Phthalates and Cumulative Risk Assessment : The Tasks Ahead

People are exposed to a variety of chemicals throughout their daily lives. To protect public health, regulators use risk assessments to examine the effects of chemical exposures. This book provides guidance for assessing the risk of phthalates, chemicals found in many consumer products that have been shown to affect the development of the male reproductive system of laboratory animals. Because people are exposed to multiple phthalates and other chemicals that affect male reproductive development, a cumulative risk assessment should be conducted that evaluates the combined effects of exposure to all these chemicals. The book suggests an approach for cumulative risk assessment that can serve as a model for evaluating the health risks of other types of chemicals. Table of ContentsFront MatterSummary1 Introduction2 Phthalate Exposure Assessment in Humans3 Toxicity Assessment4 Current Practice in Risk Assessment and Cumulative Risk Assessment5 Cumulative Risk Assessment of Phthalates and Related Chemicals6 Data Gaps and Research NeedsAppendix A: Statement of TaskAppendix B: Biographic Information on the Committee on Health Risks of PhthalatesAppendix C: Analysis of a Mixture of Five Phthalates: A Case StudyAppendix D: Evaluating Multiple End Points Simultaneously in a Mixture of Three Antiandrogens: A Case Study