Faye Flam, “Male Interrupted,” Philadelphia Inquirer, October 27, 2008

Inquirer staff writer Faye Flam begins her piece on phthalates and possible human health effects by reporting that a Philadelphia surgeon is seeing double the number of baby boys, since he started practice 30 years ago, in need of repairs to their genitalia. Surgeon Howard Snyder hypothesizes that some of them have been exposed to phthalates in the womb. These “hormone-disrupting chemicals” are, according to Flam, found in everything from perfumes, hand and body lotions, nail polishes, deodorants, shower curtains, and children’s toys to IV tubing in hospitals. Phthalates apparently “interfere with the synthesis of testosterone,” and a study conducted by a University of Rochester researcher involving 134 boys born to women tested for compounds metabolized from phthalates showed that “boys whose mothers were most exposed to certain phthalates were more likely to have undescended testicles and to have smaller penises.”

Chemistry trade groups reportedly challenge such research, saying the studies are too small to be valid or involve animal data that may not apply to humans. An American Chemistry Council spokesperson noted that dozens of studies have found no link between phthalate exposure and adult diseases. The director of an environmental advocacy group reportedly said that animal data alone is cause for concern. “There’s a huge animal database showing how exposures to phthalates during development can have effects at levels hundreds of times lower than those needed to show any impact on an adult,” he was quoted as saying. Other researchers are apparently seeking grants to test findings already made; at least one suggests that warning labels should be provided for pregnant women.