Decreased accumulation of phthalate plasticizer during storage of blood as packed cells

Accumulation of phthalate plasticizer (di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, DEHP) was markedly reduced in blood stored as packed cells rather than as whole blood. After the first week, the accumulation rate in whole blood was essentially linear, but in packed cells DEHP accumulation was lower, and reached a plateau. At three weeks whole blood contained about three times more DEHP than did packed cells. Smaller amounts of plasma and restricted diffusion probably limited DEHP accumulation in packed cell preparations.