Facts Regarding Phthalates.

Phthalates are organic molecules with a variety of consumer and industrial applications. Dozens of phthalates have been developed over the years, and some have been in use for nearly a century. The dozen or so types in general use today have some traits in common - they are clear liquids resembling common vegetable oil, have little or no smell, and do not readily evaporate. They all break down rapidly in the environment and in living organisms.

The larger-molecule phthalates are used primarily to make vinyl plastic flexible, in everything from your child's toys to your kitchen floor. They make possible the color-fast, durable, low maintenance qualities that make vinyl so valuable and so widely used in building materials, autos, toys, and even medical devices.

Many OMNOVA products containing phthalates are flexible sheets or films consisting of a vinyl polymer matrix. OMNOVA products which may contain phthalates include the following:

1. Wallcovering
2. Upholstery
3. Laminates
4. Performance films
5. Pool liner films
6. Interior Construction Systems wall surfaces
7. Ceiling tile films

Some advocacy groups complain that phthalates are all around us and therefore must pose some special kind of concern. But recent government data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that human exposure levels are far below minimum safety levels set by regulatory agencies. And because phthalates have been around for so long, and are so widely used, they are also one of the most widely studied and well understood families of chemicals.

Phthalates have established a very strong safety profile over the 50 years in which they have been in general use. There is no reliable evidence that any phthalate has ever caused a health problem for a human from its intended use. Despite this long record of safe use, some issues have been raised about possible human health effects. These are based on results of studies that showed some adverse health effects in rodents, at much higher exposures than normally would be encountered by people.

Since its inception in 1973, the Phthalate Esters Panel of the American Chemistry Council has invested millions of dollars of its member companies' funds in health and environmental research, resulting in more than one hundred peer-reviewed, published studies. Some of the research was requested by government regulatory agencies, but most of it was voluntary, to expand scientific knowledge of potential impacts phthalates may have on human health, wildlife, and the environment. Recent thorough reviews of the health effects of phthalates strengthen their safety profile. These include risk assessments concluded by the European Union, and exhaustive reviews by the U.S. National Toxicology Program. In addition, laboratory research suggests that health effects seen in rodents may be specific to that species, and not relevant to humans.