Phthalates News and Research

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Fetal exposure to phthalates has the potential to alter masculine brain development: Study

A study of 145 preschool children reports, for the first time, that when the concentrations of two common phthalates in mothers' prenatal urine are elevated their sons are less likely to play with male-typical toys and games, such as trucks and play fighting.

16 Nov 2009

BPA-free Bornfree baby bottles reduce colic and middle-ear infections

Parents looking to protect their babies from potentially harmful chemicals are today being advised to buy BornFree(TM), the world's leading brand for baby bottles and feeding devices free from Phthalates, PVC and Bisphenol-A (BPA), which is now available across the UK.

28 Oct 2009

Study detects hazardous chemicals in health care professionals

Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), American Nurses Association (ANA) and Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) released "Hazardous Chemicals In Health Care," the first investigation of chemicals found in bodies of health care professionals.

9 Oct 2009

Phthalates & Parabens Profile helps identify exposure levels to chemicals

Personal care products that we use everyday contain chemicals that act as endocrine disruptors, which hinder the normal functions of our hormone systems. Phthalates, also known as plasticizers, are added to plastics to make them flexible to mold into shapes for product packaging and as fragrance for perfumes and air fresheners. Parabens are added to personal care products, such as cosmetics, to extend shelf-life and eliminate fungi and bacteria.

16 Sep 2009

Green to Grow calls for support of the California Toxics-Free Babies and Toddlers Act

Green to Grow (www.greentogrow.com), a leading Los Angeles-based manufacturer of BPA-free baby bottles that provide a safe alternative to polycarbonate products containing Bisphenol A (BPA) - a chemical currently banned in Canada, Minnesota, Connecticut and under scrutiny in several European nations - is urging the public and California Assembly members to support the Toxics-Free Babies and Toddlers Act (SB 797).

3 Sep 2009

Phthalates may play a role in pre-term births

A new study of expectant mothers suggests that a group of common environmental contaminants called phthalates, which are present in many industrial and consumer products including everyday personal care items, may contribute to the country's alarming rise in premature births.

6 Jul 2009

EPA should assess health risk of phthalates and other chemicals

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should examine whether combined exposures to chemicals known as phthalates could cause adverse health effects in humans, says a new report from the National Research Council. In addition, this analysis, called a cumulative risk assessment, should consider other chemicals that could potentially cause the same health effects as phthalates, instead of focusing on chemicals that are similar in structure, which is EPA's current practice.

18 Dec 2008

Hairspray linked to common genital birth defect in baby boys

British scientists from Imperial College London say women who are exposed to hairspray in the workplace during pregnancy have more than double the risk of having a son with the genital birth defect hypospadias.

24 Nov 2008

Significant link between hairspray and genital birth defect hypospadias

Women who are exposed to hairspray in the workplace during pregnancy have more than double the risk of having a son with the genital birth defect hypospadias, according to a new study published today in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

21 Nov 2008

Prenatal exposure to pollution a culprit in obesity

According to new research a determining factor as to whether a child is fat or not may be decided before they have even been born.

8 Sep 2008

President signs bill that bans six toxic phthalates from children's products

President Bush signed a federal bill today that bans six toxic phthalates from children's products. His signature bolsters Congress' overwhelming support for this legislation, and sends a clear message that toxic chemicals have no place in toys.

14 Aug 2008

Lawmakers agree to ban use of phthalates in toys

Lawmakers charged with finalizing the Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act agreed yesterday to include a provision that will ban phthalates from children's toys and childcare articles. The legislative action validates the concerns of scientists and parents who have been urging a ban, and will bring federal regulation in line with several states and leading retailers that have already taken action to remove phthalates from toys.

29 Jul 2008

Lids on glass jars containing food under suspicion

Following an investigation by the consumer group Choice into foods in glass jars, food giant Heinz has withdrawn two baby food products from the Australian market.

24 Jun 2008

Baby products linked to raised chemicals levels in babies urine

Researchers in the United States are warning the parents of babies to cut down on their use of talcum powder, shampoo and lotions after a study has linked them to high levels of hormone-altering chemicals in infants urine.

18 Feb 2008

Baby lotions, powders and shampoos linked to higher levels of phthalates in infants

Phthalates are widely used chemicals that recent studies suggest may have toxic effects on the developing endocrine and reproductive systems. A new study found evidence that infants may be absorbing these chemicals through commonly used baby products.

4 Feb 2008

Shampoo damaging the environment

According to a report from the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), Britain's environment is under threat from shampoo.

10 Dec 2007

Exposure to phthalates linked to abdominal obesity and insulin resistance in adult males

Exposure to phthalates, a common chemical found in everything from plastics to soaps, already has been connected to reproductive problems and now, for the first time, is linked to abdominal obesity and insulin resistance in adult males, according to a study by the University of Rochester Medical Center.

14 Mar 2007

Christmas is coming and toys can be dangerous

Even though toys today are safer than ever before, parents shopping for Christmas presents for their children are being warned to be aware of the hidden hazards some toys present.

24 Nov 2005

Survey shows lead, tobacco exposure may be down in U.S., but blood and urine samples, awash with chemicals

According to the latest U.S. government survey on chemical exposures, levels of lead have dropped dramatically, exposure to second-hand smoke is down and most women are not carrying unsafe levels of mercury.

23 Jul 2005

Sick infants in hospital intensive care units exposed to high levels of toxic phthalate

A first-of-its-kind study released today by Harvard University scientists found that babies in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) receiving intensive therapy with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) medical devices were exposed to a toxic phthalate at very high levels -- an average of 25 times higher than the general population and up to 50 times higher for the most exposed.

8 Jun 2005