Phthalate esters are liquids, similar in appearance to vegetable oil.
Plasticizers make plastic flexible.
For example, hard PVC with no plasticizer could be a pipe under a sink or the vinyl siding of a house. When plasticizers are added, a wide range of products can be created such as toys, wire and cable jacketing, flooring, and shower curtains. Many products in the home are made of flexible vinyl, which likely contains phthalate esters. Phthalates are among the most widely studied materials in the world and have been researched and tested for more than 40 years so they can be used safely. Based on the best evidence to date, the producers of phthalates strongly believe these products are safe and pose no risk to children or adults properly using products containing phthalate esters.