Phthalate Testing

Testing Services for Phthalate Esters

Phthalate ester plasticizers are commonly used to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics flexible and more durable. Some phthalate esters have been identified as being harmful to health, such as the ortho-phthalates diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP). Consequently, the uses of specific phthalate esters in toys and other children’s items are regulated in the U.S., Canada, the EU and elsewhere. The uses of these chemicals in medical devices are also commonly regulated.

Due to concerns about potential human exposures to phthalate esters, a number of manufacturers outside of the targeted industries have also sought to limit the use these chemicals in their products.

Berkeley Analytical tests samples of solid and wet-applied materials and products for their content of regulated phthalate esters (please note that we do not test food, beverage, or dietary supplement samples). Our phthalate ester testing services are used by manufacturers, importers, and distributors to meet a number of common objectives including:

• Manufacturing quality control,
• Product/material selection,
• Supply chain management, e.g. recycled materials, and
• Support of “Phthalate Free” and other environmental product claims

Berkeley Analytical is:

• ISO/IEC 17025 Accredited for standard methods CPSC-CH-C1001-09.4 and U.S. EPA Method 8270E and Method 3545A used for the analysis of phthalate content;
• Recognized as a CPSC-Accepted laboratory for the analysis of phthalates in products; and
• Biennial participant in international inter-laboratory studies for the content of phthalates in plastics.

We routinely analyze PVC products and materials for their content of the following 11 phthalate esters with reporting limits of 500 ppm (0.05% by weight).

As noted by the CPSC, the following types of plastic are not expected to contain phthalate esters:

• polypropylene (PP),
• polyethylene (PE),
• high-impact polystyrene (HIPS),
• acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS),
• general-purpose polystyrene (GPPS),
• medium-impact polystyrene (MIPS), and
• super-high-impact polystyrene (SHIPS).

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