A new study from Montreal's Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) found that a commonly used plasticizer known as DINCH exerts biological effects on the metabolic processes of mammals. DINCH is found in products that come into close contact with humans, such as medical devices, children's toys, and food packaging.

Because of their effects on reproductive health, some phthalates – which are among the best-known plasticizers – have recently been restricted or banned in children's products across North America and in many countries in Europe.

DINCH (1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid, diisononyl ester) has been used as an alternative and is approved and certified by many authorities and institutions worldwide; until now, however, there have been no peer-reviewed research publications on its safety and potential metabolic and endocrine-disrupting properties.

Using in-vitro experiments on the adipose tissue of rats, the RI-MUHC team evaluated the effects of DINCH and two of its major metabolites (CHDA and MINCH). DINCH was found to be particularly similar to a type of phthalate known as DEHP, a group of chemicals whose use in Canada and the US was restricted to small amounts in all children’s products in 2011, at the same time as the EU began phasing out its use.

The study shows that DINCH’s metabolite (MINCH) acts as a metabolic disrupter by affecting adipose tissue differentiation, or how fat is made in the body. The researchers also found that, similar to phthalates, the effect of MINCH was mediated by a receptor involved in both the metabolic and endocrine systems, which allowed the researchers to infer that MINCH could interfere with the endocrine system in mammals.

Source