Clerk: Welcome to GameYield...
...what would you like to pre-order today?
Pollychester: Oh...no, I just wanted to buy...
...the new Phthalamon game.
Clerk: Let me check.
Ah, OK.
Do you want Phthalamon Polyethylene or Polystyrene?
Pollychester: What's the difference?
Clerk: Well, if you want to catch all the Phthalamon,
you have to trade with a friend...
...or if you're sad and lonely, you can buy both.
Pollychester: I'll go with Polystyrene...
...because the one on the front looks better.
Clerk: Everyone does...
Pollymer: Yes!
Game time!
What are we playing today?
Phthalamon Polystyrene Edition, eh?
All right!
See you in there!
Gotta plasticize 'em all!
Plastikos: Hello there.
Welcome to the world of Phthalamon!
People call me the Phthalamon professor.
This world is inhabited by Phthalamon.
They come from chemicals called phthalates, and
they are used to change the properties of plastics.
People use phthalates for all sorts of purposes:
they can soften plastic,...
...make it more flexible,...
...make plastic more transparent,...
...or to increase plastic's...
...durability.
Me?
I study Phthalamon.
Your own Phthalamon adventure is about to begin.
Here's two Phthalamon.
My assistant, Pollymer, will help you.
Pollychester: But what will you be doing?
Plastikos: Don't worry about that.
Go on!
Pollymer: You heard him, there's a lot to do.
Pollychester: Hey! Wait!
I knew I should have picked up the guide...
What are we even looking for?
Phthalamon!
They're used in making plastics, and can be found
almost everywhere!
You can find them...
...around toys,...
...food packaging,...
...medical bags and tubing,...
...plastic coatings,...
...and even some products that aren't made of plastic.
Buy an overly expensive vinyl toy?
Phthalates.
Like that "new car" smell?
Phthalates in the air.
Feel how smooth your hair is after shampooing?
Phthalates in the shampoo.
Like the feel of that slick, plastic video game system?
Phthalates.
Wait...what?
Let's see what you got.
Let a Phthalamon out.
Diisononyl: DIISO!
Pollymer: That's Diisononyl Phthalate!
It's a pretty...
...common plasticizer.
Pollychester: Plasticizer?
Pollymer: Sure, any chemical that gives plastics that
flexible,...
...smooth quality...
...we like in products is called a plasticizer.
Pollychester: Aw, it's cute too. Diisononyl: Iiiiisoooo....
Pollymer: I wouldn't do that...
...he may cause cancer.
The state of California recognizes diisononyl as
a carcinogen.
Pollychester: Why would the professor study phthalates
if they are dangerous?!
Pollymer: That's exactly why.
Phthalamon are everywhere, but we aren't sure how much
they affect us.
Pollymer: Some phthalates may increase the risk of getting
certain kinds of cancers...
...and others may be endocrine disruptors.
Pollychester: Is this one of those educational games that
grandparents accidentally give to kids?
Pollymer: Your endocrine system is a complex group of
chemicals in your body...
...turning on and off chemical reactions that keep things
relatively normal in you.
Things like your growth rate, blood sugar levels, and
internal temperature are all regulated with help from
your endocrine system.
the phthalates that are endocrine disrupters
get in your body...
...and block or imitate endocrine chemicals.
Pollychester: So how do we find Phthalamon?
Aren't they in the plastic?
Pollymer: Yeah, but phthalates don't actually
bind to the plastic.
Plastics are made of an interlocking web of large
molecules, called polymers.
Trapped inside the polymers are other chemicals,
like phthalates.
Phthalates are much smaller chemicals, and
they're just mixed in there.
So, if the plastic is heated, cut up, or dissolved...
...the polymers loosen, and out come the phthalates!
Phenol and Petrol: HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
Pollychester: Who was that?
Phenol: To cover the world in plastic sheen.
Petrol: To wrap your stuff, and keep it clean.
Phenol: To create any shape your hearts desire.
Petrol: To cast old materials into the fire.
Phenol: Phenol!
Petrol: Petrol!
Phenol: Team Plastics, truly a sight to behold!
Petrol: Don't mess with us, we break the mold!
Malleowth: Malleowth!
Dat's bold!
Pollymer: Oh gosh, not these guys...
What do you want?
Petrol: We know you've caught rare Phthalamon!
Phenol: They can help us create more plastics!
Malleowth: So give 'em up or pay da price!
Pollychester: What the heck?
Petrol: When you lose, we're taking your Phthalamon.
Pollychester: You don't get it!
We have to study them...
...we can't just keep cranking out more plastics without
understanding what effects they have on us.
Malleowth: Boring!
Get 'im!
Phenol: Go, Benzylbutyl!
Benzylbutyl: Benzzzzzzyl!
Petrol: Go, Diethyl!
Diethy: Ethyl!
Pollymer: Hey!
Two on one's not fair!
Malleowth: She missed da point...
...we're da bad guys!
Pollymer: Watch out...
Benzylbutyl phthalate is common in soft plastics.
It can be found in road cones, vinyl toys,
and fake leather.
It’s illegal to use Phtha- lamon in Europe
Pollychester: What about the gassy one?
Pollymer: That’s Diethyl phthalate.
It binds to perfumes.
Odds are, if you smell something “nice”, diethyl’s there.
There are also concerns about
its effects on our nervous system.
Send out a Phthalamon!
Pollychester: Right...
Dicotyl...I choose you!
Dicotyl: Cotyl!
Pollymer: Wow!
You're really lucky!
That's Dicotyl Terephthalate!
That Pthalamon uses plant oils instead of synthetic chemicals.
It's a natural alternative to other phthalates, and
reasearch suggests they don't have the same health concerns.
Petrol: Awww, it's cute.
Pollychester: Show 'em, Dicotyl!
Dicotyl: DICOTYL!!!!!
Phenol: No way!
These kids aren't playing around!
Petrol: Show them what we've got!
Diethylhexyl: Hexyl...
Go, Diethylhexyl Phthalate!
Pollychester: Woah...
Pollymer: That's a legendary Phthalamon!
It's effect is seen in most plastics.
Polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, is a very common plastic.
If a plastic is PVC,...
...Diethylhexyl was involved.
It's a cheap phthalate to use, but it also has health concerns.
This one's tough...
Pollychester: Get it, Dicotyl!
Dicotyl: DICOT...yl....
Pollymer: It looks like Dicotyl Terephthalate may be a powerful
plasticizer, but it's also expensive to use.
Diethylhexyl: Diethyl...
Pollychester: NOOOO!!!!
Petrol: Ready to give up, twerp?
Pollychester: No way!
Go, Diisononyl!
Diisononyl: DIISO!
Malleowth: It ain't dat tough...
Phenol: It sure isn't.
Diethylhexyl: Hexyl...
Pollychester: This isn't working either!
Pollymer: Wait!
Look at Diisononyl!
Hexamoll: [ROARS]
Pollymer: The chemical reaction of hydrogenation
turned Diisononyl into Hexamoll!
And look at its attacks!
The harmful side effects of Diisononyl are gone!
Adding hydrogen to this phthalate made it less reactive.
This new phthalate could be better than Diethylhexyl!
Pollychester: Hexamoll!
Seismic malleability!
Phenol: What?!
Diethylhexyl: Hex!
Petrol: Uh...uh...uh...
Petrol, Phenol, and Malleowth: Looks like Team Plastic's
melting away! Hexamoll: [ROARS]
Pollychester: It's difficult to decide
what to do about phthalates.
The plastics that make things like medical tubing save
millions of lives.
On the other hand, people who need constant medical treatment
are at greater risk of the negative
side effects of phthalates.
they could stay in the plastic, or they could get out and enter
your body through your blood,...
...eating food,...
...or just breathing.
Pollymer: But with work, we can make our plastics safer.
If we look for natural alternatives...
...like Dicotyl.
Dicotyl: Cotyl!...
Polymer: Or we research methods...
Pollymer: ...for creating safer phthalates...
...like Hexamoll Hexamoll: [ROARS]...
Pollymer: ...we can have our plastics and minimize the risk.
It may take money and time, but it's better than surrounding
ourselves with products that have unknown effects.
Pollychester: There's also ways we can
just avoid using plastics...
...shop with a canvas bag,...
...eat off of glass or ceramic plates, and use metal flatware.
Pollymer: And keep your plastics away from heat in microwaves and
dishwashers that break down plastics...
...and release phthalates
Pollymer: And don't chew on your plastic stuff...
...it's understandable for a baby, but come on...
Pollychester: So, we beat the bad guys and learned a lot.
Did I beat the game?
Pollymer: Oh, you never "beat" this game.
There's post game missions, you have to
play the other version...
...there's the tradeable card game, in about 5 years
they'll do a remake of this game, you're never done.
This is you now.
Dicotyl: Dicotyl!