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Updated: May 5, 2026
Routine Screening Method for Microparticles in Platelet Transfusions
Published on: January 31, 2018
Donor exposure to the plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate during plateletpheresis
Christoph Buchta1, Claudia Bittner, Paul Höcker
1Department of Blood Group Serology and Transfusion Medicine and the Institute for Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Vienna General Hospital, University of Vienna, Medical School, Vienna, Austria.
Background:
Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) is a plasticizer that is contained in most PVC devices, including apheresis disposables. Because DEHP can be extracted from apheresis disposables as the blood passes through the apheresis device, DEHP exposure was determined in healthy donors undergoing plateletpheresis performed with commercially available apheresis systems.
Study Design And Methods:
The study population consisted of 36 healthy PLT donors undergoing plateletpheresis with either continuous or discontinuous apheresis devices. Serum concentrations of DEHP were determined from peripheral blood obtained before and after plateletpheresis, with gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy.
Results:
Plateletpheresis performed with standard collection disposables resulted in a median increase of 232 percent of serum DEHP compared to levels before apheresis, corresponding to a total amount of DEHP exposed during a single apheresis of a median of 6.46 (range, 1.8-20.3) microg per kg of body weight. Endogenous levels of triglycerides showed a positive correlation with the amount of DEHP released. Increase in serum DEHP was short-term as serum DEHP rapidly returned to levels obtained before apheresis within 3 hours after completion of the apheresis course. Donor exposure to DEHP led to no variation in liver cell function within 48 hours after plateletpheresis.
Conclusion:
Commercial plateletpheresis disposables release considerable amounts of DEHP during the apheresis procedure, but the total dose of DEHP retained by the donor is within the normal range of DEHP exposure of the general population.
