This week's media landscape, depicting the 283 stories surrounding phthalates and their groupings by general subject matter, demonstrate a clear need for the health care sector to expand public awareness of phthalates in health care products.

Looking at this chart, two conversations emerge, with a clear break where the topics do not connect through any subject matter. The first of these conversations, the string of stories appearing more in the top left, revolves around home and personal products. Amazon Prime Day makes a splash, with stories relating to products on sale during that event gathering 17% of total phthalates coverage over the last month. We see candles, due to their fragrances, and clean beauty also gathering significant attention.

The beauty sector has been making a strong shift to "clean" products over the last decade, with major brands following the lead of smaller companies in recent years. Safer home products have also been becoming increasingly more accessible. For example, glass and metal alternatives to popular products such as plastic food storage containers have become commonplace in stores.

The other conversation that emerges over the last month in phthalates focuses on the more scientific/technical side: exposures, microplastics, PFAS, the environment, and making up 1.8% of the conversation, health care. Skin care products is also connected to this side by a thread: a connection between phthalate exposures to skin on the health care side; fragranced lotions on the skin care side.

The health care has the potential to wildly change this landscape. The public sector is engaging with and open to cleaner products in their homes and lifestyles: bringing that awareness and accessibility to medical products in the health care sector would transform the media landscape and has the potential to connect these two currently separate conversations.

We'll continue to monitor phthalates, health care sustainability, plastics and more in upcoming newsletters.