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 Contents


Front Matter
Summary
1 Introduction
2 Phthalate Exposure Assessment in Humans
3 Toxicity Assessment
4 Current Practice in Risk Assessment and Cumulative Risk Assessment
5 Cumulative Risk Assessment of Phthalates and Related Chemicals
6 Data Gaps and Research Needs
Appendix A: Statement of Task
Appendix B: Biographic Information on the Committee on Health Risks of Phthalates
Appendix C: Analysis of a Mixture of Five Phthalates: A Case Study
Appendix D: Evaluating Multiple End Points Simultaneously in a Mixture of Three Antiandrogens: A Case Study