Diethyl phthalate

Status: No national drinking water standard exists

Diethyl phthalate is an additive used in many consumer products, particularly those containing fragrance. As a group, phthalates are associated with hormone disruption. Read More.

Phthalates are synthetic chemicals that are added to hard plastics to make them soft and malleable. Phthalates can be found in everyday consumer products such as carpets, paints, glues, wall coverings, tablecloths, furniture upholstery, shower curtains, garden hoses, toys, shoes, automobile upholstery, food packaging and medical products. Exposure to phthalates has been linked to respiratory health problems, asthma and allergies in infants and children, and changes in reproductive system development in baby boys. The National Toxicology Program classifies a commonly used phthalate, called di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate or DEHP, as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen."

2015-2017:

FOUND

states detected

utilities detected

416,000

people served

Health concerns for diethyl phthalate

Harm to reproduction and child development

Hormone disruption

States reporting diethyl phthalate in drinking water

	UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION
State	Utilities	People Served
Texas		14	406,174
New Jersey		1	8,300
New Hampshire		1	650
Rhode Island		1	300
Arkansas		1	160

LESS

Filtering technologies that reduce diethyl phthalate

Utilities with the highest amounts of diethyl phthalate, 2015-2017

ALL UTILITIES

LARGE UTILITIES

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
City of Bruceville Eddy	Eddy, TX	1 of 6	2.50 ppb	5,508
City of Mcgregor*	Mc Gregor, TX	1 of 4	1.88 ppb	5,600
Quonochontaug East Beach Water Association	Charlestown, RI	1 of 2	1.50 ppb	300
Andover Village District	Andover, NH	1 of 1	1.20 ppb	650
Bell County Water Control and Improvement District 3	Nolanville, TX	2 of 8	0.925 ppb	4,259
City of Copperas Cove*	Copperas Cove, TX	2 of 8	0.925 ppb	33,919
US Army South Fort Hood	Fort Hood, TX	2 of 8	0.925 ppb	35,669
439 Water Supply Corporation	Belton, TX	2 of 8	0.925 ppb	6,985
City of Harker Heights	Harker Heights, TX	2 of 8	0.925 ppb	30,365
Bell County Water Control and Improvement District 1*	Killeen, TX	2 of 8	0.925 ppb	264
City of Killeen	Killeen, TX	2 of 8	0.925 ppb	140,806
City of Belton	Belton, TX	2 of 8	0.925 ppb	21,214
City of Bellmead	Bellmead, TX	2 of 13	0.623 ppb	9,900
City of Georgetown*	Georgetown, TX	2 of 13	0.408 ppb	98,776
Mill Pond Village Mobile Home Park	Hot Springs, AR	1 of 3	0.310 ppb	160
Lee County WSC	Giddings, TX	2 of 23	0.174 ppb	12,030
Newton Water & Sewer Utility	Newton, NJ	2 of 2	0.0300 ppb	8,300

* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report Diethyl phthalate, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
City of Belton	Belton, TX	2 of 8	0.925 ppb	21,214
City of Killeen	Killeen, TX	2 of 8	0.925 ppb	140,806
City of Harker Heights	Harker Heights, TX	2 of 8	0.925 ppb	30,365
US Army South Fort Hood	Fort Hood, TX	2 of 8	0.925 ppb	35,669
City of Copperas Cove*	Copperas Cove, TX	2 of 8	0.925 ppb	33,919
City of Georgetown*	Georgetown, TX	2 of 13	0.408 ppb	98,776
Lee County WSC	Giddings, TX	2 of 23	0.174 ppb	12,030