Diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP) is a commonly used

plasticizer A plasticizer ( UK: plasticiser) is a substance that is added to a material to make it softer and more flexible, to increase its plasticity, to decrease its viscosity, and/or to decrease friction during its handling in manufacture. Plasticizer ...

used in the production of

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic polymers, synthetic or Semisynthesis, semisynthetic materials composed primarily of Polymer, polymers. Their defining characteristic, Plasticity (physics), plasticity, allows them to be Injection moulding ...

and plastic coating to increase flexibility. It is a mixture of compounds derived from the

esterification In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an acid (either organic or inorganic) in which the hydrogen atom (H) of at least one acidic hydroxyl group () of that acid is replaced by an organyl group (R). These compounds contain a distin ...

phthalic acid In organic chemistry, phthalic acid is an aromatic dicarboxylic acid, with formula and structure . Although phthalic acid is of modest commercial importance, the closely related derivative phthalic anhydride is a commodity chemical produced on ...

and isomeric decyl alcohols. The coating on furnishings, cookware, pharmaceutical pills, food wrappers and many other products may have DIDP or other phthalates in them. There has been recent concern in the US and European Union for their

toxicity Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacteria, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect o ...

and

bioaccumulative Bioaccumulation is the gradual accumulation of substances, such as pesticides or other chemicals, in an organism. Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a substance faster than it can be lost or eliminated by catabolism and excretion. ...

quality. The European Union has set a maximum specific migration limit (SML) from

food contact materials Food contact materials or food contacting substances (FCS) are materials that are intended to be in contact with food. These can be things that are quite obvious like a glass or a can for soft drinks as well as machinery in a food factory or a ...

of 9 mg/kg food for the sum of diisodecyl phthalates and

diisononyl phthalate Diisononyl phthalate (DINP) is a phthalate used as a plasticizer. DINP is typically a mixture of chemical compounds consisting of various isononyl esters of phthalic acid۔ Use It is commonly used in a large variety of plastic products includ ...

s. DIDP has been listed since 2007 under

Proposition 65 Proposition 65 (formally titled The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, and also referred to as Prop 65) is a California law passed by direct voter initiative in 1986 by a 63%–37% vote. Its goals are to protect drinking wate ...

as a substance known to the state of California to cause reproductive toxicity. The similar compound DINP is also listed. In 2013, ECHA's Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) concluded that Di-isodecyl phthalate (DIDP) does not warrant classification for reprotoxic effects under the EU's Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) regulation.

References

{{HealthIssuesOfPlastics Plasticizers Phthalate esters

See also

References