On June 6, 2013 the developer of international voluntary consensus standards ASTM International released a new standard test to determine low level migration of phthalates. The method aims to ensure compliance with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPIA) of 2008, Section 108, which prohibits certain products, including toys, from containing 6 phthalates. The new test method uses thermal desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify 1,2-benzenedicarboxylicacid (DBP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), bis(2-ethyhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), di(n-dioctyl) phthalate (DNOP), 1,2-benzenedicarboxylicacid (DINP) and 1,2-benzenedicarboxylicacid (DIDP).
5 of the 6 phthalates are authorized for the use in plastic food contact materials (FCMs) in Europe. The current EU specific migration limits (SMLs) for DBP, BBP and DEHP are 0.3, 30 and 1.5mg/ kg food respectively. DINP and DIDP are also authorized for the use in plastic FCMs but only have group SMLs (Group Restriction number 00026 and 00032). DNOP is not authorized for the use in plastic FCMs in Europe. Denmark intends to ban DBP, BBP and DEHP by 2015 because of their endocrine disrupting properties. All of the 6 phthalates are authorized as indirect food additives in the US.
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