As schools started to implement limited face-to-face classes, pro-environmental and non-profit groups discovered endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), particularly phthalates, in erasers for children that are being sold in local retail stores.
EcoWaste Coalition (EWC) and the Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) revealed Friday, March 25, that they already pitched for regulatory measures that will prohibit phthalates — a group of chemicals added to soften polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic — in erasers and other products for children.
“EDCs are linked to neurological and behavioral disorders, obesity and metabolic dysfunction, reproductive disorders, and hormone-sensitive cancers. The production and use of phthalates is a public health concern because several phthalates have been identified as EDCs,” the groups said.
The groups discovered significant amounts of the chemical after sending erasers bought in local stores from 11 different cities to a laboratory in South Korea.
"Children may be exposed to phthalates in erasers when they bite, chew, lick, suck or ingest parts of an eraser with phthalate additives, the groups warned, even as they recognize other potential sources of exposure to these known EDCs in the home and school environment," they said.
The groups added that they have partnered with the Wonjin Institute for Occupational and Environmental Health (WIOEH) and the Financial Industry Public Interest Foundation (FIPIF) to detect phthalates in erasers sold in the local market.
Out of 40 samples checked, WIOEH found that 31 contained one or more phthalates such as DEHP which is a cancer-causing substance), DBP, DiBP, and DINP; and 19 samples were more than 0.1 percent total limit for phthalates under South Korea’s “Special Act on the Safety of Children’s Products.”
The group also noted that eraser samples from the country labeled as “phthalate-free,” “PVC-free,” “non-PVC,” and “non-toxic” contain phthalates above the limit, indicating their availability in the local market.
Currently, EWC and IDIS have already informed the Department of Health (DOH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the results of their investigation and suggested them with recommended action points.