The release behavior of diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) from a polyvinyl-chloride (PVC) tube, which is part of an intravenous administration set, was investigated with the coexistence of polysorbate 80 (Tween 80) in various solutions such as physiological saline (PS), distilled water for injection (DWI) and glucose solution (TZ). The cumulative amount of DEHP released after 5 h was in the following order; PS, DWI > 50% TZ. From a comparison of the amount of released DEHP and the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of various solutions, the lower the CMC of the solution, the higher the amount of DEHP released from the PVC tubing. When the concentration of Tween 80 was kept constant at 1 mg/ml, the cumulative amount of DEHP released with a flow rate 90 ml/h was higher than that at 60 ml/h. These results suggest that the release of DEHP from the PVC tubing is closely correlated with the interaction of Tween 80 and DEHP such as the formation of micelles, the collision of micelles against the surface of the PVC tubing and the diffusion properties of DEHP and or Tween 80 in the liquid medium.