Phthalates are a kind of widely used plasticizers, which can modify or soften plastics and are widely used in plastics and paints. There are many kinds of phthalate esters which are considered as harmful substances and their use is restricted.
　　Application of phthalate esters：
　　Plastic, an artificial material closely related to our daily life, has good ductility and stable physical and chemical properties by adding phthalate plasticizer. Therefore, it is widely used in building materials, furniture equipment, transportation materials, clothing, food packaging materials and pharmaceutical products. O-benzoic acid is also widely used in nail polish and other cosmetics, dyestuffs, PVC flooring, artificial leather and some adhesives. It is widely used in the production of polymer plastic products, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), foam, adhesives, coatings and inks. It also applies to carpet lining, insect repellent, hair spray, nail polish and so on. There are six kinds of phthalate esters commonly added in plastics：
　　1. Diisononyl phthalate (DINP)；
　　2. Di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP)；
　　3. Diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP)；
　　4. Bis - (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)
　　5. Dibutylphthalate (DBP)
　　6. Benzylbutyl phthalate (BBP)
　　Hazards of phthalate esters：
　　According to the research, phthalate esters can be released into the environment during the production process, use or addition of PVC. They can enter the human body through food, air inhalation and other ways, interfere with the endocrine of organisms, block the reproductive function of organisms, cause malignant tumors, and easily cause malformed children.