Alternative Plasticizers As Emerging Global Environmental and Health Threat: Another Regrettable Substitution?

Plasticizers are synthetic chemicals that are commonly used in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) based products, food packaging, children’s toys, medical devices, and adhesives. There are about 30 000 chemicals can potentially be utilized as plasticizers. (1) Phthalate plasticizers are a commonly utilized compound, comprising up to 85% of the total plasticizers in the market. (1) Phthalate plasticizers have been regarded as hazardous compounds due to numerous reports based on its toxicological effects, including bioaccumulation potential, endocrine disruption, carcinogenicity, and developmental defects. (1−4) These findings resulted in global regulation measures and control of typical phthalate plasticizers (5−7) and the introduction and mass production of alternative plasticizers (APs), including but not limited to adipates, benzoates, phosphate esters, citrates, sebacates, terephthalates, trimellitates, cyclohexane dicarboxylic acids, and biobased alternatives. (5,8) The shift to incorporate APs without completely understanding their toxicities may have similar detrimental impacts, akin to phthalate plasticizers.