Effects of plasticizers and plastic bags on granulocyte function during storage.

The influence of the plasticizers, di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) and tri-(2-ethylhexyl)trimellitate (TOTM), on granulocyte function was examined. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) bags with DEHP (DEHP-PVC) leaked DEHP into plasma, but TOTM did not dissolve in plasma under the same conditions. Glow discharge treatment inhibited the leakage of DEHP from DEHP-PVC bags. Depending on the amount of DEHP added into granulocyte suspension, chemotaxis and bactericidal activity decreased, but cell counts and phagocytosis were not affected. During storage for 24 h at 22 degrees C, granulocyte function decreased greatly in DEHP-PVC, but was well maintained in the bags which did not leak plasticizers, TOTM-PVC and glow-discharged DEHP-PVC.