What are phthalates?

Phthalates are chemicals used in the product of PVC, which stands for polyvinyl chloride.  Phthalates are used to give certain plastic products a stretchy property to it.  As you guessed, phthalates are used in the manufacturing of vinyl examination gloves.  It is important for medical gloves to be flexible and have a soft feel so healthcare workers can properly go about their business.  With the creation of PVC, the exam glove industry was able to produce quality synthetic gloves that are extremely cost-effective.  Compared to latex or nitrile, vinyl remains the cheapest material due to lower raw material costs.  Demand for cheap synthetic medical gloves skyrocketed due to increased pressure on hospitals to move to a latex-free environment and increased pressure to control costs.  Vinyl synthetic gloves became the industry’s answer to the cheapest, latex-free synthetic glove.

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