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Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Background Phthalate plasticizers�� such as dioctyl phthalate (DOP)�� di(iso-octyl) phthalate (DIOP)�� di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)�� dibutyl phthalate (DBP)�� di(iso-butyl) phthalate (DIBP)�� and di(iso-nonyl) phthalate (DINP)�� have the earliest use�� the best performance�� the broadest application�� and the most production globally. Phthalate compounds have achieved an annual production capacity of 5 million tons in China and a consumption capacity of3.6 million tons�� about 1/5 of the global numbers. They are also one of the fundamental raw materials for a number of strategic industries. A plasticizer is a manufacturing additive for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resins�� 40-50% in the final soft PVC articles. It can modify the PVC resin structure�� weaken the interactions between polymer chains�� decrease the glass transition temperature�� reduce the tensile strength�� increase the elongation at break�� improve the plasticity�� soften the articles�� and harvest better low-temperature performance�� thus enhancing the processability of PVC resins. As a type of commodities�� plasticizers are widely applied in hundreds of areas in our economics and society�� including tubes�� plastics�� adhesives�� celluloses�� lubricants�� inks�� paints�� toys�� food wraps�� personal care articles (such as nail oils�� hair sprays�� soaps�� and shampoos)�� etc. Despite the increasingly wider uses�� the toxicity of plasticizers has attracted a great deal of global attention with the focus on their side effects on the embryos�� kidneys�� hearts�� livers�� and reproductive systems of mammals [1-6]. Many years of experimental data and patient cases have indicated the harmful effects of the benzene ring structure on humans�� animals�� plants�� and the environment. Phthalate compounds are a family of substances that can accumulate in the human body�� are potentially mutagenic�� carcinogenic�� and teratogenic�� and can cause damage to livers and kidneys after long-term exposure to them [7-14]. They are also considered as a type of environmental estrogens or endocrine-disrupting chemicals that have reproductive toxicity and developmental toxicity�� a serious threat to ecological security and human reproductive health [15-17]. In 2005�� the EU issued an official law to prohibit the use of phthalate plasticizers in human contact articles including food�� drugs�� and toys. The ��Registration�� Evaluation�� Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)�� regulation�� effective since 2007in theEU�� lists phthalate compounds as substances of veryhigh concern (SVHC) that may cause serious and irreversible damages to human health and the environment. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of the USA issued in 2008prohibits the sale�� manufacturing�� and import of any articles containing >0.1% phthalates. The Restriction ofHazardous Substances (RoHS) implemented by EU in 2006 officially lists the following 6 phthalates as restricted substances in electronics and cables: DOP�� DIOP�� DEHP�� DBP�� DIBP�� and DINP. In China�� the toxicity of phthalates has attracted broad attention among the communities of the press�� drug�� food science�� etc. In 2011�� a ��plasticizer incident�� happened in Taiwan. In 2012�� a ��Chinese spirits plasticizer incident�� was reported. In 2013�� a ��toxic capsule plasticizer incident�� was noticed; the China Central Television (CCTV) reported the use of a prohibited plasticizer in 15 types of PVC food wraps. In 2014�� the CCTV reported an incident of the plasticizer content 368 times over the standard number in ��toxic toys��. In 2015�� the plasticizer incident was labeled as one of the annual top-ten food contamination incidents. Dr. James-Todd from Brigham and Women��s Hospital ofHarvard Medical School discovered that women with higher phthalic acid ester (PAE) levels are more susceptible to diabetics. Later in October 2016�� Dr. Fan Qu��s research team from the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine at the Women��s Hospital of Zhejiang University Medical School found that long exposure to DEHP causes significant changes to the transcription of the key granulosa cell-related signaling pathway factors. Such changes will lead to dysfunctions in the anabolism�� cell cycle�� proliferation�� and apoptosis of granulosa cells�� and thus failure of ovulation will occur for women�� i.e.�� polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Simply saying�� extensive exposure to plastics will cause ovulation dysfunction and infertility. Meanwhile�� DEHP also greatly affects the fertile functions of men��s sperms and causes gene mutations. In November 2016�� according to the interview ofMr. Xin Liu who was a member of National Committee of the Chinese People��s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and also the Chair of the Department of Health Food in the Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST)�� the China Food Daily published a report titled ��High Hopes for Environmentally Benign Plasticizer Industry in China��. According to the