The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new action Wednesday to regulate five commonly used phthalate chemicals, citing health and environmental risks as part of the White House’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative. The decision marks a significant step in restricting chemicals widely used in plastics, construction materials, and industrial applications.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the agency’s review revealed that these phthalates “pose unreasonable risk to workers in specific industrial settings and to the environment.” The agency cited peer-reviewed science showing that exposure to the chemicals can disrupt hormones and cause reproductive harm, especially in males.
The five targeted phthalates include Butyl Benzyl Phthalate (BBP), Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Dicyclohexyl Phthalate (DCHP), Diethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP), and Diisobutyl Phthalate (DIBP). These chemicals are used to make plastics flexible in a wide range of consumer and industrial products.
The EPA will now begin crafting regulations to limit exposure, with a focus on protecting workers and the environment. The agency plans to consult with labor groups, industry leaders, and affected communities in creating what it calls “practical protections.”
Though human studies on phthalates are limited, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has documented several effects from animal studies, including disrupted puberty, reduced testosterone, lower sperm count, and developmental defects. The EPA’s MAHA report warns that phthalates may harm infants in utero and contribute to long-term hormonal imbalances.
The announcement follows similar efforts by the Food and Drug Administration to limit phthalate use in food packaging. Federal reports suggest industrial use of the chemicals is declining, but the EPA is aiming to accelerate that trend through regulatory action.
In a separate move, the EPA also said it would target nearly a dozen industrial uses of 1,3-butadiene, a gas found in adhesives, paints, and automotive products. Exposure to the chemical has been linked to leukemia, anemia, and birth defects.
