Los ftalatos y su impacto en los derechos humanos

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law examines the health impacts of phthalates—industrial chemicals used as plasticizers—and argues that their ubiquity and toxicity violate several fundamental human rights, including the rights to health, life, adequate housing, and information.

• Phthalates are industrial chemicals used as plasticizers to provide flexibility and durability to polymers like polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Because they are not chemically bound to the PVC matrix, they can leach, migrate, or evaporate throughout their lifecycle, contaminating air, water, food, and other goods.
• Phthalates are suspected carcinogens and endocrine disruptors that can interfere with normal hormonal activity. Specific adverse effects include genital malformations in males, reduced semen quality and fertility, impacts on the age of puberty in girls, and associations with obesity, asthma, and diabetes.
• DEHP is one of the most widely used phthalates and is linked to fetal testosterone reduction, newborn malformations, and breast and testicular cancers. It is also suspected of having neurotoxicity and immunity toxicity related to autism spectrum disorders.
• Children and fetuses are particularly vulnerable to phthalates. Exposure occurs through various sources, including infant formula, baby food, toys, and maternal exposure during the fetal stage. In the EU, a study estimated a 40% to 60% probability that phthalate exposure causes 53,900 cases of obesity and 2,500 new cases of diabetes in older women.
• Occupational exposure is a significant risk for workers in plastics and chemical synthesis, including those in the automotive plastics sector. A 2012 study of women in the automotive plastics sector with 10 years of exposure showed a five-fold increase in the likelihood of developing premenopausal breast cancer.
• Indoor environments are frequently contaminated by phthalates from furniture, wall and floor coverings, and aerosols, as people spend 65% to 90% of their time indoors. In Bulgaria, studies of children indicate that DEHP contributes to asthma symptoms and alters the nasal mucosa response in allergic individuals.
• Phthalates contaminate the food and water supply through packaging and leaching. High levels of DEHP have been detected in milk (31.4 mg/liter) and cheese (35 mg/kg). Bottled water stored at 4ºC showed higher levels of DMP, DEP, BBP, and DEHP than water stored at room temperature.
• Regulatory responses vary by region. The EU banned certain phthalates in toys since 1999 and added BBP, DEHP, DBP, and DIBP to its authorization list under REACH in 2011. In the US, the EPA has an Action Plan for phthalates, and certain compounds are restricted in children's toys. Despite these, DEHP still represents nearly 50% of global consumption, with high use in China, India, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). Los ftalatos y su impacto en los derechos humanos. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/HR_Phthalates_SPA-1.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Los ftalatos y su impacto en los derechos humanos. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/HR_Phthalates_SPA-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Los ftalatos y su impacto en los derechos humanos |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/HR_Phthalates_SPA-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndlos, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Los ftalatos y su impacto en los derechos humanos}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/HR_Phthalates_SPA-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }