Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals used in Plastic Industries: A Cause of Concern and Need for Alternatives

Polymer material studies have grown as a multidisciplinary science for combating the demands and challenges of the customers. Plastic and polymeric products have multiple applications ranging from packaging, building materials, nanofabrics, implants, polymer aided drugs to biomedical devices and accessories. Internationally there is increasing concern due to adverse developmental and reproductive effects in mammalian animal models. Phthalic Acid Esters (PAEs) or phthalates have fugitive nature and are extensively used as plasticizers for the production of items of varied composition ranging from daily usage consumer items to personal care products. The annual worldwide production is estimated to exceed five million tonnes. PAEs are issue of great concern worldwide due to toxicity and multidimensional studies have been conducted during last five decades. To meet global challenges of environment friendly solutions, the polymers of current generation are generally superior to any previous generation products due to significant improvement in characterization, machinery, designing tools, fabrication etc. The acceptance of finished products may suffer unless robust quality control steps are followed and legislation is strict for enforcement. The exposure to PAEs may be assessed by several methods viz analyzing urine for their metabolites as it is rapidly metabolized to its monoester and also glucuronidated. The extensive in vitro and in vivo toxicity studies had been conducted for understanding the mutagenic, developmental, reproductive, neurobehavioral implications. They may bioaccumulate in invertebrates, fish and plants but do not get biomagnified as higher animals efficiently metabolize and excrete phthalates. It may leach from the plastics that are dumped at municipal landfills. Efforts are being made to search or develop comparatively safe plasticizers preferably from natural resources. The synergy between natural polymers and the safe additives sciences are appreciated and efforts for translational R & D are in progress. Innovative and stimulated development of several value added degradable functional polymers in electronics, architecture, intelligent packaging are the need of the present times. Computer aided polymer designing using structure activity relationship, functional techniques with appropriate sequencing may offer uniformity and quality control. Relevance of both clinical and non clinical data along with knowledge of the technical specifications of polymeric product, toxicity profile and regulatory guidelines at International platforms can never be underestimated. Dissemination of the state of art knowledge to the beneficiaries must be percolated as per needs. They are needed to holistically plan for appropriate usage with appropriate preventive measures for minimizing the adverse implications. In order to meet future requirements, capacity building for systematic sampling, monitoring and management are to be created under guidance of trained manpower.