Verywell Health recently published a story on phthalates containing a number of false and misleading claims. We reached out to the editors at Verywell and asked them to correct these errors – or remove the article entirely – to avoid misinforming readers. Regrettably, they ignored our request. To ensure the public has the facts, we’re publishing the information we sent to Verywell here:

I am writing on behalf of The Vinyl Institute in response to a deeply flawed story (“Are Phthalates in Plastic Safe,” 2.2.22) by Lana Barhum in Verywell containing demonstrably false information about phthalates and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This story makes a number of distorted claims that demand the swift removal of this article from a website under dotdash’s portfolio of websites. If you are not the editor for this site, I’d appreciate it if you would forward it to the appropriate person. I’ve also sent our concerns to Dr. Rochelle Langford Collins the day it was published.

I’ll be specific and highlight just a few of the story’s errors here:

“PVC is the most used plasticizer in the world”: This false statement by the author reveals a fundamental lack of understanding of what PVC material is, and how it’s made. PVC is not a plasticizer – plasticizers are materials that are added to certain PVC compounds that are converted into flexible products.

Phthalates are not used to make PVC: Not all PVC contains phthalates, as the reporter claims. In fact, not even all of the flexible PVC market uses some version of a phthalate. There are dozens of different chemistries used as plasticizer additives that make certain PVC products flexible. PVC is inherently rigid, and many products – plumbing pipes, vinyl siding, window frames as examples – do not contain plasticizers. Even thin calendared PVC used often to protect pharmaceutical products and other goods is bendable, but does not use plasticizer chemistry. Shower curtains and electrical cables etc., are examples of PVC where plasticizers have been added to allow the products to bend easily.

Most toy manufacturers no longer use phthalates: The vast majority of toy manufacturers shifted away from using the same phthalates they once used in children’s products nearly 15 years ago. These plasticizers have not been allowed in toys sold in Europe since 2005 and in the U.S. since 2008. To state, as the author does, that phthalates “are used” in soft plastic teethers and baby toys “and can be hazardous to a baby’s health” deceives readers, as most toy manufacturers moved to non-phthalate plasticizers well over a decade ago.

Personal care products do not contain high amounts of phthalates: The author makes the false claim that “beauty and skin care products, including shampoos, perfumes, hair sprays, and cosmetics, can contain high amounts of phthalates.” It is highly unlikely to find phthalates such as BBP or DIDP in personal care products. And the phthalate DEP is generally used as a fragrance carrier only in extremely small amounts.

The author draws incomplete study conclusions and makes statements that are scientifically unsupported: The Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology study the author references found that some plasticizers could be detected in a higher percent of the fast foods tested -- but at very low levels (below 100 parts per million). Failure by the author to note this important qualifying fact leaves readers with a false impression of the study’s findings. And the author offers no evidence to support her claim that "phthalate free" packaging may not necessarily be free of all phthalates.

I urge strongly that you remove this story immediately from your website so that readers are not further misled.

Sincerely,
Susan Wade
Vice President of Marketing and Communications
The Vinyl Institute