Chemicals used in everyday products have proven to disrupt reproductive growth and development, Boston University environmental epidemiologist Richard Clapp found in a study recently.
The chemicals, called phthalates, have been used in baby pacifiers, shower curtains, nail polish, skin moisturizers and many other household items, Clapp said.
The issue involving phthalates has been of particular interest to Clapp and other environmental scientists for the past five or six years, he said. Clapp was a member of a government advisory committee known as the Toxic Reduction Board, which has been committed to informing people about the effects of toxic chemicals.
‘Phthalates in particular are an example of a symptom of chemical habit,’ Clapp said. ‘Better living through chemicals isn’t all it is cracked up to be. This is just one case in a series of cases.’
Studies with lab animals have shown that males exposed to the chemical experience lower sperm count and less successful reproduction, Clapp said. Phthalates may also be tumor promoters, according to Clapp.
Clapp explained that the chemicals may also be a concern to woman and children.
‘These reproductive toxins are not only detrimental to males but also affect females,’ he said. ‘However, the greatest risk is to children because they receive a bigger dose of the chemical per body weight.’
Many companies have been practicing preventative action when it comes to phthalates, Clapp said. Co-Baxter has discontinued using phthalates in products used during blood transfusions such as blood bags and tubes, he said.
‘People who need blood transfusions are already sick, so why put phthalates in their blood?’ Clapp said regarding Co-Baxter’s removal of phthalates from their products.
One of the most dangerous situations concerning phthalates may concern small children because phthalates have been found in baby pacifiers, Clapp said. When a child chews on a pacifier, the chemicals absorb into their saliva, he said.
‘Baby pacifiers may be the most dangerous,’ he said. ‘However, I believe that most companies that produce them have stopped using phthalates in their products.’
Another of the most commonly used item containing phthalates may be shower curtains. According to Clapp, the chemical gets into bath water and is then absorbed through the skin or may be inhaled through shower steam.
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