The amount of a phthalate plasticizer on the surface of a sheet of polyvinyl chloride used in the fabrication of blood storage bags was quantified using attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy, water contact angle measurement, and weight loss due to methanol extraction. Water wettability increased as the amount of surface phthalate extracted by methanol increased, which indicates that the accumulation of phthalate on the surface increases hydrophobicity. The extraction of phthalate by methanol consists of two steps: (a) methanol first dissolves surface phthalate, and (b) phthalate in the bulk then diffuses through the surface. The adsorption of plasma proteins was investigated to determine the initial events as blood contacts the surface. The composition of adsorbed proteins on the methanol-cleansed surface differs from that on the uncleansed polyvinyl chloride surface. Albumin adsorption onto phthalate-contaminated surfaces is less than on cleansed surfaces while adsorption of gamma-globulin and fibrinogen is greater on phthalate-contaminated surfaces. Protein adsorption can be related to surface thrombus formation. Increases in platelet numbers appeared on phthalate-contaminated surfaces as compared with methanol-treated surfaces. A phthalate may enhance platelet adhesion and aggregation when it exists on a polymer surface.