Risk Evaluation for Di-ethylhexyl phthalate - (1,2-Benzene- dicarboxylic acid, 1,2- bis(2-ethylhexyl) ester) (DEHP)

In December 2025, EPA released the final risk evaluation and associated technical support documents for di-ethylhexyl phthalate - (1,2-Benzene- dicarboxylic acid, 1,2- bis(2-ethylhexyl) ester) (DEHP) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). EPA designated DEHP as a High-Priority Substance in December 2019.

Find other information about other chemicals undergoing risk evaluations under TSCA. 

On this page:

• What is DEHP?
• Risk Evaluation
• Risk Evaluation and Supporting Documents
• Draft Risk Evaluation and Supporting Documents

What is DEHP?

DEHP is a colorless liquid at room temperature, most commonly used as a plasticizer. As reported to EPA during the 2016 Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) period and described here as a range to protect production volumes that were claimed as confidential business information (CBI), aggregate production volume of DEHP in 2015 was between 100 million and 250 million pounds.

Risk Evaluation

EPA determined that DEHP presents an unreasonable risk of injury to human health based on identified risk to workers from 10 conditions of use (COU), and that DEHP presents an unreasonable risk to the environment from 20 COUs. EPA did not identify a risk of injury to human health or the environment from the other 24 COUs for DEHP. For COUs with identified risk to workers, these risk determinations do not reflect the use of PPE; however, as the risk evaluation shows, the use of PPE may reduce exposures and mitigate risk. EPA did not identify unreasonable risk of injury to human health for the general population or consumers for DEHP from any COU. 

Risk Evaluation and Supporting Documents

View the supporting documents in docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2018-0433. 

• Risk Evaluation for Diethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP) (pdf) (5.62 MB)
• Nontechnical Summary of the TSCA Risk Evaluation for Diethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP) (pdf) (217.79 KB)
• Physical Chemistry, Fate, and Transport Assessment for Diethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP) (pdf) (1.01 MB)
• Environmental Release and Occupational Exposure Assessment for Diethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP) (pdf) (7.32 MB)
• Consumer and Indoor Exposure Assessment for Diethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP) (pdf) (3.44 MB)
• Environmental Media Concentrations and General Population and Environmental Exposure Assessment for Diethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP) (pdf) (3.45 MB)
• Environmental Hazard Assessment for Diethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP) (pdf) (642.15 KB)
• Non-cancer Human Health Hazard Assessment for Diethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP) (pdf) (4.03 MB)
• Cancer Human Health Hazard Assessment for Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP), Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Butyl Benzyl Phthalate (BBP), Diisobutyl Phthalate (DIBP), and Dicyclohexyl Phthalate (DCHP) (pdf) (2.98 MB)
• Occupational Risk Calculator for Diethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP) (xlsx) (231.4 KB)
• Consumer Risk Calculator for Diethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP) (xlsx) (315.43 KB)
• Technical Support Document for the Cumulative Risk Analysis of Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP), Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Butyl Benzyl Phthalate (BBP), Diisobutyl Phthalate (DIBP), Dicyclohexyl Phthalate (DCHP), and Diisononyl Phthalate (DINP) Under the (pdf) (4 MB)
• Summary of and Response to External Peer Review on the Risk Evaluations and Technical Support Documents for Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP), Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Butyl Benzyl Phthalate (BBP), Diisobutyl Phthalate (DIBP), Dicyclohexyl Phthalate (DCHP (pdf) (1.03 MB)
• Response to Public Comments on the Draft Risk Evaluations for Butyl Benzyl Phthalate (BBP); Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP); Dicyclohexyl Phthalate (DCHP); Diethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP); and Diisobutyl Phthalate (DIBP) (pdf) (2.11 MB)

Additional technical support files for the Risk Evaluation of DEHP (zip)

Draft Risk Evaluation and Supporting Documents

In June 2025, EPA released the draft risk evaluation and associated technical support documents for di-ethylhexyl phthalate - (1,2-Benzene- dicarboxylic acid, 1,2- bis(2-ethylhexyl) ester) for public comment and peer review by the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC). For more information, please visit the draft risk evaluation webpage.