[Release of diethyl-2-hexyl phthalate from stored blood on contact with polyvinyl chloride]

Softness and flexibility of PVC are due to the addition of plasticizers in high concentration; the most used of them for blood storage bags is DEHP. In this work, a method for labelling DEHP with 14C from 14C phtalic anhydrid is given. A piece of PVC from a commercial blood bag is labelled, in our laboratory, with 14C DEHP and used to follow the kinetics of DEHP leaching in blood during storage. It is also used to study the influence of some parameters such as lipids amount of blood, shaking, and plastic sterilisation on this leaching. DEHP leaching is a three steps phenomenon and the level is not correlated to lipids content of blood. Thermal treatment of PVC and shaking have an influence on leaching. DEHP is not metabolised during blood storage at 4 degrees C and can not be detected as free molecule; it is absorbed on plasmatic proteins.