Plasticizer is a general term for all chemicals that are added to materials (usually plastics or rubbers) to make them softer and more flexible. They are found in countless everyday items, including plastic shower curtains, shrink wrap, PVC raincoats, household flexible tubing and wire insulation.
Plasticizers, also known as phthalates, are also found in cosmetics such as nail polish, lotions, and shampoos. Here they act as stabilizers and maintain consistency. It also helps make products like lotions more water-resistant and last longer.
The use of certain plasticizers is prohibited or severely restricted in countries such as the EU, US, Canada, and Japan due to the potential for harmful effects on human health and the environment. However, it is still widely used elsewhere.
Plasticizers, which are added to plastics to make them more flexible, are commonly found in food packaging Image: Lucy Nicholson/REUTERS
For example, restrictions have become particularly strict when it comes to children’s toys, and in recent years German researchers have reported unusually high concentrations of strictly regulated plasticizers in young children.
Degradation products of the plasticizer mono-n-hexyl phthalate (MnHexP) were detected in 92% of urine samples from 259 children and adolescents collected across Germany in the spring and summer of 2025.
An initial study in 2024 found the same substance in almost two-thirds of urine samples from 250 children aged 2 to 6 in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia. This is a tenfold increase compared to three years ago.
A nationwide survey by Germany’s federal environment agency, UBA, at the time had already detected the chemical in about a third of the adult population.
“Based on recent results, we would not be surprised to find MnHexP in urine samples from children and adolescents,” he said. Dirk Messner, head of UBA, in mid-February. ”However, what surprised us was the large proportion of samples that were contaminated, and in some cases at very high concentrations. ”
UBA announced that a 2024 study identified sunscreens as a potential source of plasticizers. The agency added that this source is again likely to be included in the latest data collected in 2025, but other sources have not been ruled out.
How do plasticizers adversely affect human health?
Marieke Colossa Göring, a toxicologist at UBA until December 2025, told DW after the first study that the concentrations of the degradation product MnHexP detected in the children tested were high enough that in some cases “a health risk cannot be ruled out.” Still, most measurements remained below levels considered likely to cause harm.
MnHexP is a potential byproduct that remains in the body after ingesting or absorbing di-n-hexyl phthalate (DnHexP) through the skin or respiratory tract, but it can also come from other sources. DnHexP has been classified as a “substance of very high concern” by the European Chemicals Agency since 2013, and its use is strictly regulated.
Plasticizers everywhere
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In a 2013 analysis, the European Chemicals Agency found that DnHexP is “toxic for reproduction” in humans and can adversely affect fertility or “harm the unborn child.” This also applies to phthalate byproducts found in urine samples.
Phthalates are one of a group of plasticizers that have been used in the production of countless products and packaging over the years. However, some are considered endocrine disruptors when they leach from products or evaporate from surfaces and reach humans. That is, they can interfere with glands in the body that produce hormones that regulate growth, development, and reproduction.
Several studies have linked long-term exposure to a number of health problems in children, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, fertility, and neurological and respiratory problems. Animal studies also suggest that plasticizers may affect the risk of diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure.
Are there alternatives to plasticizers?
In the face of these concerns, researchers have investigated the potential of bio-based plasticizers. These include alternatives made from plants such as wheat, corn, rice and rapeseed oil, which may reduce the damage caused by traditional plasticizers.
Indian town known for non-toxic wooden toys
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However, some of these alternatives still do not perform as well as the plasticizers that have been used for decades, or are too expensive to manufacture. Also, although the health effects are less severe, they can still be associated with respiratory illnesses and dermatitis. Further research is also needed to examine whether these alternatives may have unintended environmental impacts.
Experts say one way to avoid plasticizers and their many drawbacks is to use products that are certified phthalate-free by their manufacturers. Certain plastic products are clearly labeled as such, and alternatives made from other materials (wooden toys, glass containers, metal camping utensils) don’t contain plastic in the first place.
This article was originally published on September 13, 2024 and updated on March 9, 2026.
Editor: Jennifer Collins
