Phthalates are used as plasticizers in PVC plastics. 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. Consumer products containing
phthalates can result in human exposure through direct contact and use, indirectly
through leaching into other products, or general environmental contamination. Humans
are exposed through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal exposure during their whole
lifetime, including intrauterine development. This paper presents an overview on current
risk assessments done by expert panels as well as on exposure assessment data, based
on ambient and on current human biomonitoring results. Some phthalates are reproductive
and developmental toxicants in animals and suspected endocrine disruptors in humans.
Exposure assessment via modelling ambient data give hints that the exposure of children
to phthalates exceeds that in adults. Current human biomonitoring data prove that
the tolerable intake of children is exceeded to a considerable degree, in some instances
up to 20-fold. Very high exposures to phthalates can occur via medical treatment,
i.e. via use of medical devices containing DEHP or medicaments containing DBP phthalate
in their coating. Because of their chemical properties exposure to phthalates does
not result in bioaccumulation. However, health concern is raised regarding the developmental
and/or reproductive toxicity of phthalates, even in environmental concentrations.