DEHP, a Dangerous Chemical Found in Plastics, May be Being Replaced by Equally Dangerous Chemicals

The chemicals used to replace DEHP, a probable human carcinogen, may be just as dangerous as DEHP itself, according to new research.

Consumer plastics manufacturers began removing DEHP from products about a decade ago. The move was hailed as an advancement in the interest of public health. Researchers said in an issue of the journal Hypertension, however, that the replacement chemicals may be just as dangerous, according to Time.com.

Researchers wrote in Hypertension that DINP and DIDP, two replacements for DEHP, have been linked to high blood pressure. In a separate study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, the same researchers said they found a link between the chemicals and insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes, Time.com reports.

“These data raise substantial concerns about similar health effects due to chemicals used to replace DEHP under the presumption that they don’t have the same, or different, adverse health effects,” says study author Leonardo Trasande, a professor at New York University. “Clearly there’s a need for further research,” he told Time.com.

Researchers looked for a link between DEHP replacements and various health problems using urine and blood samples from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and discovered a strong relationship between high levels of DINP and DIDP and both insulin resistance and high blood pressure, both of which have been linked to diabetes and other health problems, according to Time.com.

Like DEHP, the chemical BPA has been replaced by some companies in plastics such as baby bottles and cans of baby formula. BPA is an endocrine disrupter that damages reproductive health and causes other adverse health conditions. Research has shown that the chemicals used to replace both DEHP and BPA may have the exact same chemical structure as the originals, Time.com reports.

Study author Leonardo Trasande, a professor at New York University, told Time.com that it is difficult to eliminate untested chemicals from the supply because federal regulators consider chemicals “innocent until proven guilty.”

“What we need here is a reform that tests chemicals proactively before they’re used on the open market,” he said.

Until more research is done, Trasande recommends avoiding heating plastics in the microwave and throwing away scratched plastic containers to minimize contamination to food, Time.com reports.

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