Of all the concerns over plastic to arise over the years, none have spent more time in the lime light than the chemicals called phthalates. Phthalates are a chemical found in important components of many consumer products, including toys, cleaning materials, plastics, and personal care items.

In a report by Korean scientists recently published in Biological Psychiatry, new potentially alarming findings about phthalates have been added to the list of reasons to rethink plastics with phthalates. Based on the testing of urine samples the scientists found a significant positive association between phthalate exposure and ADHD, meaning that the higher the concentration of phthalate metabolites in the urine, the worse the ADHD symptoms.

The Editor of Biological Psychiatry, John Krystal, MD, commented -”This emerging link between phthalates and symptoms of ADHD raises the concern that accidental environmental exposure to phthalates may be contributing to behavioral and cognitive problems in children.” Although these findings do not prove that phthalate exposure causes ADHD, they do provide an argument for further research on this topic.