TextIn the last few years, a number of government agencies and expert panels in Europe, the US, Canada, and Japan have reviewed the safety of DEHP, used to soften PVC medical devices.
Each of these agencies and expert panels has found that DEHP exposure from some medical procedures may pose a risk to patients' health.
At home, at work, and in hospitals, people are repeatedly exposed to phthalates — a family of industrial chemicals that are used as softeners in PVC plastic and as solvents in cosmetics and other consumer products. 
According to animal studies, phthalates can damage the liver, kidneys, lungs, the hormone system and the reproductive system, particularly the developing testes.
PVC-free and DEHP-free alternatives exist for almost every use of PVC in the health care setting, including medical devices, office supplies, building materials and furnishings.
There are basically two types of alternatives to DEHP-plasticised PVC: non-PVC products and PVC products softened with another plasticizer chemical.
In June 2008, the Philippine Department of Health published an advisory recommending that hospitals use PVC-free products for high exposure risk procedures, especially for highly sensitive patients such as newborn boys, pregnant women carrying male fetuses and peripubertal boys.
PVC plastic, also known as PVC, is widely used in medical devices. It can be harmful to patients, the environment and public health. As a result, there is a growing move away from PVC in medical devices and other products including building materials. PVC uses toxic chemicals and causes pollution during its production, use and disposal.
