Environmental contamination with phthalates and its impact on living organisms

Abstract

Abstract:The relevant literature was reviewed to identify phthalate sources in the environment and problems resulting from phthalate contamination of soil and water. Phthalate properties responsible for their toxicity for living organisms were identified, and the effects of phthalates on humans and animals were described. Special emphasis was placed on the effects of exposure to phthalates on human health. Phthalates are readily released into the environment and create a risk of exposure for humans and other living organisms. They are characterized by reproductive toxicity in humans and animals, they can cause infertility and reproductive problems in males. Phthalates are more toxic in young children, which are much more susceptible to phthalate exposure, including fetal life. Phthalates are used in numerous industries, and they are very difficult to eliminate from our daily surroundings.

Di-2-ethylhexylphthalate May Be a Natural Product, Rather than a Pollutant

“…e compound is an isomeric substance due to the presence of diastereotopic protons adjacent to the chiral center. It has been widely used as plasticizer in many articles made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) such as sewage pipe due to its low cost and chemical resistance [3,13]. It has been also used to improve the plasticity and the flexibility of materials such as food packages, building, toys, and medical devices such as blood storage bags, intravenous fluid bags, and other products.…”

“…For example, DEHP has been used in PVC gloves that are used for cooking purposes. Several studies demonstrated the occurrence of phthalate in prepared lunches was mainly caused by DEHP containing PVC gloves used during the preparation of the foods [13][14][15][16]. DEHP also finds use as a solvent in glowsticks.…”

“…As the phthalate plasticizers are not chemically bound to PVC, they can leach, migrate, or evaporate into indoor air and atmosphere, foodstuff, other materials, etc. erefore, the extended use of DEHP is more than obvious [13,14].…”

Occurrence of microplastics in surface waters of the Gulf of Lion (NW Mediterranean Sea)

“…Plastic and its chemical compounds have played an important role in the Anthropocene and might threaten human health (Kobrosly et al, 2014;Tranfo et al, 2012;Sathyanarayana 2008;Heudorf et al, 2007) and both terrestrial (Zhao et al, 2016;Lwanga et al, 2016;Oehlmann et al, 2009) and marine environments (Przybylinska & Wyszkowski, 2016;Sigler, 2014). In 2014, 311 million tons of plastic were produced worldwide, 15 % of which were consumed in Europe (PlasticsEurope, 2015).…”

Biodegradation of plastic wastes by confused flour beetle Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val larvae

“…Increased use and slow biodegrading have led to accumulating plastic waste in the outdoor environment in large quantities, as parts of municipal solid waste also dispersed as "white pollutants" (Cózar et al, 2014;Jambeck et al, 2015). The long term accumulations of non-biodegradable polymers lead to many ecological and health problems, especially the marine (Przybylinska and Wyszkowski, 2016) and terrestrial environment (Zhao et al, 2016). Further, plastic and its chemical compounds might have considerable concern about the adverse effects of these chemicals on wildlife as well as human health Original Article (Kobrosly et al, 2014).…”