November 21, 2000
A recently released U.S. PIRG toy survey misleads consumers about the health and safety track record of phthalates—substances used to produce toys as well as hundreds of products that families use and depend on in their daily lives and that doctors rely on to provide quality medical care.
Phthalates are important because they help make plastics flexible. They are used in such products as toys, food packaging, vinyl flooring, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices.
It is important for people to know that phthalates have undergone extensive health and safety testing for more than fifty years. They are among the most studied and best understood materials in the world from an environmental and health perspective. These studies suggest that the U.S. PIRG’s allegations about negative health effects of phthalates are not supported by the weight of scientific evidence. Consumers and the media should be aware of efforts such as the PIRG toy survey to sensationalize this misinformation.
A phthalate commonly used in children’s toys is DINP. DINP has an extensive database that includes test results from studies that examined possible liver and kidney effects, cancer, reproduction, and development, as well as recent and ongoing research on endocrine modulation. Based on the extensive data available, there is no scientifically validated evidence that shows the use of phthalates in children's toys poses a human health risk. Therefore, the Phthalate Esters Panel agrees with the Toy Manufacturers of America when it says " Peer-reviewed scientific research has established what the toy industry has maintained all along – that toys made with vinyl are safe."
The Phthalate Esters Panel stands by the extensive research and testing that shows that phthalates in toys are safe in their intended use. This position is supported by other independent groups. The Consumer Products Safety Commission has said "...the amount that children may ingest does not reach a level that would be harmful." Further studies are being conducted by the CPSC and are expected to be published next year. Additionally, former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop chaired a 17-person panel of distinguished physicians and scientists which reviewed this very issue and concluded relative to a phthalate commonly used on toys, "...DINP in toys is not harmful for children in the normal use of these toys."
Since its inception 27 years ago, the Phthalate Esters Panel and its members have sponsored health and safety studies of phthalate esters, including activity related to children's health protection. The results of this research are shared with government agencies so that safety information can be made public and these materials can continue to be used in toys and the many other products that American families find so useful.
