Children Exposed to Two Phthalates Have Elevated Risk of Asthma-Related Airway Inflammation

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120905135334.htm

ScienceDaily (Sep. 5, 2012) — Children exposed to diethyl phthalate (DEP) and butylbenzyl phthalate (BBzP) -- phthalate chemicals commonly found in personal care and plastic products -- have elevated risk of asthma-related airway inflammation, according to researchers at Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) at the Mailman School of Public Health.

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Phthalates are used widely in consumer products, including plastics, vinyl flooring, and personal care products, making exposure ubiquitous in the United States and other developed nations. Phthalates enter the body through ingestion, inhalation, and absorption through the skin. However, past research has suggested inhalation to be a particularly important route of exposure to the two phthalates associated with airway inflammation in this study. Several phthalates are known to disrupt the endocrine system and early-life exposure has been linked not only to asthma but also to adverse neurobehavioral and reproductive effects. A recent study by Dr. Just and other CCCEH investigators found that prenatal exposure to BBzP was linked with increased risk of childhood eczema.

The research was supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health grants

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