The Consumers’ Foundation said 12 of 18 types of plastic medical supplies that it randomly tested were found to contain plasticizer residue, including three items that had more than three different types of plasticizers.
People who regularly use these medical supplies might be exposed to toxic compounds, such as di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), which might damage their health, the foundation said.
A total of 18 medical supplies made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyethylene (PE) were purchased at medical-supply chain stores and pharmacies in Taipei in September for testing.
The products included five medical adhesive tapes, six feeding tubes, three types of nasal cannula, three bladder catheters and rectal tubes, and one blood bag.
The foundation found that 12 items contained plasticizer residues — seven had one plasticizer, two had two plasticizers and three had three plasticizer residues — and nine had DEHP residue.
National Tsing Hua University chemistry professor Ling Young-chien (凌永健), the foundation’s head inspector, said that many disposable medical supplies are made of PVC or PE, but when PVC is exposed to fat-soluble substances, it can produce DEHP — an endocrine disrupting compound that might increase the risk of breast cancer or adverse metabolic effects, studies show.
The law does not regulate the amount of DEHP in PVC medical supplies, but does require manufacturers to disclose that products contain DEHP on their packaging, the foundation said.
However, six of the nine products found to contain DEHP residue did not include a warning on the packaging and two said “not containing DEHP” on their packaging, the foundation said, adding that those products might be in violation of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act (藥事法).
The foundation said that while the law does not limit or ban the use of medical supplies containing DEHP, it urges manufacturers to reduce the use of DEHP in products and it encourages the use of alternative materials to better protect consumers and the environment.
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