Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate

City of Post Falls

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, or DEHP, is a softener added to PVC plastics. Phthalates are hormone disruptors that target the male reproductive system. Read More.

DEHP can cross the placenta and disrupt steroid hormone synthesis, and may lead to cancer. In laboratory animals, exposure to DEHP during pregnancy harms fetal developmental and causes abnormalities in the male reproductive tract. Human epidemiological studies show certain phthalates, especially DEHP, are associated with reduced anogenital distance in human male infants, which is a measure of adverse developmental effects in human male� infants exposed prenatally to endocrine disrupting chemicals. DEHP may also interfere with signaling related to the timing of birth and may have adverse effects on the immune system.

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Samples

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

Year	Average result	Samples taken	Range of results
2013	N/A	0	N/A
2014	N/A	0	N/A
2015	N/A	0	N/A
2016	N/A	0	N/A
2017	N/A	0	N/A
2018	N/A	0	N/A
2019	ND	7	ND

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 3 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 3 ppb for di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate was defined by the Environmental Protection Agency as a one-in-a-million lifetime risk of cancer. Values greater than one-in-a-million cancer risk level can result in increased cancer cases above one in a million people.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 6 ppb

The legal limit for di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, established in 1992, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date	Lab ID	Result
2019-11-13	S210893	ND
2019-11-13	S210943	ND
2019-11-18	S211061	ND
2019-12-09	S211718	ND
2019-12-16	S211919	ND
2019-12-18	S211064	ND
2019-12-19	S211105	ND