FACTBOX: Chemical concerns phthalates and bisphenol A

(Reuters) - An advisory panel of the independent U.S. National Research Council recommended on Thursday that the Environmental Protection Agency assess the safety of a class of chemicals called phthalates used in certain plastic products in a step toward possible new U.S. regulations.

Here are some facts about phthalates and a different chemical, bisphenol A, also used in plastic products.

-- Phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates) have been used for decades to make plastic soft and flexible.

-- Products made with phthalates include toys, teethers, pacifiers, cosmetics, perfume, personal-care products, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, food packaging, and cleaning and building materials. Phthalates keep nail polish from chipping and make tool handles more resistant to breaking.

-- Studies of laboratory animals show a group of effects in males known as "the phthalate syndrome," according to the panel. This includes infertility, decreased sperm count, undescended testes and malformation of the penis in which the urethra does not open at the tip of the organ. Animal studies also have linked phthalate exposure to liver cancer.

-- A new U.S. law bans three types of phthalates in children's toys and child care items, except for tiny amounts, while temporarily banning three others pending further study. These six were banned in European toys about a decade ago.

-- Bisphenol A, or BPA, has been used for decades to harden plastics. It is found in many food and beverage containers including some baby bottles, the coating of food cans and some medical devices. It mimics the hormone estrogen in the body.

-- U.S. government toxicologists concluded based on animal studies that BPA presents concern for harmful effects on development of the prostate and brain and for behavioral changes in fetuses, infants and children. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it plans more research, indicating no immediate plans to curb BPA.

(Reporting by Will Dunham in Washington; Editing by Julie Steenhuysen)