- The ARC - California Edition -
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Nail Polish a Toxin? Last November, in a news item on San Francisco’s KRON Channel 4, questions were raised about the safety of using nail polish during pregnancy. The station reported that scientific tests had indicated that a suspected reproductive toxin, used in the manufacture of nail polish, was widely spread throughout the members of a test group. The storyline of the TV station was covering work being conducted by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study team which had unexpectedly revealed that Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) was in the bodies of 100% of the 289 men and women that they had tested. The highest levels were found in women of reproductive age. The researchers put forward that it is likely due to the high use of cosmetics by women. Looking beyond the media story, I learned some interesting facts. DBP is not on the California list of reproductive toxins, but the chemical is rated as a developmental and reproductive toxin during animal testing. A broad range of birth defects and reproductive damage has been reported in these animal tests. DBP has also been reported to inhibit the implantation of eggs during reproduction, and to cause a wide range of birth defects to the skeletal system. The recently authorized CDC effort was initiated to study seven phthalate chemicals in order to determine if any of them are capable of causing reproductive harm to humans. These seven chemicals were selected because of their high production volume, and the number of concerns that have been raised about exposure levels for children and adults. Phthalates were invented about 70 years ago and their production and use has grown to a volume of over 2 million tons annually. The federal government safety standard for dibutyl phthalate was established during the 1950s. During that time, safety tests were based on rat studies which considered levels that would result in death, not birth defects. A List of Nail Polishes That Uses Dibutyl Phthalate:
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