Di‐2‐ethylhexyl Phthalate, a Plasticizer Contaminant of Platelet Concentrates

Di‐2‐ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), a plasticizer used in polyvinyl chloride plastic blood bags, is extracted by human blood during storage at 4 C. The rate of extraction (0.25 mg/100 ml/day) suggested that after only two days of storage, a concentration of 0.5 mg/100 ml might be found in human blood. In contrast to this, five platelet concentrates that were stored at 22 C for two days had a calculated DEHP concentration of approximately 19 mg/100 ml. The concentration of DEHP in platelet‐poor plasma was 16.7 mg/100 ml while the platelets were found to contain 37.7 mg/100 ml packed platelet volume. This result might suggest that platelets can preferentially accumulate DEHP. It is not known if such concentrations of DEHP are injurious to humans who receive platelet transfusions.