Harmful plasticizers

Two scientists from Uludag University in Turkey have examined the potential transfer of harmful phthalates from toys onto the skin of children via sweat.1 Using an artificial sweat formula of sodium chloride, urea and lactic acid they extracted di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalates using GC–MS following activated carbon enrichment of samples.

The ultimate analytical conditions for the simultaneous determination of analyte from spiked artificial sweat was: pH (3.1), activated carbon amount (1.4 g L−1), adsorption time (55 min) and elution solvent (chloroform). These conditions were applied to study the migration of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate from three different children’s toys into artificial sweat. The detection limit of the method was 13.8 μg L−1, while the relative standard deviation value for the analysis of 100 µg L−1 (%) of the analyte was below 3.7% (n = 5).

The team concluded that their method will allow the transfer of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalates from toys to sweat to be estimated in future studies and risk assessments.

1. Elif Tümay Özer and Seref Güçer, Polymer Testing, 31(3), 474–480 (2012).

This story originally appeared in The Column. Click here to view that issue.