A Kane County hospital’s health newsletter is helping to spread the word about a nail-polish ingredient that could be harmful to women.

Advocate Health eNews reports that a new study conducted by Duke University and the Environmental Working Group found that triphenyl phosphate, an ingredient common to many nail-polish products, is suspected to be an endocrine disruptor, which can cause reproductive and developmental irregularities.

A similar story, posted Friday (Oct. 23, 2015) by the Chicago Tribune says the products are widely promoted as “eco-friendly” and free of a chemicals linked to cancer and reproductive problems, but the Duke study suggests TPHP “might be just as worrisome.”

The Duke study was very limited and included just 26 participants in a test of the products. But of those 26, 24 metabolized the TPHP within two to six hours of applying the nail polish, and after 14 hours, all 26 showed that levels of the metabolized chemical DPHP in their systems had risen sevenfold.

The concern is what effects these chemicals might have on women’s hormones and reproductive systems.

The Advocate Sherman article quotes Dr. Shweta Nayak, an Evanston-based obstetrician/gynecologist who specializes in reproductive endocrinology.

“Environmental chemicals and their effects on reproductive function have become a hot topic in the field of reproductive medicine,” Nayak said. “In the last decade, several endocrine disrupting chemicals have been identified to affect abnormal ovarian function, miscarriages and female infertility.”

According to the Tribune, federal law doesn’t require manufacturers to prove that cosmetic ingredients are safe before putting them on the market or even file product formulations with the FDA.

Dr. Nayak says that women shouldn’t panic or stop using nail polish until more research is done.

“Environmental and genetic factors are still some of the main causes for women’s infertility and there is still a lot more research that needs to be done to better understand why women are infertile or have miscarriages,” she said. “It would be interesting to see the cause of the chemical over a longer period of time.”

Read More

• Chicago Tribune: Triphenyl phosphate, found in ‘eco-friendly’ nail polish, spurs worries
• Advocate Health eNews: Common ingredient in nail polish may be harmful for women
• Environmental Working Group: Duke-EWG Study Finds Toxic Nail Polish Chemical In Women’s Bodies