Phthalate Safety Question Makes Headlines

CBS news magazine 60 Minutes aired a segment questioning what, if any, safety hazard phthalates pose. The show also included a mention of the far-reaching impact of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act on Sunday. In the piece, correspondent Lesley Stahl interviewed Dr. Shanna Swan, an epidemiologist at the University of Rochester Medical School who published a study about the adverse effects of phthalates on baby boys. The show also highlighted research by Dr. Richard Sharpe, a leading phthalate researcher, which resulted in conflicting findings: phthalates cause abnormalities in the male offspring of rats but not in monkeys. Speaking on behalf of consumer products companies, Rick Woldenberg, chairman of Learning Resources, showed how the concern over phthalates and the resulting CPSIA is costing businesses like his. Watch the segment here.