Dibutyl phthalate: Health effects
Description
Inhalation exposure, at high levels, of dibutyl phthalate may include irritation of the eyes, nose and throat. It may cause nausea, tearing of the eyes, vomiting, dizziness, and headache. Long-term exposures may cause liver and kidney damage. Dibutyl phthalate may harm the developing foetus and the male testes.
Entering the body
Dibutyl phthalate can enter the body when a person breathes air containing it, or when a person drinks water or eats food that has been containing with the compound. Dibutyl phthalate can enter the body through the skin, but this is very slow.
Exposure
Dibutyl phthalate is used extensively throughout society, it is now widespread in the environment. Most people are exposed to low levels in air, water, and food. In many cases the largest source of exposure is from food containing dibutyl phthalate. Some of the dibutyl phthalate in food is from plastics used to wrap and store the food and certain types of food (especially fish and shellfish) may absorb larger quantities of dibutyl phthalate (from 50 to 500 parts per billion). Air and water also contains small levels of dibutyl phthalate. Levels in city air are found to be 0.03 to 0.06 parts per billion. In drinking supplies it is found at 0.1 to 0.2 parts per billion. At these low levels dibutyl phthalate is not expected to cause any harmful effects.
Exposure at higher levels may occur in a number of ways; workers in the industries that use or produce dibutyl phthalate are at risk of exposure. Consumers can be exposed to higher levels of dibutyl phthalate by exposure to air from production and processing facilities using dibutyl phthalate.
Health guidelines
According to Worksafe Australia:
For dibutyl phthalate, it is allowable for workers to be exposed to concentrations of 0.005 grams per cubic metre of air over an eight-hour workshift.
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