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As part of the
Drinking Water and Health
pages, this fact sheet is
part of a larger
publication:
National
Primary Drinking Water
Regulations
This is a
factsheet about a chemical that
may be found in some public or
private drinking water supplies.
It may cause health problems if
found in amounts greater than
the health standard set by the
United States Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA).
What is DEHP and how is it used?
Di
(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate, or
DEHP, is the most commonly used
of a group of related chemicals
called phthalates or phthalic
acid esters. The greatest use of
DEHP is as a plasticizer for
polyvinylchloride (PVC) and
other polymers including rubber,
cellulose and styrene. A number
of packaging materials and
tubings used in the production
of foods and beverages are
polyvinyl chloride contaminated
with phthalic acid esters,
primarily DEHP.
The list of trade
names given below may help you
find out whether you are using
this chemical at home or work.
Trade Names
|
DEHP
BEHP
Dioctyl phthalate
Pittsburgh PX-138
Platinol AH
RC Plasticizer DOP
Reomol D79P
|
Sicol 150
Staflex DOP
Truflex DOP
Vestinol AH
Vinicizer 80
Palatinol AH
Hercoflex 260
|
|
Kodaflex DOP
Mollan O
Nuoplaz DOP
Octoil
Eviplast 80
Fleximel
|
Flexol DOP
Good-rite GP264
Hatcol DOP
Ergoplast FDO
DAF 68
Bisoflex 81
|
Why is DEHP
being Regulated?
In 1974, Congress
passed the Safe Drinking Water
Act. This law requires EPA to
determine safe levels of
chemicals in drinking water
which do or may cause health
problems. These non-enforceable
levels, based solely on possible
health risks and exposure, are
called Maximum Contaminant Level
Goals.
The MCLG for
phthalate has been set at zero
because EPA believes this level
of protection would not cause
any of the potential health
problems described below.ac
Based on this
MCLG, EPA has set an enforceable
standard called a Maximum
Contaminant Level (MCL). MCLs
are set as close to the MCLGs as
possible, considering the
ability of public water systems
to detect and remove
contaminants using suitable
treatment technologies.
The MCL has
been set at 6 parts per billion
(ppb) because EPA believes,
given present technology and
resources, this is the lowest
level to which water systems can
reasonably be required to remove
this contaminant should it occur
in drinking water.
These
drinking water standards and the
regulations for ensuring these
standards are met, are called
National Primary Drinking Water
Regulations. All public water
supplies must abide by these
regulations.
What are the
Health Effects?
Short-term: EPA
has found phthalate to
potentially cause the following
health effects when people are
exposed to it at levels above
the MCL for relatively short
periods of time: mild
gastrointestinal disturbances,
nausea, vertigo.
Long-term:
Phthalate has the potential to
cause the following effects from
a lifetime exposure at levels
above the MCL: damage to liver
and testes; reproductive
effects; cancer.
How much DEHP
is produced and released to
the environment?
Disposal of
polyvinyl chloride and other
DEHP-containing materials by
incineration, landfill, etc.,
will result in the release of
DEHP into the environment. DEHP
has been detected in the
effluent of numerous industrial
plants.
From 1987
to 1993, according to EPA's
Toxic Chemical Release
Inventory, DEHP releases to land
and water totalled over 500,000
lbs., of which about 95 percent
was to land. These releases were
primarily from rubber and
plastic hose industries. The
largest releases occurred in
Wisconsin and Tennessee.
What happens
to DEHP when it is released to
the environment?
DEHP will adhere
to soil, and so will neither
evaporate nor leach into
groundwater. DEHP has a strong
tendency to adsorb to soil and
sediments. In water, it will be
degraded by microbes in a matter
of weeks. DEHP does have a
tendency to accumulate in
aquatic organisms.
How will DEHP
be Detected in and Removed
from My Drinking Water?
The regulation for
phthalate became effective in
1994. Between 1993 and 1995, EPA
required your water supplier to
collect water samples every 3
months for one year and analyze
them to find out if phthalate is
present above 0.6 ppb. If it is
present above this level, the
system must continue to monitor
this contaminant.
If
contaminant levels are found to
be consistently above the MCL,
your water supplier must take
steps to reduce the amount of
phthalate so that it is
consistently below that level.
The following treatment methods
have been approved by EPA for
removing phthalate: Granular
activated charcoal.
How will I
know if DEHP is in my
drinking water?
If the levels of
phthalate exceed the MCL, 6 ppb,
the system must notify the
public via newspapers, radio, TV
and other means. Additional
actions, such as providing
alternative drinking water
supplies, may be required to
prevent serious risks to public
health.
Drinking
Water Standards
Mclg: zero
Mcl: 6 ppb
DEHP Releases
to Water and Land, 1987 to
1993 (in pounds)
| TOTALS* (in pounds) |
16,910
|
471,191
|
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Top Five States*
|
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WI
|
500
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255,000
|
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TN
|
3,491
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80,419
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OH
|
268
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62,982
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NJ
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3,956
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23,139
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NY
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500
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13,284
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Major Industries
|
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Misc rubber product
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274
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311,900
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Rubber, plastic hose
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10
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80,019
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Cyclic crudes, intermed
|
3,099
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12,200
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* Water/Land totals only include
facilities with releases greater
than 100 lbs.
Learn more
about your drinking water!
EPA strongly
encourages people to learn more
about their drinking water, and
to support local efforts to
protect and upgrade the supply
of safe drinking water. Your
water bill or telephone book's
government listings are a good
starting point.
Your local water
supplier can give you a list of
the chemicals they test for in
your water, as well as how your
water is treated.
Your state
Department of Health/Environment
is also a valuable source of
information.
For help in
locating these agencies or for
information on drinking water in
general, call: EPA's Safe
Drinking Water Hotline: (800)
426-4791.
For
additional information on the
uses and releases of chemicals
in your state, contact the:
Community Right-to-Know Hotline:
(800) 424-9346
List of
Contaminants
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