RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—A panel of experts has recommended that the Environmental Protection Agency change the way it measures the potential health risks associated with a family of chemicals known as phthalates, according to a National Research Council report. Phthalates are found in a wide range of consumer products, including many cosmetics, vinyl products, toys, pacifiers, building materials, fragrances, cleaners, and personal-care products, and pretty much anything carrying an artificial scent.

THE DETAILS: At the request of the EPA, the NRC panel pored over research and determined that since people—including unborn children—are exposed to a variety of phthalates and other hormone-disrupting chemicals, the EPA should calculate risk of overall exposure to all of these substances. The recommended approach would entail assessing combined exposure to different substances that cause similar health effects. For instance, lead, methylmercury, and PCBs would be lumped together because they all contribute to lower IQs in children.

Although a recent study linked phthalates in hairspray to a birth defects in baby boys, there is little research on the chemical’s effect on humans. Animal studies suggest some phthalates reduce testosterone levels, mess up male reproductive development and fertility, and lead to undescended testes and deformed penises.

The American Chemistry Council, the group representing the companies churning out these synthetic substances, says an EPA risk assessment would be redundant, since Congress has already asked the Consumer Product Safety Commission to conduct one. CPSC is currently being sued by National Resources Defense Council and lambasted by members of Congress for allowing mass production and store stockpiling of toys containing types of phthalates that will be banned in early February.

WHAT IT MEANS: Although the EPA doesn’t have to adopt the recommendations, they bring more attention to the potential risks of hormone-disrupting phthalates (pronounced “THAL-ates”), and could prompt the government to start considering chemical body burden—what happens inside of us when we’re exposed to all sorts of different chemicals.

Take these three steps to put a big dent in your phthalate exposure: