Phthalate may not be a familiar word, but the plasticizer is a familiar substance found just about anywhere.
The chemical was found to have risks that may affect the health and development of humans, according to research conducted by civil engineering professor Ying Xu, who presented her research at a meeting for the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies Faculty Development Program on Wednesday afternoon.
Phthalates are substances used to make plastic more flexible.
Products that contain phthalates include laser printers, perfumes, vinyl flooring, plastic bottles and children’s toys.
“It seems like we’re working and living in [an indoor] toxin factory, but people spend 95 percent of their time indoors,” Xu said.
Experiments performed on male rats exposed them to different types of phthalates. The testis weight of the rats dropped by 40 percent after exposure to the chemicals. In humans, exposure to phthalates is associated with some changes to prenatal development and asthma.
In an indoor environment, phthalates may significantly slow typing speeds and increase headaches.
According to the research Xu presented, children experience higher exposures to phthalates than adults, higher than the reference standard set by the Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, oral ingestion of household dust contained the highest amount of exposure to the substance. Other exposure pathways include inhalation and absorption through the skin.
There is currently no federal regulation on the amount of phthalates that can be in plastics. California has banned the use of phthalates in children’s toys.
“It’s very depressing—the idea that we’re living in poisoned environments,” said Susan Heinzelman, director of the faculty program.
For people looking to decrease their exposure to phthalates, Xu suggests opening windows to bring in fresh air to dilute pollutants, using less plastic and using glass bottles.
The faculty development program, in its fourth year, is comprised of faculty members in their first or second year at UT and aims to create a community for them to interact and adjust. About two dozen students and faculty members attended Xu’s lecture, which was followed by a question-and-answer session.
“My own work has been very much informed by gender theory, so I’m happy to have the opportunity to exchange ideas with people who work on similar topics,” said Slavic professor Tatiana Kuzmic.
Kuzmic, a member of the faculty development program, said the lecture was “informative and frightening.”
Plastic residue raises concerns
Published: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Updated: Thursday, November 19, 2009
 "Photo: Shelley Neuman/The Daily Texan")
Shelley Neuman/The Daily Texan
Ying Xu, an assistant professor in the department of civil, architectural and environmental engineering, gave a lecture on phthalates, a group of chemicals from petroleum, which have proven to be harmful and are found in most households. Some have been found to cause asthma in children.
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