A new study at Karlstad University in Sweden shows that phthalates from PVC flooring materials shows that children can ingest these softening agents with food but also by breathing and through the skin.
Phthalates are a group of chemical compounds that occur in a great number of common consumer goods. They are suspected of disrupting hormones and may be related to several chronic diseases in children, like asthma and allergies.
Earlier studies showed that PVC flooring can be tied to the occurrence of phthalates in indoor dust, and that exposure for BBzP in indoor dust could be associated with allergic conditions in children. This study shows that the uptake of phthalates in infants ( which are banned from use in children’s toys because of health risks) can be related to flooring materials using softened PVC in the home. “With this study as a basis, we can establish that there are other sources that should be taken into consideration in regard to the uptake of banned chemicals and that we do not only ingest them in our food,” says Carl-Gustaf Bornehag, professor of public health at Karlstad University and leader of the study. The findings also show that phthalates can be taken up in different ways, both through food and probably through breathing and through the skin.
So what we really need to do is eliminate phthalates altogether.
