Determination of phthalate esters in human semen.

Phthalate esters are a large group of chemical compounds used in the production of plastics, household articles, packages, cosmetics and plant pesticides. World production of phthalates is estimated to be several million tons a year. Recent observations indicate some mutagenic, cancerogenic and orchidotoxic effect of these compounds. Therefore, to assess the extent of risk it is imperative to have an adequate analytical method. The following is simple and relatively inexpensive. The study group consisted of 58 men.