Diisononyl Phthalates and the Respiratory System

Abstract: The Effects of Diisononyl Phthalate on the Respiratory System

There is no regulation on the terms ‘green’ or ‘natural,’ so many common products advertising as such may actually be more toxic than their brand-name counterparts. Various ‘natural’ home cleaners, specifically, use phthalates as plasticizers, without including seemingly necessary warning labels on the bottles. The European Union has already released regulations on the phthalate levels allowed in these consumer goods, yet the United States has yet to do so. Certain phthalates, like dicyclohexyl phthalate, diisononyl phthalate, and di-n-propyl phthalate, were found only in the supposedly ‘green’ products. These high phthalates are classified by their 9-13 carbon backbone, increasing their durability and sustainability, and have been linked to numerous health conditions, such as respiratory issues, reproductive complications, toxin poisoning, and cancer. In this study, I chose to focus on the effects on the respiratory system. Not only does it have one of the most direct introduction methods from the cleaners to the human body, through breathing while spraying, but the absorption rate is near 75% by inhaling, compared to just 50% absorption if swallowed, from gut to bloodstream. I used a modified nebulizer to dose yeast media with varied concentrations of Diisononyl Phthalate (C₆H₄(CO₂C₉H₁₉)₂) to grow affected S. Cerevisiae and then will analyze human homologue respiratory genes.