North Carolina has become the second state to ban DEHP in medical devices, following California’s lead.
California first banned the chemical, which is used in plastic bags, IV bags, and medical tubing to make them more flexible, in late 2024, and other states may now be following suit.
North Carolina hospitals and manufacturers will now have to remove DEHP from IV bags by 2030, and from tubing materials by 2035.
DEHP has been linked to certain health issues, including cancer and endocrine system problems.
B. Braun, a major manufacturer of IV bags and tubing, has already started to phase the chemical out in a wide range of its products.
In December, the company
launched
a new full product portfolio, including the complete line of products not made with DEHP and recognized by Nurse Approved, such as IV solutions, irrigation and nutrition containers, Vascular Access, Pain Control, IV Sets & Accessories, and Closed System Transfer Devices (CSTD).
Other companies, including leading medical supplier Qosina, have also started
phasing
out DEHP in their tubing and polymer solutions, pursuing alternatives like platinum-cured silicon and DEHP-free PVC tubing.
In 2024, a report from the European Chemicals Agency
confirmed
the safe production of PVC in Europe and recognized its importance in medical device and packaging applications.
In 2008, the U.S. government took steps to remove DEHP from children’s toys, banning them from all plastic toys, which up until that point had a DEHP concentration of about 40%.
That 40% concentration still exists in IV bags today. A bill banning DEHP in North Carolina medical products has been passed into law, spearheaded by Republican Representative Timothy Reeder, MD.
Dr. Reeder is familiar with DEHP, and its use in medical products, as he practiced for many years as an emergency medicine physician.
This push is in line with other changing industry standards, which are largely moving away from potentially harmful chemicals in device manufacturing.
Government agencies have also cracked down on the usage of
PFAS
and
ethylene oxide
, both of which have been linked to harmful health effects including cancer.