The Unwelcoming Truth Behind Plasticizers in Healthcare

Abstract

First discovered in the early 1900s, plasticizers have caused controversy in the scientific community for decades (Oehlmann et al., 2009). Plasticizers are chemical substances that are added to plastic materials to promote flexibility and durability (Casale & Rice, 2022). In the healthcare setting, the most common plasticizer is a phthalate called di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP). DEHP has a half-life of 50 days, and it is used in products like blood infusion and nasogastric tubing (Rowdhawl & Chen, 2018). The DEHP in these medical tubes tends to leach out during use in humans, or after heating and cleaning processes (Rowdhawl & Chen, 2018). Currently, there is a discussion on whether DEHP should continue to be used in the medical field. This debate stems from opposing scientific and economic viewpoints. On one hand, DEHP should be banned due to its plethora of harmful effects on the human body (LC50 = 0.50 ppm) and the environment (Rowdhawl & Chen, 2018). These conclusions have been gradually established based on findings in human and rat models. Conversely, opponents to this motion state that the toxic harms of DEHP are overexaggerated, and that the use of alternative plasticizers is ineffective. Those in favour of continuing DEHP use also claim that feasible alternatives are too expensive and dismantle healthcare budgeting. Nonetheless, despite their widespread use in the medical field, toxic plasticizers, like DEHP, should be banned in medical settings. The arguments geared towards banning DEHP hold more power in comparison to the superficial arguments supporting its use.