Di-n-octyl phthalate (DOP)

Di-n-octyl phthalate (DOP), also abbreviated DnOP, is one of a group of chemicals known as phthalates. According to the CDC: "Di-n-octyl phthalate (DOP) is added to polyvinyl chloride resins used in diverse products including floorings, carpet tiles, vinyl gloves, garden hoses, wire and cable insulation, and adhesives. In addition, DOP may be added to polyvinyl chloride with food applications, such as package sealants and bottle cap liners. People exposed to DOP will excrete primarily mono-3-carboxypropyl phthalate (MCPP) and smaller amounts of mono-n-octyl phthalate (MOP) and other oxidative metabolites in their urine. In rodent studies, oral DOP produces liver and thyroid toxicity."

Prohibition of Phthalates in Toys
In August 2008, George W. Bush signed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008. The bill banned several phthalates (DEHP, DBP, and BBP) from "any children’s toy or child care article" in concentrations greater than 0.1 percent. The ban took effect February 10, 2009, 180 days after the bill was signed. Additionally, the bill called on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to evaluate three other phthalates: DINP, DIDP, and DnOP. Those three chemicals would also be banned on February 10, 2009 in all children's toys that can be placed in a child's mouth or child care articles until the CPSC made a final rule determining their safety and legality. For the purposes of this law, the CPSC defines a "child care article" as any "consumer product designed or intended by the manufacturer to facilitate sleep or the feeding of children age 3 and younger, or to help such children with sucking or teething."

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