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Letter: Letters : Don't blame PVC

Published 21 February 1998

From Ferdinand Engelbeen, Chlorophiles

Stabroek, Belgium

It is rather premature to draw any conclusions about a link between
testicular cancer and PVC/phthalates
(This Week, 24 January, p 13).

Nearly all in-vivo tests of phthalates, even administered over two
generations, show no hormonal influence whatsoever, neither on uterus weight for
female rats, nor on sperm count or motility for males. In no case were more
testicular cancers found, even if extreme amounts of phthalates, comparable to
500 grams per day for an adult, were given. So it is very unlikely that
phthalates are the culprit.

Issue no. 2122 published 21 February 1998

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