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Introduction
Modern life heavily depends on synthetic plastics; however, a little is known about
their complete toxicity and negative impacts on human health. Plastic is a blend of
polymeric material like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and a plasticizer, usually a synthetic chemical like phthalate (phthalic acid (PA) diesters) which imparts plasticity/
flexibility in products proportionate to its quantity. Phthalates are high volume
chemicals with wide spread applications in countless personal care products owing
to their valuable characteristics and economical availability. From the last few
decades, they are increasingly used in personal care products (perfumery and cosmetic industry), food packing, and medications. Being plasticizer in nature, they do
not form any chemical bond with polymer matrices and the physical bonding is
always highly susceptible to slight change in surrounding environment [1, 2]. A
little change in environment in respect of temperature, pressure, pH, and exposure
to irradiation (microwave heating and sunlight) accelerates their leaching into the
surrounding environment. These leaches from plastic and other goods to water, soil,
breathing air, food, drinks and to blood from medical devices pose serious hazardous threats to entire biota especially to human beings. Resultantly, ingestion has
become the main route of exposure in humans which cause various dysfunctions.
Most significantly, they pose serious threats to fetal development, and cause reproductive anomalies, obesity, and insulin resistance both in males and females [3, 4].
The first phthalate i.e. diethylhexyl phthalate (DEPH) was introduced in 1920 as
a plasticizer; however, currently a number of phthalates are commercially available
with ever increasing applications in human life. This year, the global market for
phthalic anhydride (main reactant for the production of phthalates) has been
expected to reach ten billion USD and this suggests a sharp rise in demand of phthalates in last few years (6.9 billion USD in 2013). The demand for HM phthalates
(like DEHP and diisononyl phthalates) had been anticipated to rise to 6.75 million
ton which was about 5.35 million tons 5 years ago [5]. This alarming increase in
their unregulated usage indicates that they will implicate some very serious health
hazards in near future around the globe. Due to the heavy utility of phthalates in
routine life, we ingest them and their metabolites passively from breathing air,
foods, and drinks with ultimate risks of endocrine disruption (Fig. 15.1).
Mean and Route of Phthalates Entry
Over the years, phthalates have been recognized as deadly toxicants as they are
omnipresent (in breathing air, clothing materials, food, and water) around us and all
parts of human body have the capacity to absorb them. Humans are always exposed
to different kinds of phthalates (Fig. 15.2) through food, inhalation, personal care
products, clothing, medication, nutritional supplements etc. [6, 7].
T. Farooq et al.
Introduction
Modern life heavily depends on synthetic plastics; however, a little is known about
their complete toxicity and negative impacts on human health. Plastic is a blend of
polymeric material like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and a plasticizer, usually a synthetic chemical like phthalate (phthalic acid (PA) diesters) which imparts plasticity/
flexibility in products proportionate to its quantity. Phthalates are high volume
chemicals with wide spread applications in countless personal care products owing
to their valuable characteristics and economical availability. From the last few
decades, they are increasingly used in personal care products (perfumery and cosmetic industry), food packing, and medications. Being plasticizer in nature, they do
not form any chemical bond with polymer matrices and the physical bonding is
always highly susceptible to slight change in surrounding environment [1, 2]. A
little change in environment in respect of temperature, pressure, pH, and exposure
to irradiation (microwave heating and sunlight) accelerates their leaching into the
surrounding environment. These leaches from plastic and other goods to water, soil,
breathing air, food, drinks and to blood from medical devices pose serious hazardous threats to entire biota especially to human beings. Resultantly, ingestion has
become the main route of exposure in humans which cause various dysfunctions.
Most significantly, they pose serious threats to fetal development, and cause reproductive anomalies, obesity, and insulin resistance both in males and females [3, 4].
The first phthalate i.e. diethylhexyl phthalate (DEPH) was introduced in 1920 as
a plasticizer; however, currently a number of phthalates are commercially available
with ever increasing applications in human life. This year, the global market for
phthalic anhydride (main reactant for the production of phthalates) has been
expected to reach ten billion USD and this suggests a sharp rise in demand of phthalates in last few years (6.9 billion USD in 2013). The demand for HM phthalates
(like DEHP and diisononyl phthalates) had been anticipated to rise to 6.75 million
ton which was about 5.35 million tons 5 years ago [5]. This alarming increase in
their unregulated usage indicates that they will implicate some very serious health
hazards in near future around the globe. Due to the heavy utility of phthalates in
routine life, we ingest them and their metabolites passively from breathing air,
foods, and drinks with ultimate risks of endocrine disruption (Fig. 15.1).
Mean and Route of Phthalates Entry
Over the years, phthalates have been recognized as deadly toxicants as they are
omnipresent (in breathing air, clothing materials, food, and water) around us and all
parts of human body have the capacity to absorb them. Humans are always exposed
to different kinds of phthalates (Fig. 15.2) through food, inhalation, personal care
products, clothing, medication, nutritional supplements etc. [6, 7].
T. Farooq et al.