The Screening of Phthalic Acid Esters in Operating Fluids of Vehicles

Abstract

Many different types of liquids and materials are used during service of motor vehicle, for example fuels (petrol, diesel, LPG, CNG), lubricants (oils, plastic lubricants), brake fluids and cooling fluids, cosmetics, etc. Vehicles are made from different construction materials also. Especially it can be steels, glass, lights metals, textile, leather, plastics, thermoplastics, etc. These operational and constructional materials must satisfy many requirements from the view of function which are demanded for example additional stability of construction of cars, minimal weight, heat removal (cooling fluids), transfer of braking power (brake fluids), optimizing of friction but they have to be researched from the view of health and ecology hazard. Materials which interiors are made from often release volatile and partly volatile substances. With the regard on human health, equipments of cars should be made from materials which release chemicals at a minimum level, which hasn't negative impact on quality of air in a closed space. Health impacts could increase in case when substances react together, although the intensity of releasing of these substances is decreasing during first weeks. For the improvement of elasticity chemical materials plasticizer based on the esters of acid phthalate (PAE) are used. The PAE are a big hazard for human health. Exposition of population can be by inhalation, oral, and by skin-resorption. Ten samples of new operation materials for vehicles have been examined for the detection of the presence of acid esters (PAE). The results show that almost in all investigated samples the presence of phthalate acid esters was proved. Phthalates are animal carcinogens which are capable to cause necrosis or malformation of tissues. They are dangerous for liver action and they can cause the reproduction toxicity of laboratory animals. Neither the legislation of the Czech Republic nor EU deals with such problems.