How dangerous is the poison in the fruit doll?

Information of phthalate poisoning causing cancer in Chinese fruit-based dolls has confounded Vietnamese users. However, until now, perhaps not many people know what phthalate is and how dangerous it is?

Popular substances

In fact, phthalate is a very common group of chemicals especially in the PVC industry. Phthalates are used in addition to the production of plastics and paints to alter the basic properties of materials. It can make the plastic stronger, more flexible, more transparent or make it harder depending on the type of phthalate used.

Thanks to this property, phthalate appears to be common in human daily utensils, from automotive furniture, floor tiles, paints, medical devices, raincoats, children's toys, closed products. package of food, solvent for nail polish to other cosmetics . Almost any product that applies PVC technology, phthalate will also be present.

The advent of phthalate is therefore also associated with the development of the PVC industry. In the 1920s, the development of Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP, a substance of the phthalate group) replaced the camphor substance being used but left a very strong and unpleasant smell and created booming development of PVC industry.

Although mixed into plastic, phthalate does not produce covalent bonds with plastic molecules. Therefore, phthalate is easily released to the environment. The release rate of phthalate is faster when the plastic products are broken down or used for a long time.

Because of this property, phthalate easily penetrates human food when processing, cooking, and packing food with plastic products.

As a commonly used chemical, easily penetrates into food in everyday life, however, phthalate is also a very dangerous substance for human health.

All kinds of Chinese dolls on sale in the market contain toxic phthalate.

But toxic

In 2008, a Bulgarian study showed that the concentration of DEHP in the room air of children with asthma and hypersensitivity was much higher than that of other healthy children. "DEHP levels and asthma in children have a very clear association ," the study's author said.

At the end of August, a study by Columbia University's Mailman Community School of Medicine said that phthalate could be harmful to brain development, behavioral development and muscle coordination. children.

Another Canadian study in the 90s of the last century also showed that children were more exposed to phthalate than adults. According to the survey, infants exposed to about 9 micrograms / kg of weight / day and adults only contact about 6 micrograms / each weight / day.

According to experts, children who are hospitalized are also the most vulnerable to phthalate. In medical devices, the medical ducts contain from 20-40% DEHP weight devices. These devices are often heated (due to treatment or body temperature), which makes DEHP easily released to the environment.

In 2008, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) discovered a lot of phthalates in an eraser and warned that if children repeatedly inhaled or chewed these erasers, it would have a great effect. big to health.

Not only does it affect children, phthalates pose a lot of health risks to women because they are often exposed to cosmetic products, which contain a lot of phthalates.

According to a study by Davis (1994) and Lopez Carillo (2010), there is a clear connection between phthalate exposure and breast cancer caused by endocrine disorders.

In addition, there is evidence that phthalates also reduce testosterone (male sex hormones), an important ingredient for male sex development.

Many countries banned

There are still conflicting arguments about phthalates in the world and about whether or not to strictly prohibit the use of this substance. However, in the countries of the European Union, the US or Australia since 1999, there are strict regulations on the use of phthalates in the production of children's toys as well as daily life items. .

Since 1999, the European Union has continuously introduced regulations restricting the use of phthalates in children's toys. In particular, DEHP, BBP and DBP substances are restricted to children's toys. The substances DINP, DIDP or DNOP are only allowed to use limited in imported toy products.

European Union regulations specify that phthalate content should not be higher than 0.1% plasticity of toys. However, the European Union's regulations have not yet expired, using phthalates in other products.

In the US, in August 2008, the US Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which has laws that clearly regulate the use of phthalates in young toys. I produce in the US and import into the United States. Accordingly, the content of phthalates in children's toys must be less than 0.1% of the weight of that play hill.

Since 2009, phthalates have been restricted to California children's toys.

In Australia, in January 2010, the Australian government also issued a ban on products with phthalate content higher than 1% because it affects fertility.