PAIR Study

This research aims to study the effects of phthalates (a group of chemicals used to make plastics more flexible) on lung function and on allergic responses.

In our everyday life we are surrounded by plastic products. Some commonly used chemicals, like phthalates, may leak out from these products, causing human exposure through air, dust and food. Phthalates are plasticisers or softeners, used in PVC, plastics, and a range of consumer products.

Our continuous exposure to phthalates has been confirmed in studies measuring the levels of phthalate metabolites in urine samples, since the metabolites are present in nearly all analysed samples. Since exposure to phthalates has been linked to worsening or development of airway diseases in epidemiological studies we would like to know how one particular phthalate, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), can affect your respiratory and immune systems.

This study is the first to investigate airway effects due to inhalation of a known concentration of a single phthalate. We chose DBP as a model phthalate since some of the highest indoor air levels have been reported for this phthalate, and it appears to have a higher inflammatory potential in comparison to other phthalates in vitro. Allergen-sensitized (atopic) asthmatics and non-asthmatic individuals were recruited, since the previous studies showed stronger effects in susceptible individuals.