Many containers for intravenous solutions are made with plasticized polyvinyl chloride, the common form of which is di-2-ethylhexylphthalate (DEHP). Extraction of DEHP into blood and plasma stored in such plastic containers can occur, and harmful effects of DEHP in the human body consequently have been suggested. Reports on toxicity of DEHP in animals during pregnancy and the developmental period are critically reviewed.
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