Till recently, plastics were considered hazardous materials linked to cancer, largely due to the presence of dangerous substances known as phthalates, which were used to provide flexibility. Today, these substances have been replaced by a "safer" alternative called di(isononyl) cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate (DINCH), which now serves the same purpose—making plastic flexible. It is currently used in food containers, children’s toys, medical devices, and residential flooring. The problem is that there is very little research on DINCH, and what does exist is not particularly encouraging.
A team from NYU Langone Health conducted an in-depth analysis of U.S. health data from over 6,600 pregnancies, drawing from the ECHO (Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes) program. They compared levels of DINCH found in the mothers’ urine with the size of their newborns. The results showed that up to 70% of the women had traces of DINCH in their urine. Higher levels of the substance were associated with an increased likelihood of the newborn being classified as "small for gestational age"—meaning the baby weighed less than most other infants at the same stage of pregnancy. The study also found that children of Hispanic mothers or mothers with lower levels of formal education were more likely to be affected.
This is the first study to link DINCH to lower birth weight and shorter body length at birth. Researchers note that issues with fetal development may increase the risk of long-term health problems, including heart disease, learning difficulties, and obesity. Previous animal studies have found that the breakdown products of DINCH may interfere with the hormones of a pregnant mother—hormones that guide fetal development—and cause inflammation that impairs the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the fetus.
Researchers view this as another example of an "unfortunate substitution"—a scenario where manufacturers replace a harmful substance with another that is structurally similar and carries the same risks. The use of DINCH increased after regulatory bodies in the United States and Europe began taking action against toxic phthalates, such as DEHP, in the first decade of the 2000s. One of its largest producers is the German company BASF. Global production has risen from 25,000 tons in 2002 to 400,000 tons in 2024.
Source:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2026.110548.
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