Phthalates | Plastic kills

It is not for nothing that they are called in English the everywhere chemicals : phthalates are present in many products or plastics that surround us. Despite several studies implicating them in diseases such as diabetes or obesity, few laws regulate their use, especially in everyday products. For the first time, American researchers have made the link between phthalates and a higher risk of mortality in humans, in particular linked to cardiovascular disease. They hope that this additional evidence will help to better regulate these chemicals.

Chloe Bourquin
Press

The omnipresence of phthalates

Shampoos, cosmetics, children’s toys, plastic food containers, floor coverings… and even in the plastic tubes used for infusions: phthalates are everywhere in our daily life. They are commonly added to plastics to make them softer. “They enter the body by contact with the skin, but also by inhalation – we find it in dust – or even by ingestion when they have been in contact with food”, explains Leonardo Trasande, professor at the New York University and principal investigator of a study published in October in the journal Environmental Pollution.

A risk of mortality of 1%

The study was carried out on 5,303 adults over the age of 20. It shows by extrapolation that, for the age group of 55-64 years of the American population, 100,000 deaths per year could be attributable to phthalates. This figure, “it is a bit to strike the imagination of people,” said Martin Juneau, cardiologist and director of prevention at the Montreal Heart Institute. He specifies that the risk of mortality linked to phthalates is actually close to 1%. Doesn’t it seem like much? Think again. “For example, a cholesterol medication, such as statins, lowers the risk [de mort cardiaque] from 1 %. Here, we are talking about a risk of total mortality – not just cardiovascular – of 1%. Out of a Canadian population of 38 million, that’s quite a few people, ”explains Dr.^r Juneau.

A long-standing problem

This recent study is far from the first to look at phthalates: for years now, the scientific community has been sounding the alarm bells about these chemicals. “In the literature, many studies link phthalates to the disruption of hormones and metabolism, or show that they promote obesity and diabetes,” says Leonardo Trasande. So far, few articles have linked them to cardiovascular disease, specifies Martin Juneau.

Establishing a cause and effect link: a major challenge

These studies are often experimental (done on animals) or epidemiological. For example, we can estimate exposure to phthalates “based on a dietary questionnaire or on lifestyle”, explains Dr.^r Juneau. But the study which has just been published stands out: “Here, we measured [les phtalates] directly in the urine, it is solid, ”he emphasizes.

However, no study can be done on humans to establish a causal link with certainty. “It’s a bit like tobacco. We cannot do randomized studies and make people smoke for 20 years, prevent others from smoking, and count the deaths, ”he explains. It is therefore necessary to gather a sufficient amount of evidence by multiplying the experimental and epidemiological studies, then “examine the results of the whole and determine whether there is sufficient evidence to act”.

However, experimental and epidemiological studies accumulate year after year, but few regulations have been put in place to limit the use of these chemicals in industry. Among the various phthalates, only DEHP is today considered by Health Canada to be toxic to health and the environment: it is prohibited in cosmetics, and limited in medical devices and children’s products. Other phthalates, such as PVC or DINP, are not regulated: yet, for example, DINP has been associated with a risk of cancer in rats and mice.

What to do to avoid phthalates?

While waiting for appropriate legislation, it is possible to adopt several habits to avoid contact with phthalates as much as possible in everyday life. “They are not expensive and do not require a doctorate in chemistry,” jokes Leonardo Trasande. “You have to avoid plastic containers as much as possible, cook as much as possible, consume as little ultra-processed food as possible, that’s always good advice. Never heat your lunch in a plastic container. Heat greatly increases the degradation of plastics, and it is then found in food, ”explains Martin Juneau.

View the study summary