DEHP

DEHP, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (CAS 117-81-7), is the most-used phthalate plasticizer and a marine micropollutant leaching from PVC and other soft plastics. It is an endocrine disruptor with antiandrogenic effects, reducing testosterone synthesis in exposed organisms. The EU lists DEHP as a substance of very high concern under REACH for reproductive toxicity and endocrine-disrupting properties, and it is restricted in many consumer articles. DEHP partitions to sediment and degrades to mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP); its widespread detection in coastal water and biota makes it a marker of plastic-derived additive pollution.