Phthalic acid esters--an overview.

In recent years those in the scientific community concerned with environmental and public health have been called upon to consider two categories of previously unsuspected materials characterized by wide distribution and long persistence in the environment: mercury, especially organic mercury, and the chlorinated diphenyls (PCBs). To a significant extent this conference presents again the same types of problems previously posed by mercurials and PCBs. We should note, however, one important difference which suggests that fundamental progress has been made: previously, with respect to mercury and PCBs, serious epidemics of overt disease had arisen which stimulated an intensive search for the respective etiologies; we are today in the clearly preferable position of having an etiology which is searching for a disease. The matter of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in the environment has come to our attention through the efforts of inquiring scientists who noted the persistent appearance of an unknown substance in dissimilar media. While we can take no credit from these conscientious observers, it is here in a sense distressing to note that for many years it had been known that plasticizers are extractable from blood bags and tubing and yet this information was not fully exploited or disseminated to parties who might have had an interest in the subject. We have heard that the annual production of the various phthalic diesters approximates