Phthalates: What Are They? (And How Do You Pronounce it?)

Phthalates have been getting attention recently, particularly since California announced an impending ban on their use in toys intended for children under the age of three. The chemicals are used to make plastics soft -- but what are they? And just how do you pronounce "pthatlates?"

The Los Angeles Times took these questions on, and here are some of the findings:

Pronunciation: "THAL-ates."

There are dozens of types of phthalates, which are oily, colorless liquids that "have been used for about 50 years to make hard plastics softer and more flexible in such products as vinyl flooring and seat coverings, raincoats, shower curtains, garden hoses and even sex toys," as the L.A. Times put it, as well as in hospital equipment, nail polish and "new car smell."