Bis-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, an ubiquitous environmental contaminant

Bis-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is the most commonly used plasticizing agent for the widely used plastic polyvinylchloride (PVC). Consequently, this compound is found everywhere in the environment of civilization, where it is in frequent contact with every person. Blood storage bags and tubing, food wrappers, and many children's toys contain appreciable amounts of DEHP. Given this frequency of exposure, the toxic potential of the compound has become a major concern. Many workers have demonstrated its exceedingly low acute toxicity, while results from chronic exposure studies have been mixed. However, in 1982 the National Toxicology Program reported a significantly increased incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in rats and mice exposed to high doses of DEHP over a period of two years. The significance of these studies remains in question. Bis-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate is metabolized extensively by mammals, but reports of the direct study of the toxic effects of its metabolites are few. Efficient methods for analysis of biological samples for DEHP are available, but they are complicated by the constant presence of this compound as a contaminant.