What are plasticizers, and are they bad for our health?

"Plasticizers are a general term for a whole range of chemicals added to materials, typically plastic and rubber, to make them softer and more pliable. They're found in countless everyday items like plastic shower curtains, shrink-wrap, PVC raincoats or flexible tubing and wire insulation for homes. Plasticizers, sometimes called phthalates, are also found in cosmetics, like nail polishes, lotions and shampoos."

"A breakdown product of the plasticizer, mono-n-hexyl phthalate (MnHexP), was detected in 92% of urine samples from 259 children and adolescents taken in spring and summer 2025 across Germany. In an initial investigation in 2024, that same product was found in nearly two-thirds of urine samples from 250 kindergarten-age children in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia a tenfold increase compared to three years earlier."

"The use of certain plasticizers has been banned or severely restricted in places like the EU, US, Canada and Japan, due to their potentially harmful effects on human health or the environment. But they remain widely used elsewhere."

Plasticizers are chemicals widely used in plastics, rubber, and cosmetics to enhance flexibility, pliability, and product consistency. They appear in everyday items like shower curtains, PVC raincoats, wire insulation, nail polish, and lotions. While certain plasticizers have been banned or restricted in the EU, US, Canada, and Japan due to health and environmental concerns, they remain widely used globally. Recent German research reveals alarming contamination levels: a regulated plasticizer breakdown product called mono-n-hexyl phthalate (MnHexP) was detected in 92% of urine samples from children and adolescents in 2025, and nearly two-thirds of kindergarten-age children in 2024, representing a tenfold increase over three years. The chemical was also found in approximately one-third of the adult population.

Read at www.dw.com