Plasticizers are used as additives in polymers to increase their 'fluidity' or 'flexibility'. They are most widely used in case of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and work by embedding themselves between chains of polymers, spacing them apart and thus significantly lowering the glass transition temperature of the plastic, making it softer. But, it has been found that because phthalate plasticizers are not covalently bonded to the polymer, they easily leach out from the host resin, and migrate into the food and evaporate into the atmosphere. Studies have shown that high doses of certain phthalates can cause changes in hormone levels, cause birth defects and other metabolic disorders. Now, researchers in Spain have developed a new way to prevent phthalate plasticizers from migrating to the surface of PVC. The discovery, which has been published in the American Chemical Society journal Macromolecules (January 21, 2010), could help overcome health and safety concerns regarding phthalates. Rodrigo Navarro, Monica Perez Perrino, Myriam Gomez Tardajos, and Helmut Reinecke of the Institute of Polymer Science and Technology (ICTP-CSIC) in Spain reported earlier this year a detailed account on suppressing the migration of phthalates in flexible PVC formulations. The SpecialChem Editorial Team is reporting below, a brief account of the key findings.