EPA Flags Five Phthalates as Health Hazards, New Rules Loom
Published Date: 1/6/2026
Notice
Summary
The EPA just finished checking five chemicals—BBP, DBP, DCHP, DEHP, and DIBP—and found they can harm people and the environment. Companies using these chemicals will soon face new rules to keep everyone safe. These changes could affect products and might mean some costs for businesses, with actions starting soon.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
EPA Will Regulate Five Phthalates
EPA announced final risk evaluations (published January 6, 2026) finding BBP, DBP, DCHP, DEHP, and DIBP pose unreasonable risks. Under TSCA section 6(a), EPA must initiate and propose risk-management rules to address those risks, and it will consider the 'reasonably ascertainable economic consequences' when selecting requirements.
Workers Found at Health Risk
EPA found non-cancer inhalation risks to workers for specific conditions of use: BBP (driven by 2 COUs), DBP (5 COUs), DCHP (2 COUs), DEHP (10 COUs), and DIBP (4 COUs). EPA said it will initiate risk management under TSCA section 6(a) to address those worker exposure risks.
Environmental Risks to Aquatic Life
EPA found unreasonable risks to the environment, especially aquatic organisms, driven by multiple conditions of use: BBP (environmental risk driven by 7 COUs), DBP (1 COU), DEHP (20 COUs, with 18 COUs also driven by sediment pore water), and DIBP (7 COUs). DCHP did not show environmental unreasonable risk under any COUs.
Consumers Not Identified at Risk
For BBP, DBP, DCHP, DEHP, and DIBP, EPA did not identify unreasonable risk of injury to consumers or the general population under any conditions of use. The final risk evaluations explicitly state that consumers and the general population were not found to face unreasonable risks.
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