Phthalates are synthetic chemicals used in many consumer products. They are not chemically bound, so they leach, and have become ubiquitous within the environment. Due to their high production and continuous release, humans are constantly exposed, with increasing evidence of detrimental health effects. The European Commission is preparing to amend the authorisation List (Annex XIV to REACH), adding four phthalates as substances of very high concern with endocrine disrupting properties (ECHA, 2019). Other phthalates have yet to be studied extensively. This project assessed phthalates and their metabolites in an Irish context, including restricted and less well studied phthalates. Sources and fates of phthalates were assessed for eleven phthalates. Soil was identified as a stressor for phthalates in Ireland, with higher incidences than other European countries. All surface water samples were below environmental health limits. Removal from effluent was efficient, with effluent passing surface water standards. However, this resulted in high sludge concentrations, a cause of concern as the primary means of sludge disposal in Ireland is land spreading. It is recommended that the effects of land spreading for a variety of endocrine disrupters is investigated. Phthalate metabolites in wastewater influent were monitored and modelled to population exposure. Total exposure to phthalate ranged from 10.27 to 418.42 µg/inhabitant/day. Risk assessment using the Hazard Quotient (HQ) assessed the toxicological effect of phthalates in Ireland. All values were below reported levels of concern. This indicates that there is no phthalate induced risk in Ireland. However, only a selection of phthalate metabolites was monitored, and may not reflect the risk associated with all phthalates and plasticizers. It is recommended that periodic screening of wastewater for a wide range of metabolites related to contaminants of emerging concern could indicate temporal trends in exposure and give an early indication of priority area for research.