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| Name︰ | Nonylphenols, Phthalates and PAHs |
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It has been known that some industrial chemicals can act on the hormonal system and cause endocrine disruption. Today several hundred chemicals are known to have endocrine effects. The majority of these are phenolic or aromatic compounds.
In recent years, a link was established and discussed publicly between the reproductive damage which has been known for some time to occur in animals in the wild, epidemiological findings on an increase in testicular cancer, genital anomalies and changes in the human sperm count and quality, and a possible impact of "environmental s". The endocrine effects of even low concentrations of chemicals in the environment at sensitive development stages of organisms and the compound effect of different substances, which remains to be clarified, seem to pose particular problems in this connection.
Studies addressed that two of the chemicals – Nonylphenol and Phthalates are having endocrine effects and substances which are used as industrial chemicals and produced in volumes over 100 kilotons per annum in the Federal Republic of Germany. The substances - phthalates are used to soften PVC, and nonylphenols are starting substance for phenol resins but mainly for nonylphenol ethoxylates, emulsifiers with a surfactant effect. On the other hand, Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are discovered in many consumer products such as powertools, paint and plastics that it is assumed to be contaminants during manufacturing.
All three groups of substances are imported and exported on a large scale, whether as feedstocks or as processed (semi-finished and final) products. Like most environmental chemicals with endocrine effects, all three of the substances are aromatic compounds. Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) is benzene derivatives and Nonylphenol (NP) is phenol derivatives, while the phthalates are esters of benzene dicarboxylic acid.
Their presence and toxicity highly arouse the public concern and Germany Authority has imposed stringent measures to control their exposure.
The reputable German magazine Stiftung Warentest drew national attention by the publication of certain health effects associated with a number of consumer products. In 2005, black plastic handles in hammerset were complained for unpleasant smell and the cause was related to high content of organics while approximately 2000 milligrams of PAHs were determined. In the same year, it reported the presence of high levels of phthalates and nonylphenols (NPs) in Halloween party masks. The subsequent year revealed an article on pushchair buggies to contain significant amounts of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), plasticisers and organotin compounds. These aforementioned chemicals were mainly phenolic or aromatic substances and scientifically known to cause health effects. Nonylphenols, in particular, affect endocrine systems required to control growth and maturation.
Nonylphenol
Nonylphenols (NP) are members of the alkylphenol class and primarily used to manufacture cleaning agents and surfactants due to their wetting properties.
The Directive 2003/53/EC entered into force in 2003 and implementation in all EU member states, including Germany, was by January 2005. It states that NP “May not be placed on the market or used as a substance or constituent of preparations in concentrations equal to or higher than 0.1% by mass” ie the permissible level is 1000 mg/kg.
Phthalates
Phthalates are dialkyl or alkyl aryl esters of 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acids and are mainly used as 'plasticisers' or substances added to plastics [mainly polyvinyl chloride (PVC)] to increase their flexibility. Plasticised PVCs have found applications in medical tubings, blood-bags, footwear, stationeries, flooring and wall-coverings, electrical cable insulation, clothing and toys.
Germany transposed EU Directive 2005/84/EC (22nd amendment to Directive 76/769/EEC) for the restriction of phthalates into its national law by means of the Second Regulation amending the Ordinance on Commodities (Bedarfsgegenständeverordnung) and the Cosmetics Regulation (30 May 2006), published June 9 2006 (BGBl 2006, Part 1, nr. 26). The permissible limits are 0.1% (1000 mg/kg) for each phthalate or the sum of the phthalates as indicated in Table 1.
Category Phthalate CAS number
Toys and childcare articles Di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) 117-81-7
Dibutylphthalate (DBP) 84-74-2
Benzylbutylphthalate (BBP) 85-68-7
Toys and childcare articles that can be taken into the mouth by children Di-isononylphthalate (DINP) 28553-12-0 and 68515-48-0
Di-isodecylphthalate (DIDP) 26761-40-0 and 68515-49-1
Di-n-octylphthalate (DNOP) 117-84-0
Table 1. Restriction on the use of phthalates
Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous chemicals with more than 100 compounds making up this particular class. They are potential human carcinogens and found naturally in crude oil, creosote, coal tar and coal. They are formed by the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons and can be isolated from the processing of fossil fuels. They have important applications in the making of pharmaceuticals, dyes, plastics (soft PVC toys), pesticides, rubber (tool handles and decorative items) and paint. They can be accumulative in the environment as they do not readily dissolve in water and generally do not burn.
In 2005, a guideline was established to restrict the permissible levels of PAHs in accordance to section 30 of the Germany Lebensmittel-und Futtermittelgesetzbuch (LFGB), a body indicating that harmful substances should not be present in all consumer products.
The maximum permissible value for PAHs in product materials for the final consumer according to the recommendations of the experts discussion in Berlin, dated 2 August, 2005, is detailed in Table 2. The method should allow to determine concentrations of PAH components as low as 0.1 mg/kg.
Parameter Skin contact up to 30 seconds Skin contact longer than 30 seconds
Benzo(a)pyrene (mg/kg) 20 1
Sum of 16 PAHs (EPA) (mg/kg) 200 10
Table 2. PAH requirements for consumer products.
The requirement for PAHs is mandatory for Geprϋfte Sicherheit (GS) certification by Zentralstelle der Länder fϋr Sicherheitstechnik (ZLS) if electrical and electronic products are exported to Germany. Requirements for toys, food, childcare products and products foreseeable to be mouthed are indicated in Table 3.
Parameter Category 1
Materials in contact with food or which, in accordance with regulations, are taken into mouths Category 2
Materials in toys which do not fall in Category 1
Benzo(a)pyrene (mg/kg) Not detectable (< 0.1) 1
Sum of 16 PAHs (EPA) (mg/kg) 1 10
Table 3. PAH requirements for toys, food, childcare products and products foreseeable to be mouthed.
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