Legislation would prohibit DEHP — linked to breast, liver, lung, and testicular cancer — from intravenous bags and tubing used in Massachusetts hospitals
(BOSTON—6/4/2026) Use of a toxic chemical which is commonly added to plastic intravenous bags and linked to cancer cases would be banned in Massachusetts under a bill advanced today by the Massachusetts Senate.
Senators voted to pass the bill, which would phase out the use of DEHP—a toxic chemical—in IV bags and tubing in Massachusetts. Many IV bags currently contain DEHP, which is added to improve the plastic’s flexibility but can pose serious health dangers to patients.
The legislation—S.3106, An Act relative to toxic-free medical devices—would prohibit the manufacture or sale of IV containers and tubing made with intentionally added DEHP. DEHP—Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate—has been linked to breast, liver, lung, and testicular cancer, according to Breast Cancer Prevention Partners.
“This bill will help keep patients across the Commonwealth safe, especially our most vulnerable that frequently receive treatments delivered through IV bags and tubes,” said Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. “It is antithetical to good health care to subject residents to additional health dangers from carcinogenic chemicals when receiving treatments to keep them healthy, and I am glad that the Senate is taking the lead on this initiative to help keep Massachusetts patients safe.”
Full details of the legislation are available in a fact sheet in the Senate’s press room.
The Senate Committee on Ways and Means reported the bill to the full Senate with a 17-0 vote on June 1, 2026. A previous version was vetted and advanced by the Joint Committee on Public Health.
The Senate passed the bill and sent it to the House of Representatives for further review.
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