The decision by the IARC – International Agency for Research on Cancer – to remove DOP (dioctyl-phthalate) from the list of possible carcinogens and classify it as a substance that cannot be considered as a cause of cancer in humans, was taken by 28 experts from 12 countries gathered in the city of Lyon, France, on February 22, 2000.
The IARC, one of the world’s leading authorities on the subject, is part of the WHO (World Health Organization) and in addition to coordinating cancer research, it develops specific strategies for its control.
The IARC’s decision that DOP cannot be classified as a cancer-causing agent in humans, confirms the results of extensive scientific research carried out in recent decades and goes against the position of many other international entities (including the Commission here European Union) and several independent scientists. This is to say that phthalates can continue to be used without posing any risk to human health.
It should be noted that this decision becomes even more important as the IARC rarely reclassifies products, making it even more significant.
DOP is used to make PVC-based products flexible, resulting in a series of articles that are used in civil construction, basic sanitation, public health, agriculture, the automobile industry, packaging, footwear, toys and the medical field, as is case of blood bags, serum and intravenous solutions, catheters, oxygen masks, gloves, endotracheal tubes, etc., preventing the spread of diseases by infection and germs, considered the greatest concern in hospitals.