Abstract
During the manufacture of products containing butylbenzyl phthalate (BBP), low emissions to the air may occur. Due to potential exposure of terrestrial communities to BBP vapors, phytotoxicity tests were conducted using Chinese cabbage, white mustard, and white clover. No significant effects on shoot growth were observed at the higher BBP vapor-phase concentration tested, which measured 5.7 μg/m3. The overall practicality of vapor-phase testing of chemicals with very low vapor pressures is reviewed. These study results suggest that environmental risk from exposure to BBP vapor is negligible for plants.
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Acknowledgments
The American Chemistry Council, Phthalate Esters Panel and European Council for Plasticizers and Intermediates funded this study. C. Bradlee, D. Peterson, and K. Robillard provided useful guidance on study design.
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Gorsuch, J.W., Staples, C.A., Brown, D. et al. Vapor-Phase Toxicity of Butylbenzyl Phthalate to Three Plant Species: White Mustard, Chinese Cabbage, and White Clover. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 81, 220–224 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-008-9449-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-008-9449-y