and occupational health at Milken Institute School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH) at the George Washington University. "Our findings suggest that dining out may be an important, and previously under-recognized source of exposure to phthalates for the U.S. population."